Shipley Nature Center Huntington Beach, CA

Redwoods grow in Northern California, and are rarely seen in Southern California. If you go back thousands of years, there were redwoods growing in Southern California, usually in coastal areas. Evidence of their existence was found during archeological digs on the mesa at Bolsa Chica where layers of earth showing redwoods were discovered. When the climate warmed at the end of the Ice Ages, the redwood forests shifted northward and are now found in Northern California from Monterey to Oregon. The trees at Shipley Nature Center were planted 40 years ago. We feel they are part of the history of the region.

Coast Redwoods are the tallest living things on earth, and may grow to 360 feet. They have delicate foliage, narrow sharp-pointed needles only one-half to three-quarters of an inch long. This delicate foliage traps moisture so efficiently that fog contributes up to 30-40% of the trees water supply. Groundwater is siphoned up through the trunks. Redwood cones are only about an inch long. High tannin levels in the wood protect the trees from insects.

Shipley Nature Center’s high water table and location in the coastal fog belt contribute to the health of our grove. Notice the number of young volunteer trees lining the trail and the trees sprouting from the bases of some of the parent trees.