The California trees that came to New Zealand

It had been an interesting drive north from Los Angeles.  Following a 12,000 kilometer flight across the Pacific that had not crossed land.  But I was past San Simeon before I saw the first of the Macrocarpa trees that I had come such a long way to see.

That single tree stood alone in a field, but I then began to see more of them as I wound my way onto the fabled Big Sur road. My destination was the nature reserve at Point Lobos.

Macrocarpa and Radiata Pine, (Known there as Monterey Cypress and Monterey Pine) began to appear more frequently the more I traveled north.  They seemed to be in places  close to the road, and most likely planted.  Because  in the whole world the Macrocarpa only occurs naturally on only a few hundred acres, on two sites.

Big Sur Highway.  Macrocarpa and some Radiata Pine behind. 

At home in New Zealand  these two probably are the most familiar tree.  They are everywhere and the pine, Radiata is in vast plantations.  The Macrocarpa often surrounds older farmsteads and sometimes it's a lonely house site where the house has long since disappeared.

Monterey Pine.  "Radiata Pine.  Big Sur. September 2011.

The Radiata is the most planted tree in the world now.  With massive plantings in South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.  But it's natural range is nearly as restricted as Macrocarpa, with only a dozen or so sites in California.

Planted Radiata off the Big Sur Road.  Notice the 'wilding' young pines further down the hill.

Not many trees but the Bixby bridge is a Big Sur icon.  Nearly as good as the Grafton Bridge in Auckland

Monterey Pine at Point Lobos.  Just 5 Kilometers south of 'Carmel by the Sea' California.

Radiata.  Monterey Pine.

"The greatest meeting of land and water in the world." is the bold claim for Point Lobos.  And there is something amazing here at Point Lobos.  It seems the whole coastline here is a ferment of life.  Whales and seals abound.

There is no bad place to point the camera.  Just like Central Otago.

Seals, sea lions and sea otters.  It can't be a surprise.  This place is incredible.

The orange stuff above is a green algae.  With Carotene ! Don't ask me how that works.  But it doesn't harm the trees.

It's been a beautiful blue day but not hard to sense that that fog is the norm here.   I am told these trees have months without rain in the summer and gain their moisture from the coastal fogs.  Not so sure I can understand that either.  I am very familiar with these trees at home in New Zealand and none of them I am sure needs fog.

Macrocarpa.  Monterey Cypress.  Notice the dry ground.

There is a seal down there

Evening in 'Carmel by the sea'.  Time for a beer and a steak.  But spot the macrocarpa. The big trees are Pine.

It would be easy to say that the trees came to New Zealand with the gold rush miners  from California and likely some did.  But the first known Radiata was planted in New Zealand in 1859 at Mount Peel Station a full two years before the gold rush.  That's about 250 Kilometers north of our gold field.  It was an unpopulated area and it's unlikely there were more than a dozen humans  between the two areas.

In those days (1850s) development of farming in southern New Zealand was not by struggling pioneer families.  It was the time of the land barons, well capitalised big enterprises with dozens of employees and the resources to import and develop what they needed in quantity.  Many of the early specimens came via nurseries and botanical interests in England, France and Australia, and of course California.

Some suggestions as to how the Monterey trees came to New Zealand.

Despite their unique and limited natural range both Macrocarpa and Radiata have great usefulness.  They are used for planted and managed forests all over the world.

Macrocarpa Plantation.  Note the pruning that has been done to ensure knot free and straight timber.

Radiata is now the most planted tree in the world in hugely commercial plantations. There is a big timber industry based around Radiata.

A local Radiata plantation.  Straight lines and precision.

This local managed plantation is used to stablise encroaching sand.

Rural Areas across New Zealand feature Radiata and Macrocarpa Shelter Belts.  Most farms will have these trees forming a background in the landscape.

All of the dark trees in this photo of the 'Field of Gold' are Radiata, the Monterey Pine a long way from home.  The shadow in the foreground is formed by a big belt of radiata that shelters the house from the winter winds.  The big tree to the left  of middle is a radiata.  And the band of Radiata from left to right across the photo are really big specimens.  They are well distant -- nearly a kilometer away.

These two tree varieties are grown because their timber is so useful  and forms most of New Zealand's forestry and timber industry and Radiata especially is the major construction timber here now.

The lovely neighbours building a deck.

This deck is really large, well built and has taken a lot of timber.  Macrocarpa decking, Monterey Cypress, with a frame of Radiata, Monterey pine.  The steps are Radiata. Note the big Radiata and the small one to the left in the photo above.  And that yellow patch is California Poppy.

Radiata big timber frame, Macrocarpa Decking.  Radiata trees and Mt Difficulty.

(you do have to look again at the photo, at the light on our mountain.)

So these trees have come a long way from California.  Cypress and Pine from those rare sites are an everyday part of our New Zealand landscape.

Look at this other blog on the Radiatia Pine
 
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