05/26/2026
I love reading the stories trees tell.
This old, though not especially large Quercus kelloggii (California Black Oak) in the Eldorado National Forest has some different things going one that are notable.
1) It has a lightening scar (the gray spiral around the bark) going up the trunk and it shows it wrapped up a now dead and failed stem. What’s unique about this up here in the Sierra Nevada mountains is we rarely see California Black Oaks with lightening scars as they are rarely the tallest tree in the forest. The other tree species in this area were Ponderosa Pine, Jeffery Pine, White Fir and Incense Cedar all have maximum heights well above that while the Black Oak can achieve.
What made the Black Oak stand out? It’s on the edge of a large open slope of granite and shrubs. Trees on the edge of a meadow or lake are more prone to lightening strikes. Also some trees are more prone to lightening strikes than others.
2) You can also see what looks like a white spot at the base of the tree. This is actually old Laetiporus gilbertsonii, Aka Chicken of the Woods. When the fruiting body is old it becomes crumbled and looks like styrofoam. This causes a brown heart rot, which, given the location of the fruiting body, is likely decaying the base and/or roots.
I love when trees like this are located in natural setting like this away from infrastructure because if this tree falls is highly unlikely impact people, so it can be left become an ancient tree in peace.
