The northern edge of Boundary Country is home to the biggest and oldest Ponderosa pine tree in Canada.
The aptly named “Grandfather Tree,” discovered in 1994 by Canadian biologist Dr. Valerius Geist during a survey of old-growth forests in the area, is thick, tall, and ancient.
Reaching up to a height of nearly 70 metres (more than 200 feet), Beaverdell’s Grandfather Pine boasts a trunk circumference measuring a burly five metres at its base. Geist estimated the tree to be half a millennium old.
As Geist and others know, Pinus ponderosa are among the most remarkable trees in the world, growing to incredible height and living for several hundred years or longer. The biggest one in the world, found in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest of Southern Oregon, stretches toward the sky more than 80 metres. The eldest, located in the Rye Patch Creek drainage of the Boise National Forest in Idaho, has been around for over 2,000 years.
The Pine is a source of majesty in the Boundary. Here, ancient giants mark the landscape over mountain, through woodland, and around bodies of water (such as the gem-like Jewel Lake).
In fact, there is an official “Ponderosa Pine Zone” in British Columbia, which is a unique and important ecosystem that covers just 0.4% of the province—including the dry valleys of the southern interior, such as along the lower Kettle regions of Boundary Country.
Notably, this zone is the driest forested area in BC, featuring long summers and dry winters. Because Ponderosa can endure low-water situations so well, these mighty sentinels dominate the arid climate, which is a mosaic of grassland, shrub-steppe, and pine-forested ecosystems.
Where there is Nature in the Boundary, there is Ponderosa.
Ponderosa are not the only tree in the region, of course—Douglas Fir and Spruce make their name here, too, alongside the colour-shifting Western Larch and other pines, such as the Lodgepole. Even so, and with nothing against the Fir and Spruce, something outstanding remains about the Ponderosa Pine in particular.
Perhaps it is because the Ponderosa is among the genetically tallest and longest-living tree species in North America. Or maybe the trick lies in its grand silhouette: a long trunk of textured red-brown, straight and slender and solid, maximizes sunlight absorption and minimizes wind threat, while bushy triplets of long needles offer distinctive flourish—a tree, named for its size and weight, that is “Unafraid to strike its head on the ceiling of the sky,” as local author Nowell Berg put it in an op-ed for East Kootenay News Weekly in 2020.
Or perhaps it because the Ponderosas is tough and resilient, thriving in arid climates and acidic soils, fearing neither lack of water nor presence of fire. For how can a tree fear neither drought nor fire?
The Ponderosa knows how to live for such a tremendously long time because it has made key adaptions to its environment. Against drought, long taproots help access deep water sources so the pine may survive during extended dry periods. Meanwhile, thick bark infused with waxy suberin shields the Ponderosa from fire damage, while cones sealed with a resin that melts at high temperatures—releasing the seeds inside—allows the trees to take advantage of newly cleared ground to regenerate a scorched area with new growth.
Spiritual observers have suggested the Ponderosa is among the more “intelligent” of tree species, possessing a strong instinct for survival.
When untamed blazes are not spreading the seeds of Ponderosa, certain birds do the work. Local natives such as Clark’s Nutcracker and the Pine Siskin play a critical role in the reproduction of Ponderosa by spreading the seeds of these trees through unique feeding behaviours.
A member of the Corvidae family, Clark’s Nutcrackers have a grey body with black wings and tail. They are known for their sharp, curved beak that they use to extract seeds from pine cones. In fact, these birds have a specialized pouch in their throat, called a sublingual pouch, which allows them to store up to 50 seeds at a time.
Pine Siskins, with their yellow striping on the wing, also love conifer seeds. These birds are capable of extracting seeds from tightly closed cones with thin, pointed beaks. They often travel in flocks, spreading seeds from Ponderosa to Ponderosa.
And birds are not the only ones who enjoy the pine; small animals such as squirrels, as well as larger mammals like deer and bears, often take advantage of the large pines for shelter.
Walking amongst pines is highly rewarding, and not just for the incredible beauty of these trees. Ponderosa needles boast a sweet, invigorating aroma that delights the nostrils. The bark of most pines is also aromatic. Thanks to terpene-rich resin in conifers—which is more about protecting the tree from fatal wounds than acting as perfume for hikers—Ponderosa tend to smell sharp and refreshing. This is why pine is such a popular scent for candles and oils (though nothing compares to the real thing).
Touching a Ponderosa is as interesting as smelling one. Smooth when young, pine bark becomes richly textured over time, developing growth scales that grant each trunk a unique look and feel as it ages.
Here is a tree that touches upon all human senses.
Indigenous peoples of southern British Columbia have long associated the Ponderosa pine with wisdom and longevity. As one of the most adaptable and longest-surviving trees in the world, there is much merit to this association. Even today, pines are a popular graveside tree for their representation of life and immortality—though we should all determine to admire and appreciate the majesty of Ponderosa before we rest eternally.
Next time you come upon a pine, give it a good pondering.
THE MIDWAY ADVANCE 