To start of the tree in question is the more shrub like structure in front of the other tree in the picture, not the more conventional looking tree in the background.
An 'albino' redwood is a redwood tree which is unable to produce chlorophyll, and has white needles instead of the normal green. It survives by obtaining sugar through the connections between its roots and those of neighboring non albino redwood(s), usually the parent tree from whose base it has sprouted. Sap exchange through roots is a general phenomenon among redwoods. About 400 are known. They can be found in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, San Francisco botanical gardens, and The Santa Lucia Preserve, with eleven trees in the first. The exact locations are not publicized to protect the rare trees. They reach a maximum height of about 20 m (66 ft). Other conifers lack the ability to graft their roots, so 'albino' mutants of other species do not survive to become sizable trees.
The trees were important to Native Americans and were recorded in their legends. For example, the Pomo people used them in their cleansing ceremonies.
Albino redwoods are generally regarded as parasitic plants, but as of 2016 one researcher speculates that they are supported by other trees for their role in storing toxic heavy metals. Albinos apparently accumulate more metals than normal trees because of defective stomata, which cause them to lose more water through transpiration, forcing them to compensate by taking up more water through their roots.
On the surface, it sounds like these trees have a pretty sweet arrangement, but the truth is this freeloader strategy is not without its challenges. Even when they're feeding off the healthiest of trees, many albino redwoods are weak and malnourished, which is why so many of them look like dying Christmas trees.
Ten cases are known of chimeric redwoods that have a mosaic of albino and normal tissues. Only a single chimeric redwood is known to produce cones. Formerly threatened by the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit rail development, it has since been replanted.
Picture of a bigger one https://www.treehugger.com/thmb/V8fOGyCvf5V6QlSXDOsUFyJtiT0=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__mnn__images__2015__04__Humboldt-Redwoods-State-Park-Albino-59c5798b06264b68a8db15d18c763382.jpg
Video of the trees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os5mZQLpe98
And article some of info was sourced from https://www.treehugger.com/the-mysterious-world-of-albino-redwood-trees-4867273
Megathreads and spaces to hang out:
- ❤️ Come listen to music and Watch movies with your fellow Hexbears nerd, in Cy.tube
- 💖 Come talk in the New Monthly queer thread
- 💛 Read about a current topic in the news
- ⭐️ October Movie Nominations ⭐️
reminders:
- 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
- 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes struggle sessions over upbears
- 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
- 🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can go here nerd
- 🐶 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog
Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):
Aid:
- 💙Comprehensive list of resources for those in need of an abortion -- reddit link
- 💙Resources for Palestine
Theory:
- ❤️Foundations of Leninism
- ❤️Anarchism and Other Essays
- ❤️Mega upload with theory for many tendencies
deleted by creator
cops are hella bored most of the time so this checks out