Living in the Midwest, I haven’t had much exposure to the Western Red Cedar. I have some favorite trees – oaks for their gnarly growth and the wildlife habitat they provide; aspens for their decorated white bark and fluttering, shimmering heart-shaped leaves; the ponderosa pine for the endless patterns in its scaly bark, like puzzle pieces in all shades and shapes of browns and oranges, gray and black. Today, the Western Red Cedar joined the list. Let me tell you why.
Emperor of the Oak Savanna 
Ponderosa Pine bark 
Ponderosa pine bark 
Ponderosa Pine Bark 
Aspens: Autumn Gold
The Western Red Cedar, technically in the cypress family, has thin, fibrous bark with linear fissures that run the length of the tree. They run parallel to each other in very orderly lines (save the woodpecker holes) until they near the ground. And then comes the beautiful art. The following images are all from the same tree.
Western Red Cedar Bark 
Western Red Cedar Bark 
Western Red Cedar Bark 
Western Red Cedar Bark
The tree also hosts all sorts of moss and lichen, along with fungi, some of my favorite macrophotography subjects. All of these are living on the bark of this one tree.
Fungi and Lichens 
Lichens and Moss 
Moss and Lichens
This one tree opened my eyes to the enormity of interest in and on this tree’s covering. I circled the trunk, capturing all that this one tree had to offer.
Lines, Lichen and Moss 
Lichens 
Near the ground
Pretty amazing, don’t you agree? Do you have a favorite tree?
Special thanks to my patient husband.
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