Biggest Trees in the World?

In preparation for my upcoming new book, Big Trees of Vancouver Island I have had the honour and pleasure of visiting some of what are claimed to be the “Biggest Trees” of their respective species to be found anywhere in Canada, and in some cases, the world.

Explorations around the great forests of BC’s west coast come with many satisfying and gratifying moments. I am sure at one time in history you could have walked out into any drainage on the Island and stood amongst giant trees.

Unfortunately, this experience is not so easy anymore. Finding these massive trees now requires some long drives on rough forest service roads, or even taking a boat along a shoreline, and then usually followed by a strenuous hike just to stand at the base of these sentinels of the forest.

The ultra-productive growing conditions of the low elevation valleys of Vancouver Island support rich, biodiverse plant communities where trees became the veritable overlords of the kingdom. These valleys have been heavily exploited by industrial logging for the last 200 years and now support only a scraggly excuse for a forest. In some cases, 2nd and even 3rd growth stands of trees are being harvested. The primary forests that once occupied these lands now exist only within isolated patches of old growth that dot the Island.

Sites where some of the really big trees may be visited are as follows:

Carmanah / Walbran Provincial Park - home to the Carmanah Giant, “Canada’s Tallest Tree.” A Sitka spruce reaching a height of 96 metres, the tree is estimated to be over 400 years of age, which is really old for a Sitka. The tree is no longer accessible, as BC Parks has chosen to not maintain the trail into the lower Carmanah Valley. Perhaps with a committed bushwhack you could find your way there.

Once BC’s largest Sitka spruce by volume, and second largest in the world the San Juan Spruce, had an estimated volume of 333 cubic m. The tree recently was damaged by a lightning strike and has sadly been reduced from its position of glory. 

This tree is located in the San Juan River Valley near Port Renfrew.

San Jo’s Smiley (known locally as Bruce the Spruce) now reigns as BC’s largest diameter Sitka spruce. Located at the edge of a cut-block near Holberg, North Island, this tree is 4.36 metres in diameter, and 77.8 metres in height. 

Someone fortunately recognized this tree’s significance and spared it the indignity of the chainsaw cut. After a long drive, on a bone-jarring road from Port Hardy to Holberg, the road just gets rougher but eventually arrives at the Raft Main near where the tree resides.

Red Creek - Port Renfrew - the “Red Creek Fir.” Situated at the end of a long drive and a short trail, this tree boasts the distinguishable honour of being the “Largest Known Douglas Fir in the World.” With a staggering diameter of 4.23 metres (that is a long walk around the circumference at 13 m), a height of 74 metres, and an average crown spread of 23.0 m, it is almost unimaginable how big this tree actually is until you are standing beneath looking up in awe.

Cheewhat Giant Cedar - One of the largest living Western Red Cedars in the world, and the largest tree in Canada. How is that for accolades! Well, they are much deserved. Located in Pacific Rim National Park, accessed from an obscure trail that leads down towards Cheewhat Lake from the Rosander Main in the Nitinat Valley. Sounds simple, right? Heading out from Lake Cowichan, the maze of forest service roads can be a bit confusing, but if you follow directional signs for the Carmanah Park campsite, you might arrive there eventually. The tree’s dimensions are impressive: 5.86 m in diameter, 55.5 m in height and an estimated volume of 449 cu.m. (for reference, you could build 16 suburban bungalows with this much wood.)

While these access details may appear a bit vague, many of these trees have published literature that describe the routes, so you won’t get lost more than once on your search. 

The highly anticipated (in the works for five years) Big Trees of Vancouver Island book will offer these and many of the other amazing forest sites of the West Coast Temperate Rainforest for your reading and viewing pleasure.