Branching Out
A Portfolio edited by Paul Bunyan

One of Arizona’s champion trees, a Fremont cottonwood near Patagonia, has a circumference of 504 inches and stands 92 feet tall. It’s thought to be the world’s largest Fremont cottonwood tree. © Dave Bly

Crimson cardinal flowers and maidenhair ferns grow among the massive roots of a cottonwood tree in Fossil Springs Wilderness. © Nick Berezenko

Although the trunks of these aspens don’t look immense, consider the fact that all of these trees sprouted from a single gigantic root system that is hidden underground. © Tom Bean

Known as “Mr. Big,” this eucalyptus tree thrives at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park near Superior. From mid-March through late September, turkey vultures roost in the park’s eucalyptus grove. © Jeff Kida