The Octopus Tree

The Octopus Tree

The Octopus Tree (Sitka Spruce) is located a few hundred feet from Cape Meares Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

It is not possible to know the actual age of the tree because that would require chopping it down to count the rings and that would be a sad day in paradise.

However, the Octopus tree is believed to be two to three hundred years old dating back to when the Indians lived in the area. Matter of fact, it is rumored that the years. Whether natural events or possible Native Americans were the cause remains a mystery.

The tree measures more than 46 feet in circumference and has no central trunk. Instead, limbs extend horizontally from the base as high as 16 feet before turning upward, the tree is about 150 feet tall.

The Octopus Tree was shaped like an octopus by the Indians to hold their canoes with their dead in it. So, the Octopus tree might have been an old burial site.

The sign reads: The Forces that shaped this unique Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) have been debated for many years. Whether natural events or possible Native Americans were the cause remains a mystery.