Torreya californica at Bolinas Ridge
& Samuel P. Taylor State Park (Marin County)

by Eric Hongisto (and Lucas Machias)

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2022: LUCAS MACHIAS sent this photo (and the discussion on a Facebook page about it) on 22 February 2022 by email to Connie Barlow, who is posting this on the Torreya Guardians website. Here is the text in his email: Torreya californica, Bolinas Ridge, Marin County (found several old growth nutmegs today, fire survivors, too) Roger Raiche - That is an old one. Such a great conifer if you have space. Eric Hongisto - If you ever get the time, there is a grove in Fort Ross to melt your heart, directly on the San Andreas Fault. The ground is red with needle; a couple hundred trees over 1/4 acre. Roger Raiche - Eric Hongisto is it accessible to public? Eric Hongisto - Yes; not on a well maintained trail; 80 years ago, there was a public trail, but no one except the cows have kept it going.

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2022: ERIC HONGISTO visited this majestic tree and captured this photo in December 2022. Here is the text in his email: I found another great grove near top of Bolinas Ridge, above Samuel P Taylor park — maybe 200 trees inside a mature Fir and Bay mixed forest. Most of the Nutmegs [Torreya] are on the young side. The best one was a huge double clonal structure. PHOTO LEFT. FYI, 5 miles from parking lot, if you use 'proper trails' and then some bushwack down from ridge (approx. 800') to the tree. 38.01850° N, 122.73963° W

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ABOVE JUNE 2023: Eric Hongisto writes, "Found several hundred more trees along a ridge south of Irving Creek inside Samuel P Taylor. These are a few of the largest specimens found in the first hundred yards from the road. No trails, but walkable inside this old growth mixed forest; firs, bay, madrone, and even a few ancient canyon oaks too."

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