Hundreds of giant sequoia, coast redwood seedlings available for free

By Dan Hammock The Daily World • February 8, 2021 1:30 pm
COURTESY WESTPORT WINERY Westport Winery wine club members Dave and Ginnie Pearsall donated a series of giant sequoia and coast redwood seedlings to the winery’s 15-acre display garden as part of an effort by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving genetics of the world’s largest and oldest trees.
COURTESY WESTPORT WINERY Westport Winery wine club members Dave and Ginnie Pearsall donated a series of giant sequoia and coast redwood seedlings to the winery’s 15-acre display garden as part of an effort by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving genetics of the world’s largest and oldest trees.

Hundreds of 12- to 18-inch coast redwood and giant sequoia seedlings will be made available free for local property owners to grow on their property through the efforts of a nonprofit organization.

The ready-to-be-planted seedlings come from Propagation Nation, a nonprofit committed to planting millions of redwoods and giant sequoias in the Pacific Northwest. Propagation Nation will be scheduling road shows on weekends in February and March to distribute these seedlings in towns across Western Washington.

The road show is slated to hit Chehalis, Menlo, Raymond, Aberdeen, Montesano, Elma, Shelton, Belfair, McCleary, Port Townsend, Port Angeles and others yet to be named, depending on the demand across the region. The first road show is planned for the weekend of Feb. 13-14, said Propagation Nation founder Philip Stielstra.

Anyone interested in receiving the free seedlings, procured from nurseries in the Pacific Northwest, should contact Propagation Nation at treesforpnw@gmail.com and indicate how many trees of each kind, up to the 20 seedlings per property limit.

Propagation Nation will send an email with details of the road show schedule to those requesting trees so they know when and where they can pick up the trees. Guidelines will be provided for siting and care of these trees. Individuals must complete a sign-up sheet at the road show before receiving the trees. Deer browse protectors will also be given out with each seedling.

In late January, Westport Winery and Garden Resort received a donation from wine club members Dave and Ginnie Pearsall of redwood and sequoia seedlings donated by the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a Michigan nonprofit, through an effort by Archangel, Stielstra, Pearsall, and winery co-owner Kim Roberts. They will be added to the resort’s 15-acre display garden.

“I was so delighted to receive these precious trees,” said Roberts. I knew they needed a special place in our garden because of their grandeur.”

“Before selecting be aware that coast redwoods must be planted near coastal areas or close to the Sound to protect them from severe winter freezes,” said Stielstra. “Giant sequoias, unlike coast redwoods, can tolerate freezing conditions and higher elevations. Both need to be planted about 20 feet from one another because they will become exceptionally large. Deer browse protection will also be given out with each seedling.”

For more information check out the organization’s web page, https://propagationnation.us/.