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Looking at the world's largest Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), also known as Lawson cypress. This mossy specimen is located amidst several other giant cedars & douglas firs outside of Powers, Oregon. This one has a base diameter of 13.3 feet while its crown is a little stunted & dead, topping at 232 feet. To say 'world's largest' is a little unnecessary, considering it only grows natively in the Klamath Mountains of Southern Oregon & Northern California, from sea level up to 4,900 feet elevation, being named after to the town of Port Orford itself. Prior to extensive logging, there were even larger cedars, stumps over 20' in diameter can still be found. A vulnerable tree species, it is susceptible to a pathogen called phytophthora which attacks the roots. Discovered & first cultivated in 1854, Port Orford cedar wood is highly sought after today especially in Japan where logging companies can sell a mature tree well north of $50,000.
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The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.