Crossroads at BIG CREEK

I love to lead Crossroads nature hikes down by the cedars along the bank of Big Creek. The roots of the trees are grow in such intricate tangles, it is impossible to tell where one tree starts and another tree ends. There is a reason.

If seeds fall quite close to each other on the same log, the seedlings compete for the water, nutrients and sunlight, and the strongest young tree wins. Sometimes, if different seeds fall near each other, the seed of the species best suited to the habitat will be the one that succeeds.

Sometimes, though, several young trees grow very close together and they both live. And if two trees survive together, they literally grow together---they fuse. Their trunks become one trunk, their roots graft together, and for the remainder of their lives, they share.

If the two fused trees are the same species, most people do not even notice that they are double. But, some of these combination…say a birch growing with a hemlock…look odd. A birch tree has white bark and loses its leaves in the fall. A hemlock is an evergreen with dark bark. The combination is striking in every season and the partnership seems to work.

But the relationship is not ideal. In the case of birch/hemlock, age is a factor. Hemlock trees can live for several hundred years while birch usually dies after forty or fifty years. Also, birch trees do not grow well in shade and the thick hemlock needles create a great deal of shade. Often the birch dies. And when a tree dies, decomposition starts immediately. Because the living and dead tree share roots and trunks, fungi from the dead tree gets into the living one.

Double trees do have advantages-- sort of a "united we stand" situation. Trees with grafted roots are far less likely to blow down in heavy winds. The smaller trees gains sustenance from the larger partners. For the most part, fused trees seem to get along pretty well, and they should. They've been together since they were very young.

Join the naturalist for a gentle hike beside the creek so see the fused trees. Beyond the springs, water is flowing and lovely wetland plants are blooming. While Packer colors predominate, but splashes of fall scarlet are beginning to appear.

Crossroads at Big Creek is an historical and environmental learning preserve where learners of all ages can focus on science, history and the environment. Trails are open to the public. Dogs (on leash and under control) are allowed. Crossroads is located at the Intersection of Highway 42/57 and Michigan Street ( County TT ) in Sturgeon Bay.