Banged up by Bunya-Bunya cone

[DoomsDave]

Bunya Bunya trees are beautiful, as the picture below shows.

But their cones are nasty; they're big and heavy, like spiked bowling balls, and a guy had his skull crushed by one in 2014.

He's suing the National Park Service for injuries in San Francisco's Maritime National Historical Park.

(I remember a big tree near a law office in downtown Riverside, California -- which specialized in tort cases.  They had signs around the place, but I'd move someplace else instead.)

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/man-hit-by-16-pound-pine-cone-in-sf-park-files-dollar5-million-suit/ar-AAfnTwB?li=BBgzzfc

 

[Xerarch]

I just saw this article, I'm fairly surprised that they don't have the cones removed every year, much like resorts remove coconuts before they fall on someone.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Xerarch

[DoomsDave]

That would be a good idea.

Hate to see the trees destroyed, BUT

a skull is a terrible thing to waste too

[Pip]

That is very tragic. Those trees do look very impressive. They should have been fenced off while the cones were there.

[Dave-Vero]

I think I read that the trees aren't extremely old.  Of course the Presidio historically didn't have many trees, although it had its very own species of manzanita bush, endangered, of course.  

California has several native pines with enormous cones, but I don't know that they come down very often.  Today, I visited a guy with several really tall coconuts in the front yard.  You'd need someone with a cherry picker or very good climbing skills to clean things up.  Or a chainsaw artist.  I know a space botanist who got rid of his yard's coconut; too much nuisance, and taking up space that could be used for cycads or better palms, like Kentiopsis oliviformis.

 

[steve99]

There is several Bunya Pines at the entrance to the estate where I live.  Around here the seeds drop around the first week in January.  They look like a big green pineapple when they first fall off the tree, but after 3-4 weeks they dry out and fall apart into dozens of individual seeds.

In saying that, they weight about 7 - 8 kgs, so you wouldn't want one landing on your head.

 

 

 

[Jeff Searle]

As always, blame the tree, nothing else.

[DoomsDave]

I think I read that the trees aren't extremely old.  Of course the Presidio historically didn't have many trees, although it had its very own species of manzanita bush, endangered, of course.  

California has several native pines with enormous cones, but I don't know that they come down very often.  Today, I visited a guy with several really tall coconuts in the front yard.  You'd need someone with a cherry picker or very good climbing skills to clean things up.  Or a chainsaw artist.  I know a space botanist who got rid of his yard's coconut; too much nuisance, and taking up space that could be used for cycads or better palms, like Kentiopsis oliviformis.

 

Regular pines with large cones are relatively light.

Coulter Pines (native to So-Cal!) have the largest cones of "true pines" of the genus Pinus. I've seen them (it's not me in the picture) and they're something like 1/5 the weight of the cones on the Bunya Bunya trees. These will scratch your scalp badly, but not crush your skull.

 

[DoomsDave]

Here's a sugar pine cone. Big, but not that heavy. Note the kid's posture.

[DoomsDave]

Here's a bunya bunya cone. Notice the two-handed stance. Notice how thick and massive it is.

Notice how I pat my skull for reassurance . . . .

The Pinus cones are like fake pine cones by comparison, made of paper mache.

Edited October 16, 2015 by DoomsDave

[John Case]

I think I read that the trees aren't extremely old.  Of course the Presidio historically didn't have many trees, although it had its very own species of manzanita bush, endangered, of course.  

California has several native pines with enormous cones, but I don't know that they come down very often.  Today, I visited a guy with several really tall coconuts in the front yard.  You'd need someone with a cherry picker or very good climbing skills to clean things up.  Or a chainsaw artist.  I know a space botanist who got rid of his yard's coconut; too much nuisance, and taking up space that could be used for cycads or better palms, like Kentiopsis oliviformis.

 

Regular pines with large cones are relatively light.

Coulter Pines (native to So-Cal!) have the largest cones of "true pines" of the genus Pinus. I've seen them (it's not me in the picture) and they're something like 1/5 the weight of the cones on the Bunya Bunya trees. These will scratch your scalp badly, but not crush your skull.

 

To be specific, the Coulter Pine has the heaviest cone, not the largest (which begs for a definition). I live at the northernmost edge of the Coulter Pine range......they are numerous in the Black Diamond Mines Regional Park here.

[DoomsDave]

I think I read that the trees aren't extremely old.  Of course the Presidio historically didn't have many trees, although it had its very own species of manzanita bush, endangered, of course.  

California has several native pines with enormous cones, but I don't know that they come down very often.  Today, I visited a guy with several really tall coconuts in the front yard.  You'd need someone with a cherry picker or very good climbing skills to clean things up.  Or a chainsaw artist.  I know a space botanist who got rid of his yard's coconut; too much nuisance, and taking up space that could be used for cycads or better palms, like Kentiopsis oliviformis.

 

Regular pines with large cones are relatively light.

Coulter Pines (native to So-Cal!) have the largest cones of "true pines" of the genus Pinus. I've seen them (it's not me in the picture) and they're something like 1/5 the weight of the cones on the Bunya Bunya trees. These will scratch your scalp badly, but not crush your skull.

 

To be specific, the Coulter Pine has the heaviest cone, not the largest (which begs for a definition). I live at the northernmost edge of the Coulter Pine range......they are numerous in the Black Diamond Mines Regional Park here.

Are they anywhere near 40 pounds?

[John Case]

I think I read that the trees aren't extremely old.  Of course the Presidio historically didn't have many trees, although it had its very own species of manzanita bush, endangered, of course.  

California has several native pines with enormous cones, but I don't know that they come down very often.  Today, I visited a guy with several really tall coconuts in the front yard.  You'd need someone with a cherry picker or very good climbing skills to clean things up.  Or a chainsaw artist.  I know a space botanist who got rid of his yard's coconut; too much nuisance, and taking up space that could be used for cycads or better palms, like Kentiopsis oliviformis.

 

Regular pines with large cones are relatively light.

Coulter Pines (native to So-Cal!) have the largest cones of "true pines" of the genus Pinus. I've seen them (it's not me in the picture) and they're something like 1/5 the weight of the cones on the Bunya Bunya trees. These will scratch your scalp badly, but not crush your skull.

 

To be specific, the Coulter Pine has the heaviest cone, not the largest (which begs for a definition). I live at the northernmost edge of the Coulter Pine range......they are numerous in the Black Diamond Mines Regional Park here.

Are they anywhere near 40 pounds?

Not even on Founders Day. Bunya-bunya is special.....

[DoomsDave]

Bunya Bunya is well-named; it'll bunya on your head.

Feel sad for that guy.

NOW they put up signs. Even the law office in R-side had signs.

[steve99]

Bunya Bunya is well-named; it'll bunya on your head.

Feel sad for that guy.

NOW they put up signs. Even the law office in R-side had signs.

This National park is where the Bunya Pine got its name, or maybe its the other way around !

 

http://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/bunya-mountains/index.html

 

[DoomsDave]

As my dad would have said about a bunya bunya cone hitting you on the head,

"Yeah, that would smart."

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I like her cones.

 

[DoomsDave]

I like her cones.

 

She's gotta be STRONG like BULL!