I am pleased that you are continuing to document and publicize this exceptional tree. Hopefully it will be preserved for some time yet.

This item has become fairly prevalent in local outlets, it is good that others are able to see this example here.

Well Ron, you and I both know I would not be able to do so without you telling me about the existence of this tree! So thank you again. I guess I consider myself lucky to live so close to this Eucryphia. I can actually see most of the tree from my childrens upstairs window. This tree inspired me to look around my area, and try to find more wonderful specimens of unusual species. Not rare mind you, but certainly not extremely common here in Western Washington. That huge Lithocarpus densiflorus is one example, but I think you mentioned that you have seen that one in the past as well!! I think there may be a couple of Umbellularia that are close to record size for Western Washington. They are without a doubt larger in diameter than any in the Arboretum, but I don't think they are nearly as tall. They are not growing in compitition with other tall growing trees, so they just look like huge, round headed Camphor trees. One weeps quite gracefuly.

-Brian

I MIGHT have driven by that tanoak, or might not have. Result is the same, I had not seen the closeup views you posted or measured it. There's some much bigger-trunked Umbellularia around than those in the Seattle arboretum. One in Vancouver had a trunk 15 ft. 7 in. around (below forking) in 1993. See Van Pelt, CHAMPION TREES OF WASHINGTON STATE.

I will go an measure a few when I get back in town next week. I doubt any are that large, but.....until I take a closer look, I really don't know for sure. This is an old town, with some really old plantings. Some of the bases 4-5' up of Sequoia sempervirens in some of the old Navy housing are by far the largest I have seen, bar none. With the obvious exception of thier native habitat.

-Brian

Those need to be about 7 ft. in diameter to be in the upper range for WA.

I think 7'+ in this case would not suprise me. I just noticed this tree when I took the long way home after getting popsicles for my young girls, and I had to stop because the tree trunk was that.....massive. I hope you wouldn't think I would be false or just lie. There is nothing in this for me with the exception of interest in the specimen. It may be quite short of any interest. I didn't bring my camera, or my tape measure. I am going water skiing tomorrow, and hopefuly I will be home by tuesday. I still hope one of these days we can get together and photograph, and possibly take cuttings of some of the best specimen plants in the region. Take care Ron.

-Brian

Since I was passing through Bremerton I went looking for the Olympic College eucryphia today and found it to be still present and intact - but devoid of leaves. In May. So outlook not too good. The site is being called an environmental laboratory, is signed "students only" and gated. Also a Child Development Center was built onto part of it, near the tree. But it wouldn't surprise me if what happened is the former property owner used to water and the College hasn't continued this since buying the place, resulting in the eucryphia drying out and dying.

Sorry to hear about that. My two intermedia Rostrevors in Portland are re-leafing out on time, the past coldish winter turned them completely brown.

E. lucida and an E. milliganii here were not significantly affected by the winter.

Mine hang onto brown leaves, much like some oaks, it is curious the Bremerton giant would be devoid, unless like you imply, the defoliation goes back several seasons..

I was called in by Olympic College administration about this time last year to identify this tree (and several others on property adjacent to and now deeded to the college) and it looked perfectly fine at that time. It is located in an out of the way area that is not attended to regularly by the grounds crew. And no, it doesn't get watered - I wouldn't expect watering for such a mature specimen would be necessary. But the property was deeded to the college more than 10 years ago and the structures now enclosing the tree (at least in part) were constructed after that.

Since I am in Bremerton routinely, I will check it out next time I am in the area.

Not having been there for perhaps 20 years and with the Child Development Center in front of it I didn't recognize the former garden site at first. (I also remembered the property as being south of the campus, instead of where it actually is in what is now the northwest corner). Without leaves the eucryphia looks so diaphanous I actually walked by, looked over at the also now unhappy looking Umbellularia south of it, thought with a tree like that being there that was probably the spot - but didn't realize that the bare thing north of it was the eucryphia. It wasn't until I had left the campus and was heading toward the bridge to the northeast that I looked over at the last minute and put it all together.

So then I had to go over the bridge, turn around at the other end and come all the way back.

I did hit Bremerton today in the course of my travels and checked out the eucryphia. You can see the top of it over the buildings and did look like it was lacking leaves. But I did get the head of facilities to get me into the area - the Child Development Center is naturally very restricted access and they are putting in a new parking lot in front so not an easy site to get close to. Up close it looks much better. It obviously has lost a lot of foliage since I last saw it as well but mostly on the top, most exposed portion. Down lower there are many more leaves.

Not the best photo as I was looking up in to the tree (you can't get far enough away to get a clear shot overall) but you can see the leaves present.

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And this one is more of a close up of the lower branches but still not the best shot. Leaves much more apparent.

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It's definitely taken a hit. I am assuming the leaf drop was due to winter conditions. Bremerton had a couple of pretty sharp cold snaps and a whole lot more snow than we saw on Bainbridge.

btw, the Umbellularia was another tree they had asked me about (and that was 2015, not last year as I had thought) and I had made mention in my report that it looked unthrifty at that time. It doesn't look any better now. Drainage in that area is not wonderful and it was pretty squishy after our endless months of rain so that may be a factor.

The Giant may yet awaken. I always find it difficult to tell how leafy my tallest Eucryphia is when backlit, or from a distance. The upper regions do suffer far more than near-ground. In fact, I removed the upper half of another one a few years ago as it did not recover after 2 years, there is now 3 feet of new growth from the cuts.

You must be showing just part of the tree here - which I guess is what you are saying. From over behind the gate the whole thing looked bald. Maybe the building of the Child Development Center around it has affected the drainage and that is bothering it. Or had some other adverse impact on the rooting area. When I have seen other examples of this hybrid burn in cold before the scorched leaves stuck around for awhile. Of course, at some point these would all have dropped off.

Later it occurred to me that since the soil around or near the tree looks ~wet at this time the extra rain we had this winter could be the problem. It seems that just as if the eucryphia had been allowed to become too dry during a recent summer excess moisture in the root zone could have resulted in leaves dropping.

The eucryphia is actually sited at the highest point in the area and the soil there was not overly wet at all. Underplantings include yucca and Rosa rugosa, neither of which are very tolerant of wet soils and both are flourishing. Soil conditions are much better there than they are closer to the bay (downslope), which actually has a drainage channel running down from it.

Leaf drop can be a symptom of winter cold, especially from winds, and the siting of this tree between 2 large bodies of water and its top exposure above any surrounding architecture may make it vulnerable to some damage. It is pushing new growth so prognosis is good.

Previously you posted

Drainage in that area is not wonderful and it was pretty squishy after our endless months of rain

which I didn't catch was apparently intended to mean it was on the wet side only just right where the myrtle was. Especially since the two trees are close to one another.

With homernoy growing a zonal denial collection within eyesight of the eucryphia and the eucryphia managing to grow there for a long time, apparently without being killed back the implication is that the salt water being right there is producing a banana belt regime. Despite the elevation these properties are on being open to the North. And I am seeing no cold damage to any other eucryphias or similar southern hemisphere trees anywhere else in this area. Except, perhaps for a Bothell planting of some small examples of the variegated form of Eucryphia lucida that has been on the local market in recent years. Which doesn't surprise me, as my own experience with this introduction would tend to imply it is tender.

The trees are at least 30' apart and the bay on the down slope side of that, where the soil was definitely squishy. But the soil conditions up where the eucryphia is located were much better - good and firm, despite all the rain.

There's a fair number of Eucryphia x nymansensis planted here on the island but I haven't noticed any significant leaf drop here........wasn't exactly looking for it :-) I grow Eucryphia lucida 'Spring Cream' myself and it has been untouched by winter, even as a container planting. But then my location is very protected and extremely balmy due to marine influence.