The flora of our planet never ceases to amaze with its diversity. A special place is given to trees. They have been growing on Earth since ancient times. Diversity in appearance, shape, habitat, size - all this forces a person to explore them with special care. Sometimes you can find real record holders, for example, the tallest tree in the world. This will be discussed in this article.

Growth Champion - General Information Sequoia is the name of the tallest tree in the world. It is a coniferous tree found mostly only in the state of California (USA). It received its name in honor of the Indian leader who invented the Cherokee syllabary and became the founder of a newspaper in this language.

The local population, which is already accustomed to these giants, call this plant simply: "redwood". Most of these giants are located in the reserves "Muir Forest", "Redwood" and the National Park "Sequoia". Among the giants, you can find both "age" and fairly young specimens.

Currently, the title "The tallest tree in the world" belongs to a sequoia called "Hyperion". She is over 115 m tall, 11 m in diameter and about 800 years old.

What is the tallest tree in the world? A bit of history

In ancient times, when the air humidity was higher, sequoia was also found in today's territories of Japan, France, Svalbard and the New Siberian Islands. Also, the settlement was significantly influenced by the ice age.

Until 1848, this tree was not exploited. This is due to the large size of the plant, since it was difficult to cut it down with an ax and even (later) with a saw. The beginning of the destruction of the unique forest is considered to have come to these territories in the same 1848 "gold rush". The US authorities took this tree under protection only after about half of these giants were cut down. Then the sequoia was declared a public property.

Appearance

The crown of the plant has a conical shape. Sequoia branches grow mostly horizontally, less often with a slight downward slope. The bark of this giant is quite thick, it can reach 30 cm in width. To the touch, it is fibrous and soft, when touched it seems as if the hand is immersed in it, the sensations are very unusual. When the bark is removed, it is reddish-brown, but after a while it darkens.

The tallest tree in the world changes its appearance with age. In its "youth" (up to 100 years), it resembles a dark green pyramid. Branches cover the trunk tightly from the ground to the top.

Over time, its lower part becomes bare, becomes thicker. The leaves are small, reaching 15-25 cm in length. In young sequoia, they grow elongated and flat, in centenarians, in the lower crown - with arrows, in the upper crown - scaly. The cones of these giants are small, no more than a chicken egg, about 1.5-3.5 cm.

Pollination occurs at the end of winter, and after 8-9 months up to 7 seeds ripen. They fall on the ground when the bump dries up and opens. It is expected that by 2017 the record holder will change again, and it will be the Gelion sequoia, which now reaches 114 meters. This is due to the fact that the tree grows very quickly, which cannot be said about "Hyperion" with its top damaged by woodpeckers.

Age

Sequoia is not only the tallest tree in the world. It also beats the world records of the fauna of our planet by age. The plant is also called "living fossil" or mammoth tree. On average, a sequoia lives from two to four thousand years.

The real record holder among representatives of this species is a tree with an age of 4484 years. It was installed on the growth rings of a cut sequoia in 1965. In the pre-glacial period, the number of these plants was greater, perhaps dinosaurs still rested under them. Archaeologists have proven that the tree grew back in the Jurassic period.

The secret of the longevity of these giants is in their root system. It is superficial and widely branched. Due to this, when searching for water and other nutrients, it captures a large area. The special bark of the sequoia also plays a significant role, it is very thick and contains chemical elements that repel various insects and other pests.

National Park "Sequoia"

It is located in the state of California and has an area of ​​1683 sq. Km. It got its name from its magnificent inhabitants. It was formed in 1890 with the aim of protecting these trees. It has a mountainous relief.

The largest plants are under special protection, fenced in and even have their own name. The most popular is the General Sherman tree. You can see him in the Forest of the Giants. It is about 2 thousand years old, the plant reaches 81 meters in height, and its circumference at the base is 32 meters.

The General Sherman sequoia continues to grow today, every year the trunk diameter increases by an average of 1.5 cm. Its timber would be quite enough for the construction of a six-room house. Thanks to such amazing characteristics, the tree received the title "largest".

The tallest tree in the world - "Hyperion" sequoia - is located in another national park - "Redwood". However, five out of ten record holders among plants grow here in terms of growth. The national park is also famous for other attractions. Here you can drive by car through a small tunnel cut in the middle of a sequoia that fell on the road and blocked further movement. The park is also famous for its caves, of which there are more than 250.

Habitat conditions

Sequoia needs high humidity, so it grows off the Pacific coast. The tree can be found at an altitude of 30-750 m above sea level. It grows both on the shore and in the mountain gorge. He loves fogs, from which he receives up to 30% of all the necessary moisture, which allows the tree to grow taller and larger.

Despite their small numbers (only 500 are left in the world), the tallest trees in the world are very viable. Around the huge stumps left over from the cut down giants, you can always see young shoots, they also begin to grow instead of a broken branch or top. Usually the “new generation” is growing very quickly.

Interesting Facts

It has been proven that the tallest trees in the world - sequoias - have the ability to purify the air from carbon dioxide better than other plants. Forest owners who have not cleared a significant part of them for a hundred years receive special compensation for lost profits. It is called the carbon credit. Fires are not fatal to this tree, its bark does not burn. On the contrary, they are essential to his survival.

The fire prepares the forest floor for germination and thinns the forest from other plants, providing access to sunlight for young shoots. The heat also causes the buds to open, causing the seeds to fall down to the ground. Sequoia will grow well in other conditions (someone even tries to plant it at home), but the process will be long, and it will not reach its majestic size, as in its natural habitat.

The tallest and largest trees in the world

These titles are passed from time to time from one to another creation of nature. Sequoia is an absolute record holder among all trees. However, do not ignore other plants. The giant eucalyptus from Tasmania's dense forests is the tallest deciduous tree in the world. It reaches 101 meters. Experts have established that its age is 400 years, the plant was named "Centurion". It got into the Guinness Book of Records, as it is the tallest tree in the world among flowering.

One should not disregard another giant - the record holder, but already by the thickness of the trunk. This is the baobab, or finger adansonia. It grows only 30 m in height, but its diameter can reach 9 m. This plant does not have annual rings, which will make it difficult to determine its age. However, thanks to special analyzes, it has been proven that a tree with a trunk diameter of 4.5 meters is about 5,000 years old. Only the European chestnut can compete with the baobab. A tree with a trunk diameter of 20 m has been known since 1845.

The tallest tree in Russia

Our country also has its own giants. These are Siberian firs. They grow up to 60-100 meters. The straight trunk of the tree is densely covered with branches, which makes it seem that the crown starts from the ground itself. In the Krasnodar Territory, the Nordman fir is known, which, under favorable conditions, reaches 80 m in height. Even ordinary spruce, which grows throughout Russia, can stretch up to 60 meters. There is one more tall tree - this is an 18-meter Siberian cedar, its trunk girth is 3 m, its age is 250 years. This evergreen coniferous tree is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the region. The maximum Siberian cedar can reach a height of 40 meters, since it grows up to 500 years.

Here is the definition of this tree can be found on Wikipedia:

General Sherman- an instance of the giant sequoiadendron ( Sequoiadendron giganteum) growing in the "Giant Forest" of the Sequoia National Park in California, USA. In terms of volume, it is the largest tree on Earth. The height of the General Sherman tree is 83.8 m, the volume of the trunk is estimated at 1487 m³, the mass is 1900 tons, and the age is 2300-2700 years.

The General Sherman tree is the largest and heaviest living organism on our planet. However, it is neither the tallest sequoia (this record belongs to the Hyperion tree, which belongs to the species of sequoia evergreen), nor the tallest representative of sequoiadendrons (specimens with a height of 95 m are known, but they have a smaller volume). It is also known that the Giant Crannell Creek tree, felled in the mid-1940s. Crannell Creek Giant) of the evergreen sequoia species that grew near the city of Trinidad, had about 15-25% more volume than General Sherman

Let's take a closer look at it ...

Photo 2.

In the nineteenth century, the area where the famous tree grows was called "Giant Forest" by explorer John Muir when he discovered giant sequoias. The name of this part of the park, "Giant Forest", has been preserved to this day. Many tourists describe General Sherman's tree, striking in its size, as a red-orange "stone", the top of which cannot be seen.

Tourists come to the park to see the tree of General Sherman, named after the hero of the civil war, General William Sherman (William Sherman), and take pictures. Next to the redwoods, they seem so fragile and small.

Photo 3.

For a long time, it was believed that General Sherman's tree is over three thousand years old, but recent studies have determined its exact age - it is exactly two thousand years. So this is not the oldest tree in the world.

The oldest tree in the world, a special kind of California pine, was 4484 years old when it was felled in 1965. Sequoias were also cut down, which reached the age of about 3000 years. It is believed that 5000th trees still exist on Earth.

In the winter of 2006, General Sherman's tree lost part of its crown, the largest branch of the tree fell off, the diameter of which was about two meters, and the length was about 30 meters.

Photo 4.

Scientists are worried if the tree is dying? However, we came to the conclusion that this incident does not indicate any problems in the condition of the tree, but can only be a natural protective mechanism against adverse weather conditions.

When the branches fell to the ground, the fence around the tree and the road leading to it were destroyed. Even after that, General Sherman's tree did not lose its status as the largest tree on the planet.

A special path leads to General Sherman's tree, and even people with disabilities can see this miracle. At the end of the path, brick tiles are laid out, which show how far the roots of the tree reach.

Photo 5.

Each year, the gigant's trunk grows nearly 1.5 cm in diameter. The General Sherman tree is still growing and, according to the California National Park website, adds enough lumber each year to make a five or six-room home.

One of the secrets to the longevity of giant sequoias is their thick and strong fire-resistant bark. But it happens that during the frequent fires in southern California, the tree burns out through and through.

Photo 7.

No one can say how long a sequoia can live (and scientifically - a giant sequoiadendron), but researchers have come across trees here, whose age is estimated at 3 thousand years! (Around this period in Eurasia, mankind learned to process copper and bronze).

Photo 8.

Have you ever wondered how much oxygen such a tree can produce? About 120 kg per year - this will be enough for a family of three to four people!

Photo 9.

A few numbers. The circumference of the trunk at the very ground is 31.3 m. The span of the crown is 39.6 meters. The total weight of the tree is 1910 tons, the weight of the trunk is 1121 tons.

General Sherman is found in literature: in the fairy tale "Gnomobile - Unusual Gnomes About Dwarfs" by Upton Sinclair, as well as in Ilf and Petrov in the book "One-Story America".

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This is a world of incredible contrasts. In this world there are almost invisible dwarfs and real giants, incredibly dangerous plants and, on the contrary, incredibly useful ones. The most contrasting representatives of the flora will be discussed below.

The largest tree in the world

It is also the largest and heaviest living organism on Earth. This title belongs sequoiadendron by name "General Sherman" which has been growing for 2500 years in the United States. The dimensions of this one are simply impressive: the height is 84 meters, the diameter is 11 meters, and the base circumference is 31.3 meters. Even more serious indicators are in weight - 1910 tons and volume - 1490 cubic meters.

Tallest tree

This nomination should be divided into 2 categories: - currently growing trees, - record holders of all times. Of the trees currently growing, the tallest is sequoiadendron(aka mammoth tree and giant sequoia), which the Americans also gave the nickname - "Hyperion"... At the moment, its height is 116.2 meters.

The absolute record holder is regal eucalyptus, which was felled in 1872 in Australia, the length of this eucalyptus was more than 150 meters.

They also grow very tall and, among them, you can find many plants whose length reaches more than 100 meters.

Longest tree

Palm rattan, which looks more like a liana, grows up to 300 meters. Interestingly, the trunk diameter at the very roots is only a few centimeters. In terms of growth, the rattan palm is also more like a liana, it winds around other trees and clings to them with the help of thorns located on the leaves.

The largest crown

Many types of ficuses have an interesting feature of forming aerial roots (layering) and, thanks to this, grow horizontally. This form of ficus life bears the name banyan... The largest banyan tree today is "Great banyan tree" from the Indian Botanical Garden, its area is 1.5 hectares.

Oldest tree

Bristlecone pine intermountain - apparently is the longest-lived tree on Earth. Pine by name "Methuselah", which grows in the high-mountainous region in North America in 19 years will be 4863, and if this happens, it will break the record of another pine of the same species "Prometheus". Today the age of "Methuselah" is 4844!

Thickest tree (thickest trunk)

Taxodium mexican(cypress) growing in the city of Santa Maria del Tule has a diameter of 11.62 meters and almost 36.5 meters in girth.

Baobabs and European chestnuts also achieve impressive performance in this category.

Fastest growing plant

This record belongs to plants from the bamboo family. Almost all types of bamboo grow at a rate of up to 20-30 cm per day, but the fastest growth rates are observed in edible leaf grate... This plant grows 40 cm per day.

Tallest grass

Fun fact, but the tallest grass in the world is banana(banana palm). This is no joke, bananas are indeed herbaceous plants. The record belongs to the variety Musa itinerans- 12 meters high.

Largest aquatic plant

Kelp macrocystis can grow up to 300 meters in length, but the average size ranges from 70 to 200 meters.

The largest water lily

Water lily victoria regal(victoria regia) is the largest in the world, its diameter is more than 2 meters. It grows in the Amazon basin.

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There are many tall trees around the world whose extraordinary height has been exaggerated and controversial. Nevertheless, with the help of the latest measuring instruments such as laser rangefinders and tape fall measurements, it was possible to find out the real height of the giant trees. Here ten tallest trees in the world that remain unchanged while the world changes around them.

Almost all of the trees presented are so tall that it is simply impossible to photograph them completely. Dense vegetation also makes it difficult to do this.

The height of the tree is 112.20 m.

Located in Montgomery Woods (a nature reserve in the USA), Mendocino held the title of the tallest tree in the world from 1996 to 2000. Other sequoias also grow near Mendocino, but if you look at them from above, the giant rises above its fellows just like Arnold Schwarzenegger over the kids in the movie "Kindergarten Policeman".

Height - 112.56 m.

The tree, located in the John Davison Rockefeller forest in Humboldt (USA), was considered the tallest tree on the planet until our tenth rating, that is, from 1995 to 1996. It is inferior in barrel diameter to Mendocino (3.9 meters versus 4.19 meters). And it was very difficult for researchers and just curious to find it, since there were no photographs or coordinates of the Paradox at that time. Of all the giant trees known today, Paradox stands out for its beauty.

Height - 112.6 m.

Paradox's neighbor, also native to California's Humboldt Redwood National Park and the eighth longest tree on Earth. Named after the billionaire famous not only for his fortune, but also for the number of years he has lived. Rockefeller's long slender "body" invariably delights those who are lucky enough to see him. And this is not easy to do, since the exact coordinates of most of the tallest trees are kept secret (it's easier than protecting them from vandal tourists around the clock), and it is not so easy to distinguish Rockefeller from other redwoods from below. Its trunk diameter has not yet been measured.

Height - 112.62 m.

And again the "inhabitant" of Humboldt Park got into the top 10 giant trees. It was discovered by Paul Zinke and Al Strangenburger. Like other sequoias, Lauralin is a whole ecosystem, birds nest in it, insects live, lichens and other representatives of the local flora grow. It is noteworthy that Lauralin's location is not hidden from the public.

Height - 112.63 m.

One of the tallest trees in California's Redwood National Park Finding Orion is nearly impossible because the tree giant sits right next to two other giant sequoias, although it is twice their size when viewed from above. Orion is about 1500 years old.

Height - 112.71 m.

A giant with a long name, belonging to the sequoias, was discovered in 1994. At that time, he was considered the largest known tree in the world and held this title for a year. The tree is located near the Redwood Creek River, but its exact location is being kept under wraps. It is larger in trunk diameter than Mendocino and Paradox (4, 39 meters).

Height at the time of detection - 112.34 m

This worthy representative of the tallest trees was found in 2000 in the Humboldt National Park. Then the tree was 112.34 meters high, but it continues to grow. In 2010, it reached a height of 113.11 meters. Like all the other numbers in our hit parade, the Stratospheric Giant belongs to the sequoias and is surrounded by many trees that are almost as tall. The exact location of the tree is hidden so that it is not damaged by overly active citizens.

Height - 113.14 m.

In third place on the chart for the longest trees is the sequoia, discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor in Redwood Park, California. Icarus got its name for the “crown” of the head, which was burnt out in the sun. However, there are enough other trees in Redwood, with dead tops, so it will be deliberately difficult to find Icarus, and the public is not told where exactly he is.

Height - 114.58 m.

Another tallest sequoia tree found in the Redwood parkland by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor in July 2006. It is not much shorter than the top-ranked competitor.

1. Hyperion - 115.61 m

Tops the top 10 tallest trees in the world. Its trunk volume is 502 m³, and its age is estimated at 700-800 years. Indefatigable naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor have discovered a tree in Redwood National Park and believe that Hyperion's height could have been greater had it not been for woodpeckers. They damaged the trunk of the titanic tree at the very top. The last measurement of Hyperion was carried out in 2015.

Video version

Sequoias, also known as red trees, are the tallest tree species on Earth. They could compete with representatives of the species "pretty fir" (aka Douglas fir) and eucalyptus in Australia, but the largest of these trees were mercilessly cut. By the way, the same fate awaited Hyperion, but luckily, the Redwood Valley in the 70s of the last century became Redwood National Park and the felling of trees there was prohibited. Currently, there are hundreds of sequoias exceeding a height of 100 m, and there are no living trees of other species exceeding this height.

Although the trunk length of Hyperion is unsurpassed, it is inferior in volume, weight and age to a sequoia called General Sherman. The height of General Sherman is modest, in comparison with other representatives of the rating of the tallest trees - 83.8 m, but the weight is a record 1900 tons, the volume of the trunk is 1487 m³, and the age reaches from 2300 to 2700 years.

The tallest tree in the world - Hyperion

Until August 2006, the title " tallest tree in the world"Belonged to a giant 112.7-meter sequoia, nicknamed" the stratospheric giant. " It is located in the Humboldt National Park in California. To give you some idea of ​​the massive size of this tree, let's say it is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus the foundation.

But the giant lost its status when two naturalists, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, stumbled upon a group of trees in California's Redwood National Park that were taller than any of those they had seen before. They made preliminary measurements using professional laser equipment and found not one, not two, but three trees that were taller than the "stratospheric giant."

Hyperion means "very high"

The tallest tree, named Hyperion, is 115 meters tall.... If you have no idea how big Hyperion is, then imagine: the height of Big Ben in London is 96.3 m, that is, it is significantly lower than this tree.

This gigantic redwood (sequoia) would have been even taller if not for the woodpeckers, who damaged the very top of the trunk. This slowed Hyperion's upward advance.

When Atkins and Taylor announced their discovery, a team of scientists led by environmentalist Steve Sillett from Humboldt State University arrived at the park to measure the find.

This was done in the most accurate way: Sillett climbed to the top of the tree to lower the tape from there directly to the ground. The descent of this tape was filmed for National Geographic.

Hyperion was very lucky: in the 70s of the 20th century, only a few hundred kilometers from him there was a clear felling of trees. About two weeks before a man with a saw approached Hyperion, Redwood Valley became Redwood National Park. Logging companies feared this would happen and worked 24/7, harvesting valuable mahogany wood and ruthlessly destroying old-growth forests that were there long before people entered the valley. Most of the sequoias, from which the tallest trees grow, are less fortunate than Hyperion. To date, only 4% of mahogany forests have survived in America.

Hyperion is fairly young by the standards for mahogany and continues to grow. Sillett believes that the tree is "only" 600 years old, which is about 20 years by human standards.

The exact location of Hyperion is kept secret by the park rangers to avoid the tourist crush near the tree. This can upset the delicate balance of the forest ecosystem and harm the tree. After all, tourists can not only admire the huge tree, but also chop off part of the bark "for memory" or scrawl something on it in the style of "Jack and Sally were here."

As Sillett put it, trees cannot escape the paparazzi like humans, and history teaches us that bad things happen to trees that have become too popular.

It is completely unclear if Hyperion is the tallest redwood tree or simply the largest redwood tree we know of. After all, 96% of redwood forests fell prey to lumberjacks.

Tallest tree ever measured

The tallest tree in the world, which was measured in the 19th century, is not a sequoia, but a mountain ash.

  • In 1872, in the report of the Australian inspector of state forests, William Ferguson, a fallen and burnt regal eucalyptus (aka Eucalyptus regnans, aka mountain ash) is mentioned, which during his lifetime had a height of at least 132 meters.
  • Around the same time, several specimens 140 m high were recorded. Alas, we cannot verify these measurements: all these trees were cut down. Rowan has been and is an important building material in Australia.

The tallest living eucalyptus trees can be found in Tasmania. The height of the eucalyptus, proudly nicknamed "Centurion", is about 100 meters. It is the tallest living deciduous tree on Earth. . It was discovered in October 2008 using a laser mounted on an aircraft, which measured terrain height, forest height and forest biomass.

How tall can a tree be

In an article entitled “Exploring the Limits of Maximum Tree Growth,” Jonathan Amos of the BBC Science Division argues that the maximum the height of the tree can be about 130 meters.

As the tree reaches this mark, it will pump less and less water and nutrients. They simply won't be enough for new growth.

There is no living tree in the world that would grow up to 130 meters.

The flora of our planet never ceases to amaze with its diversity. A special place is given to trees. They have been growing on Earth since ancient times. Diversity in appearance, shape, habitat, size - all this forces a person to explore them with special care. Sometimes you can find real record holders, for example, the tallest tree in the world. This will be discussed in this article.

Growth champion - general info

Sequoia is the name of the tallest tree in the world. It is a coniferous tree found mostly only in the state of California (USA).

It received its name in honor of the Indian leader who invented the Cherokee syllabary and became the founder of a newspaper in this language.

The local population, which is already accustomed to these giants, call this plant simply: "redwood".

Most of these giants are located in the reserves "Muir Forest", "Redwood" and the National Park "Sequoia".

Among the giants, you can find both "age" and fairly young specimens.

Currently, the title "The tallest tree in the world" belongs to a sequoia called "Hyperion". She is over 115 m tall, 11 m in diameter and about 800 years old.

What is the tallest tree in the world? A bit of history

In ancient times, when the air humidity was higher, sequoia was also found in today's territories of Japan, France, Svalbard and the New Siberian Islands. Also, the settlement was significantly influenced by the ice age.

Until 1848, this tree was not exploited. This is due to the large size of the plant, since it was difficult to cut it down with an ax and even (later) with a saw.

The beginning of the destruction of the unique forest is considered to have come to these territories in the same 1848 "gold rush". The US authorities took this tree under protection only after about half of these giants were cut down. Then the sequoia was declared a public property.

Appearance

The crown of the plant has a conical shape. Sequoia branches grow mostly horizontally, less often with a slight downward slope.

The bark of this giant is quite thick, it can reach 30 cm in width. To the touch, it is fibrous and soft, when touched it seems as if the hand is immersed in it, the sensations are very unusual. When the bark is removed, it is reddish-brown, but after a while it darkens.

The tallest tree in the world changes its appearance with age. In its "youth" (up to 100 years), it resembles a dark green pyramid. Branches cover the trunk tightly from the ground to the top. Over time, its lower part becomes bare, becomes thicker.

The leaves are small, reaching 15-25 cm in length. In a young sequoia, they grow elongated and flat, in centenarians, in the lower crown - with arrows, in the upper crown - scaly.

The cones of these giants are small, no more than a chicken egg, about 1.5-3.5 cm. Pollination occurs at the end of winter, and after 8-9 months up to 7 seeds ripen. They fall on the ground when the bump dries up and opens.

It is expected that by 2017 the record holder will change again, and it will be the Gelion sequoia, which now reaches 114 meters. This is due to the fact that the tree grows very quickly, which cannot be said about "Hyperion" with its top damaged by woodpeckers.

Age

Sequoia is not only the tallest tree in the world. It also beats the world records of the fauna of our planet by age. The plant is also called "living fossil" or mammoth tree. On average, a sequoia lives from two to four thousand years.

The real record holder among representatives of this species is a tree with an age of 4484 years. It was installed along the growth rings of a sawn sequoia tree in 1965.

In the pre-glacial period, the number of these plants was greater, perhaps dinosaurs still rested under them. Archaeologists have proven that the tree grew back in the Jurassic period.

The secret of the longevity of these giants is in their root system. It is superficial and widely branched. Due to this, when searching for water and other nutrients, it captures a large area.

The special bark of the sequoia also plays a significant role, it is very thick and contains chemical elements that repel various insects and other pests.

National Park "Sequoia"

It is located in the state of California and has an area of ​​1683 sq. Km. It got its name from its magnificent inhabitants. It was formed in 1890 with the aim of protecting these trees. It has a mountainous relief.

The largest plants are under special protection, fenced in and even have their own name.

The most popular is the General Sherman tree. You can see him in the Forest of the Giants. It is about 2 thousand years old, the plant reaches 81 meters in height, and its circumference at the base is 32 meters.

The General Sherman sequoia continues to grow today, every year the trunk diameter increases by an average of 1.5 cm. Its timber would be quite enough for the construction of a six-room house.

Thanks to such amazing characteristics, the tree received the title "largest".

The tallest tree in the world - "Hyperion" sequoia - is located in another national park - "Redwood". However, five out of ten record holders among plants grow here in terms of growth.

The national park is also famous for other attractions. Here you can drive by car through a small tunnel cut in the middle of a sequoia that fell on the road and blocked further movement.

The park is also famous for its caves, of which there are more than 250.

Habitat conditions

Sequoia needs high humidity, so it grows off the Pacific coast. The tree can be found at an altitude of 30-750 m above sea level. It grows both on the shore and in the mountain gorge. He loves fogs, from which he receives up to 30% of all the necessary moisture, which allows the tree to grow taller and larger.

Despite their small numbers (only 500 are left in the world), the tallest trees in the world are very viable. Around the huge stumps left over from the cut down giants, you can always see young shoots, they also begin to grow instead of a broken branch or top. Usually the “new generation” is growing very quickly.

It has been proven that the tallest trees in the world - sequoias - have the ability to purify the air from carbon dioxide better than other plants. Forest owners who have not cleared a significant part of them for a hundred years receive special compensation for lost profits. It is called the carbon credit.

Fires are not fatal to this tree, its bark does not burn. On the contrary, they are essential to his survival. The fire prepares the forest floor for germination and thinns the forest from other plants, providing access to sunlight for young shoots. The heat also causes the buds to open, causing the seeds to fall down to the ground.

Sequoia will grow well in other conditions (someone even tries to plant it at home), but the process will be long, and it will not reach its majestic size, as in its natural habitat.

The tallest and largest trees in the world

These titles are passed from time to time from one to another creation of nature.

Sequoia is an absolute record holder among all trees. However, do not ignore other plants.

The giant eucalyptus from Tasmania's dense forests is the tallest deciduous tree in the world. It reaches 101 meters. Experts have established that its age is 400 years, the plant was named "Centurion". It got into the Guinness Book of Records, as it is the tallest tree in the world among flowering.

One should not disregard another giant - the record holder, but already by the thickness of the trunk. This is the baobab, or finger adansonia. It grows only 30 m in height, but its diameter can reach 9 m. This plant does not have annual rings, which will make it difficult to determine its age. However, thanks to special analyzes, it has been proven that a tree with a trunk diameter of 4.5 meters is about 5,000 years old.

Only the European chestnut can compete with the baobab. A tree with a trunk diameter of 20 m has been known since 1845.

The tallest tree in Russia

Our country also has its own giants. These are Siberian firs. They grow up to 60-100 meters. The straight trunk of the tree is densely covered with branches, which makes it seem that the crown starts from the ground itself.

In the Krasnodar Territory, the Nordman fir is known, which, under favorable conditions, reaches 80 m in height. Even ordinary spruce, which grows throughout Russia, can stretch up to 60 meters.

There is one more tall tree - this is an 18-meter Siberian cedar, its trunk girth is 3 m, its age is 250 years. This evergreen coniferous tree is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the region. The maximum Siberian cedar can reach a height of 40 meters, since it grows up to 500 years.