mdvaden

Roughly a few years after starting this thread, moving into 2018. Here's Jedediah Smith park, using a new Zeiss Milvus 85mm lens.

A burly coast redwood in Prairie Creek park ...

Another photo from Redwood National Park

Anybody ready to get married in the coast redwoods?

Some extra exploring ...

Just updated a page about changes in this grove and new articles over the past year. Read more at: http://www.mdvaden.com/redwood_GOT.shtml

I call this redwood "Gizmo" ...

Over 40 years working with trees and exploring forests, most examples of natural grafts I saw fit neither of those suggestions. When branches get close and trunks rub, it's understandable that cambium area tissue from both will merge into one mass cambium, producing a common mass of wood and bark. It's interesting that the question I quoted, is so far apart from the simplicity of what's happening. Grafts are generally not a common function like growing roots for anchor and nutrition or leaves growing to face the light. Grafts are more like coincidence, and not necessity. It's not impossible for a graft to reinforce a weak tree by bonding at a higher point. But it would be by chance and not by purpose or opportunity. To stretch for much beyond this simplicity would be like the articles the past couple years where writers were suggesting albino redwoods were saviors of the forest (when the opposite it true).

Wedding in the coast redwood forest. This couple traveled over from Hawaii ...

A refreshing scene from a few weeks ago ...

Colors of the forest ...

"La Leche" ... Waited months to cross over for this photo. Water was too high in winter and spring.

Earlier this month .... a redwood we call Elk Herd ...

Boy Scout Tree Trail ...

You spoke of the role of decay fungi in likelihood of failure. Actually, if wood is decayed, the role may not matter as much at a certain moment, as the fact the wood is decayed. But I think some relevant concerns may revolve around whether certain types of decay fungi can be identified and whether their presence is much bigger concern than other kinds of fungi. Are there ones that are no big deal, like what decays a small pruning cut area for a few years ... vs. another that means keeping a closer eye on the tree or justifying biting nails over. Is there a practical way to list the role of things, conditions practices that may commonly trigger different fungi? Or the worst of the decay fungi. I get the impression that it's common knowledge among experienced arborists that decayed or rotted wood tends to be weaker than "healthy" or sound wood. So it seems like decay fungi's "role" in likelihood of failure is not poorly understood.

Colors of the Forest .... This shot will probably become a print or canvas ...

You're welcome. I live even closer now, so new photos can continue, with intermittent throwbacks. I haven't spotted #s on posts to reference back to yet, but back just a little to last month's June image of the wedding couple ... this spot below is where they got married, down on that small gravel and sand bar where the creek changes course ...

I couldn't figure out where to change it to another new avatar tonight, and posted here asking. But I figured it out. Thanks.

For me, it's working very smoothly and speed is fine. I like the look of the new site too. So in a nutshell, very good. Thank you !! It was only awkward the first time because it was different. Once I got used to where to look for what, fairly simple.

Fog is my favorite, but the redwood forest still looks dramatic under shade of canopies over 300 ft. tall, especially toward the last hours of daylight.

A coast redwood is now inching it's way to 390 ft. Could it look like this one? A good mystery to ponder.

During the transition, approaching the "eminent" outcome, I read about "teams" working around the clock. How many teams did it take to get up to speed?

The other replies so far haven't gotten you any closer to a solution. But you may want to figure out what type of Magnolia because the form or type may alter suggestions. I'm going off your OP at the moment and assuming it's a "Magnolia". The Liriodendron tree with common name "Tulip Tree" is rarely to never called a Magnolia, but the genus Magnolia is always a Magnolia, with occasional use of the nickname after flower shape. A photo or two would be handy to see.

Returning to visit an old friend, in Prairie Creek redwoods.

Time to explore.