Big Tree

This tree in Glendora, California -- just minutes away from my parents' home -- is so large that it was hard to capture the whole tree in one photograph. Known in the neighborhood as "Big Tree," it is a type of fig tree native to Australia that was planted in this spot in the 1880s. It is now 90 feet tall with a 110-foot branch spread and a trunk 30 feet in circumference. It's unusual root system -- my favorite characteristic of the tree -- covers more than 1,200 square feet of land beneath the tree's branches.

When we were younger, my parents once took us to Big Tree for a family holiday photo session. We clamored over the roots and stood among them for the photo. At certain points, the roots were almost as tall as we were. While visiting Los Angeles for the weekend, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit and photograph one of my favorite trees one more time.