Michigan Sequoias

THE ABOVE PHOTO SHOWS a giant Sequoia sapling planted in 2023 on the front lawn of the Benzonia Public Library. Kudos to the patrons who support David Milarch’s Archangel Ancient Tree Archive through their donations and interest.

The organization’s lifelong mission is to collect genetic material, or germplasm, from notable tree specimens around the world. Sequoias and Redwoods are among the top candidates for cloning these ancient giants, which have existed for thousands of years. The Milarch family leveraged their background in the plant nursery business in Copemish, Michigan, and expanded their vision to save vital genes from extinction. https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/our-work/propagation

Interestingly, just under thirty miles from their propagation facility and seemingly unrelated, an eighty-year-old, hundred-foot Sequoia tree has thrived on the bluffs of Lake Michigan in Manistee, on the former estate of Edward and Gertrude Gray. In 1948, during a trip to California, they collected 8-inch seedlings from the forest floor, bringing them home to see if the microclimate of the bluff could support such an experiment in destiny. Three have grown successfully.

These fascinating wonders are right in our own backyard in NW Michigan.

How cool is that!