B.C.’s temperate rainforests are home to some of the largest trees on Earth, and naturally, many were around long before the creation of Canada. In fact, a lot of these spectacular trees are over a thousand years old, thriving in the province’s rainy climate and 12-month growing season, according to the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Among the most prominent species found in B.C. are Sitka spruces, Douglas firs, and western redcedars, which can grow to truly staggering heights and widths. Many of the world’s largest-known trees reside on Vancouver Island, in Port Renfrew, including the largest Douglas fir (Red Creek Fir), Redcedar (The Cheewhat Giant), and Canada’s largest spruce (San Jo’s Smiley).
So if meeting some of nature’s giants is on your bucket list, Port Renfrew should definitely be on your radar to visit.
The largest known trees in Canada
Once a small fishing village, Port Renfrew is surrounded by lush rainforests on the Pacific Rim of Vancouver Island, earning it the title of the “tall tree capital of Canada.”
According to the Ancient Forest Alliance, it’s home to the tallest known tree in Canada: a Sitka Spruce standing at 96 metres high (315 feet), known as the Carmanah Giant.
In terms of width, a Redcedar growing near Youbou called the Cheewhat Giant is considered the largest in Canada, measuring roughly six metres (20 feet) in diameter.
The Cheewhat Giant is also listed as the highest-scoring tree in the B.C. BigTree Registry, with a “Tree Score” of 917. This spectacular tree is protected at the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Compiled by UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, the registry lists all the record-breaking trees in the province, scoring each type of tree based on height (Ht.), diameter at breast height (DBH), and crown spread (Cr.)
The overall Tree Score is used to rank those listed in order of circumference and crown spread. Since tree species can vary greatly in potential size, this score is the most meaningful when compared within and not between species.
The Ancient Forest Alliance even mapped out all the notable old-growth trees in the Port Renfrew area, so you don’t have to worry about locating each one yourself!
The oldest trees in Canada
While the oldest trees are not typically the largest or the coolest looking per se, they’re still a testament to the resilience of ancient forests and the perseverance of nature. Plus, it’s pretty neat knowing that a given tree has been around long enough to see entire societies rise and fall.
Some of Canada’s oldest-known trees are also B.C. natives. This includes a subalpine larch found at E.C. Manning Park, which the Canadian Encyclopedia estimates could be nearly 2,000 years old, if not older.
Another remarkable ancient tree can be found in Whistler on the Ancient Cedars Trail, which is estimated by Monumental Trees to be around 1,024 years old.
For those heading to Bowen Island soon, there’s an ancient Douglas-fir locals affectionately refer to as “Opa” at the Xenia Centre that’s 1,025 years old, give or take a hundred years. While it’s situated on a private (bookable) retreat, Opa is one of two old-growth trees remaining on Bowen Island, somehow surviving all clear-cutting and logging attempts of the past.
So there you have it, Vancouver. If anything reflects the power of nature best, it’s these incredible old-growth trees.
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