Tag Archives: sorrell

Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Maple and Sorrel, Redwood Grove

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Maple and Sorrel, Redwood Grove
Maple and Sorrel, Redwood Grove

Maple and Sorrel, Redwood Grove. Muir Woods National Monument, California. August 1, 2013. © Copyright 2013 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An old maple tree leans above a bed of redwood sorrel in a redwood grove at Muir Woods National Monument

Of the group of photographs I made on this early August morning at Muir Woods National Monument, this may be the darkest scene of all. Almost no direct sunlight had yet penetrated down into this section of the forest, with the exception of a few odd beams striking here and there among the higher branches, and one coming across the forest floor from the right side of the frame.

Redwood trees here are generally quite straight and bulky. With the exception of those that have fallen or are leaning over, they forma a continuous pattern of vertical lines. Breaking up this verticality are the curving shapes of trees like the laurel, and in this scene a thick, old maple tilts wildly to the right at a 45-degree angle, and is the form that initially attracted me to this spot. The forest floor here is almost covered with redwood sorrel, a clover-like plant that puts out small blossoms earlier in the year. The light, of course, is soft and the whole scene is in deep shade.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Trillium, Sorrel, and Ferns – Redwood Forest

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Trillium, Sorrel, and Ferns - Redwood Forest

Trillium, Sorrel, and Ferns – Redwood Forest. Muir Woods National Monument, California. March 21, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring trillium, redwood sorrel (Oregon oxalis), and ferns grow beneath the redwood trees at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

This past Saturday I visited Muir Woods National Monument – again! – to photograph the ongoing arrival of spring growth in the redwood forest. Following a few weeks of welcome rain and the recent start of spring, the plant life in the redwood forest is exploding everywhere. Here a lush patch of trillium, redwood sorrel (Oregon oxalis), and ferns grows right next to one of the main trails through the groves.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Ferns and Rock

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Ferns and Rock

Ferns and Rock. Muir Woods National Monument, California. March 7, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Ferns and rock along the creek at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I found this mini garden alongside the one of the main trails through the central grove at Muir Woods – it was just on the other side of a low fence and next to the creek. As I walk along an area like this I take my time and try to keep my eye out for small scenes that could easily be overlooked, and the juxtaposition of the brown fern leaf with the very green new growth of ferns, moss, and sorrel caught my eye.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Oregon Oxalis

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Oregon Oxalis

Oregon Oxalis. Muir Woods National Monument, California. February 28, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Bright leaves of Oregon oxalis carpet the forest floor under the redwood trees at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I suppose this might more accurately be titled “More Oregon Oxalis” since I posted similar photograph in landscape orientation earlier. When I make a photograph like this one I often try to get versions in both portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) orientation – partly because I think the subject looks interesting both way and partly for more practical reasons. By the way, I understand that the plant is also known as “redwood sorrell.”

Earlier today someone posted a comment on another of my photographs of this subject and pointed out that the plant also produces very pretty little pink flowers. I think they were just beginning to appear when I shot this – I saw a few of them, and a bud is barely visible near the center of this photo. I may return to Muir Woods soon, and the next time I’ll keep an eye out specifically for the flowers.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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