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Re: TH: World's Only Golden Spruce has been felled, Please forward!



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Terence Liow has written an excellent account of the death of this tree.
It can be found on my web site,
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/TreeWeb/treeweb.htm, 
by clicking on the Tree News button. 

This tree is almost certainly a single-gene mutant, which produces only
a fraction of the normal chlorophyll.  This is not that rare in western
conifers, but how such a tree could survive for so long is unknown. It
may actually be a root parasite on other Sitka spruce in the stand.

This is a very sad tale, and there is little that can be done. Cuttings
will not work on a tree this old.  It may stump sprout, but the sprouts
may not express the mutation.

Our deepest condolences should go to the Haida People on the loss of
this sacred tree.  
-- 
Tom Kimmerer
Forest Biologist
University of Kentucky
tkimmer@pop.uky.edu
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/TreeWeb/treeweb.htm
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/TreeWeb/gen200.htm


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