The sequoia is the tallest tree in the world. Sequoia - giant tree Sequoia breeding

The only species of the genus is red or evergreen sequoia. It is the symbol of the US state of California. Known throughout the world for its gigantic size and rot-resistant wood.

Sequoia is considered the tallest tree on the planet. belongs to the genus coniferous plants, which means it is also one of the most ancient plants.

During the excavations, it was found that the first redwoods appeared on earth about 208 million years ago and occupied vast territories in the northern hemisphere.

Nowadays, sequoia is found freely in the state of California. This tree is not widely used because it needs a lot of water for normal growth, so it does not go far from the ocean coast.

On the this moment the current record for tallest tree is 115.5 meters.

For the first time this plant was found in the coastal zone Pacific Ocean. For the color of its wood, the sequoia received the first name "mahogany", which is still known. A little later, this plant was bred into a separate species.

For the excellent qualities of wood sequoia gained wide popularity and began to be used for the manufacture of various products.

The sequoia has a conical crown, the branches are horizontal or slightly inclined downward. The thickness of the bark is very large and can reach 30 cm, fibrous, relatively soft, immediately after removal, the color is red-brown, and fades with time.

root system shallow, consists of lateral roots. The size of the leaves does not exceed 20-30 mm in length. They have a flat and elongated shape in young trees.

Sequoia care

Decorative sequoia is very demanding on the amount of moisture in the soil, it is necessary to constantly monitor its level. Dry soil is very harmful to the plant.

Throughout the entire period of life, decorative sequoia needs mineral fertilizers. You need to monitor the level of lighting, on a hot day the plant can absorb a large number of water, so it needs to be watered regularly.

Sequoia breeding

Initially, the sequoia did not grow in our climate, but thanks to the efforts of landscapers and dendrologists, species resistant to a cool climate appeared. Redwood propagation is possible by germinating very small seeds.

These seeds are stored in cones. One cone can contain from 150 to 200 seeds. After lengthy experiments, an adult sequoia began to withstand frosts from 18 to 20 degrees.

Possibly also vegetative reproduction: grafting and cuttings. The vitality of the sequoia has been perfected over thousands of years.

This tree can easily sprout from an old stump or sprout hundreds of offshoots from a fallen trunk. Such a rapid renewal was made possible by the awakening of dormant kidneys.

Sequoia planting

Sequoia should be planted in a nutrient substrate, it is advisable to use growth stimulants. It is possible, but not necessary, to lay a layer of coarse sand at the bottom of the landing pit. Young specimens need to be covered for the winter or grown in greenhouses.

Sequoias can be planted in the spring, from April to May. The plant is very sensitive to transplants, so it is advisable to keep an earthen ball on the roots and perform all actions in a short period of time.

The use of sequoia in the garden

Since the sequoia is different large sizes, it is often used as a tapeworm in parks. It is not recommended to land in small areas. Decorative forms of sequoia are often used for bonsai gardens.

Video "Sequoia - the largest tree in the world"

- (Sequoia), a genus of evergreen coniferous trees of the family. taxodiaceae. Unity, species S. evergreen (S. sempervirens). Belongs to the tallest trees (reaches a height of 110 112 m and a diameter of 6 10 m). Lives St. 3000 years. Grows in the mountains of California and South. Oregon… … Biological encyclopedic dictionary

SEQUOIA- or WELLINGTONIA tree from this. cypress, grows in sowing. America: some reach 300 ft. height, trunk circumference 94 ft. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. sequoia (named after the leader of the Indian ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

SEQUOIA- a genus of coniferous trees of the Taxodiaceae family. The only type of sequoia is evergreen, the height of St. 100 m, diameter 6 11 m. Natural plantations only in the mountains of California and South. Oregon (USA). Cultivated for light and durable wood (use ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

sequoia- sequoiadendron, wellingtonia Dictionary of Russian synonyms. sequoia n., number of synonyms: 3 wellingtonia (5) ... Synonym dictionary

SEQUOIA- SEquoia, and, wives. Giant relic conifer tree growing in California. Dictionary Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

SEQUOIA- a genus of coniferous plants from the family. Taxodiaceae. The fossil is known from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous; acquires wide development in the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Today it is only preserved in California. Geological dictionary: in 2 volumes. M.: Nedra. Under … Geological Encyclopedia

Sequoia- (Sequoyah) (1760 (70?) 1843), educator of the Cherokee people, who created an alphabet of 85 characters for the language of his tribe. The alphabet is also known as the talking leaves. The date of its adoption is considered to be 1821. Later he took the name George Gist, ... ... The World History

Sequoia- Giant sequoia. national park Yosemite, California, USA. Sequoia, a genus of coniferous trees (taxodiaceae family). The only type of sequoia is evergreen, height over 100 m, diameter 6 11 m. Grows in the mountains along west coast USA… … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

SEQUOIA- (Sequoia), a genus of evergreen coniferous trees of the Taxodiaceae family. The only evergreen sequoia (S. sempervirens) is considered a symbol of California. These are the tallest trees in the world, also famous for their beautiful, straight-layered, ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

Sequoia- (Sequoia), nat. park in California (USA). Created in 1890 on the square. 163.1 thousand hectares for the protection of the unique landscapes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, incl. 32 groves of giant sequoia. There are more than 70 species of mammals and 120 species of birds. Forms a single protected ... ... Geographic Encyclopedia

Books

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Evergreen sequoia wood has high strength. It does not rot for a long time and withstands transverse loads, as a result of which it is suitable for a variety of purposes, including sawing. The wood of the giant sequoia is lighter and more fragile, therefore it is not used as lumber.

It is quite easy to process such wood, however, due to the softness and possible splitting during drilling and shaping, as well as planing and profiling, work must be done with great care.

Due to the excellent wood and the rapid growth of the tree, sequoia is specially grown in forestry. Light and dense, it is not subject to rotting and insect attacks. Sequoia wood is widely used for both building and joinery material. This wood is used to make furniture, sleepers, telegraph poles, railway cars, paper and roof tiles. The absence of odor makes it possible to use it in tobacco and Food Industry. It is used to produce boxes and boxes for cigars and tobacco, barrels for storing honey and molasses.

IN Lately the construction of houses from sequoia timber is gaining momentum, which is ideal for any wooden buildings. This building will appeal to connoisseurs of comfort and convenience. Houses made of sequoia timber are characterized by high environmental safety, aesthetic appeal and multifunctional thoughtful layout.

A huge plus of this material is the presence of oils in it, which protect the wood from decay. Products from the California sequoia will decorate any room, as it is most popular in the manufacture of furniture.

Due to these qualities, sequoia wood is an ideal material for roofing shingles and building exteriors. It is also used for the manufacture of racks and profile products for interior decoration. The wood is used for the production of plywood and decorative veneer. Fibrous plates and filter materials are made from thick bark.

The use of sequoia

Biostability and durability make sequoia wood an ideal material for the manufacture of wooden pipes, gutters and trays, tanks, vats, roofing shingles, and for the exterior cladding of buildings. It is also used on coffins, racks and profile products for interior decoration. The wood is used in the production of plywood. The thick bark serves as raw material for fiber boards and filter media.

It is easy to process, but due to its softness and possible splitting when drilling, chiselling and shaping, as well as when planing and profiling, care is needed. To reduce the crumpling of the fibers, it is necessary to sharpen sharply cutting edges and remove waste in a timely manner.

Sequoia varieties

• Architectural sequoia varieties apply where appearance must maintain compliance with the design requirements long after the commissioning of the object. This quality wood can be supplied both dry and without drying. Unsurpassed in beauty and resilience, she is the best choice for accurate and tight assembly of intricate or rigorous design projects.
• Pure Sound(Clear All Heart) - Most best grade. Can be kiln dried, air dried or not dried. Careful observance of geometry, no defects on the front side.
• Pure(Clear) - Similar in quality to Clear Heartwood, but may contain some sapwood. Ideal for visible parts of ground structures.
• Sound B(Heart B) - Contains a limited number of knots and other defects not allowed in the higher grades. Used in the same way as Pure Sound.
• Grade B(B Grade) - Similar in characteristics to Sound B, but may contain sapwood. It is used similarly to Clean - for decking, garden structures and other ground structures.
• Construction/Deck Sound(Construction Heart / Deck Heart) - All heart varieties contain knots. They are recommended for use near the surface of the earth, as supports, beams and decks.
• Construction/Deck Conventional(Construction Common / Deck Common) - Contains knots and a mixture of heartwood and sapwood. Recommended for above ground structures such as fences, benches or porches.
• Trading Sound(Merchantable Heart) - The cheapest of the pure heart grades, tolerates somewhat larger and worse knots than construction grades, as well as hairline cracks, small end cracks and a number of manufacturing defects.
• Trading(Merchantable) - Same stats as Merchant Sound, but may contain sapwood. Suitable for fences, gratings and other non-ground contact applications.
• garden varieties redwoods best suited for outdoor use. Their variable texture and knot pattern allow them to be successfully combined with other natural materials. Orchard grades can be supplied dried or not dried and are usually in cut lumber, from 6 meters long to short cuts used for borders and parapets.

Useful tables

Together with the giant sequoiadendron, it belongs to the highest trees on the planet (they reach a height of over 100 m and a trunk diameter of 8.5-9 m. An evergreen coniferous tree of the Taxodiaceae family. A monotypic genus represented by a single species. Named in honor of Sequoia (1770 - 1843) - an Indian leader Cherokee tribe, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary.

Found fossil specimens give an idea that giant sequoias existed in Jurassic period and were widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere at the end of the Cretaceous and in the Tertiary period. The remains of forests with their participation, which once occupied vast areas, are now preserved only in a limited area of ​​western North America. One hundred and fifty million years ago, these trees grew all over the continent.

Sequoia sempervirens general form mature tree

Sequoia forests were first discovered by Europeans on the Pacific coast in 1769. By the arrival of lumberjacks in the 19th century, they covered an area of ​​8,000 sq. km. By the beginning of the 20th century, most of these forests had been cut down. Now they can only be found in California and Southern Oregon.

Description: The sequoia is probably the tallest tree on earth, with the exception of references to unusually tall eucalyptus trees in Western Australia, and references to Douglas pseudo-hemlock (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in historical times, reaching more than 120 m, which were higher than any redwoods. It is likely that the tallest coast sequoias were the first victims of the axe, so it is difficult to say what the tallest tree of this species was in early historical time.

Sequoia sempervirens "Hyperion"

Today is the most high sequoia, named "Hyperion", was discovered in the summer of 2006 in national park Redwood north of San Francisco. The tree reached a height of 115.5 meters. Most of the trees are over 60 m in height, many are over 90 m with a trunk diameter of 3-4.6 m (maximum 9 m).

The second place in height after the sequoia is Douglasia or Pseudotsuga Menzies . The tallest living pseudo-hemzies of Menzies reaches 99.4 m in height. related species- does not reach a height of more than 100 m, it is somewhat shorter and has a thicker trunk than a sequoia.

Sequoia sempervirens - young tree

The crown of the sequoia is dense and wide in young age, later open, irregular narrow-conical, formed by branches growing horizontally or with a slight downward slope. The root system consists of shallow, widely spread lateral roots. The trunk is enclosed in a thick, fibrous, relatively soft, incombustible bark. When you touch it, the palm seems to sink into the tree, creating unusual sensations. The bark is hard-fibred, deeply furrowed, red-brown in color, about 35 cm thick.

Young shoots grow slightly to the sides and up. The branches are thin, dark green. The leaf arrangement is two-row, they are flat, strongly appressed, linear or linear-lanceolate, with obvious annual growth constrictions. Leaves 15-25 mm long, elongated in young trees in the shady lower part of the crown, or scaly 5-10 mm long in the top of the crown of old trees.

Sequoia sempervirens - flowering cone

It dusts at the end of winter, the seeds ripen after 8-9 months. Anthers nearly spherical to ovoid, 2-5 mm are located singly on short terminal or axillary stems. female cones ovoid, oblong to spherical, 12-35 mm long, reddish-brown, composed of 15-25 spirally twisted woody scales, with many flat, are located singly at the ends of leafy branches. They are light brown, 3-6 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, flat, lenticular, with two narrow leathery wings, spilling out when the cone dries and opens. Seedlings with 2 (rarely 4) cotyledons.

Sequoia sempervirens - young female cones

Ecology: It forms quite extensive forest areas on a narrow strip of the Pacific coast in the USA, from Southwestern Oregon to the Santa Lucia Range in California (at an altitude of 600-900 m), on a strip about 750 km long and 8 to 75 km wide. Sometimes trees grow near the shore, sometimes they climb to a height of up to 920 m. Sequoia loves the humidity that the sea air brings with it, so its distribution is limited to coastal areas (within 60 km from the sea) in a zone of heavy fog.

Sequoia sempervirens - male cones

The breed has an increased ability to absorb moisture from the air. the highest and oldest trees grow in gorges and deep ravines, where all year round currents of moist air can reach. Trees growing above the fog layer (above 700 m) are shorter and smaller due to drier, windier and cooler growing conditions. Prefers well-drained, fresh alluvial soils where it forms pure stands or grows with Pseudotsuga menziesii (Pseudotsuga menziesii),Sitka spruce And (R. sitchensis And Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ).

Redwoods have impressive growth in height, young trees sometimes grow at a rate of more than 1 m per year. This property places strong competitive pressure on associated conifers. Some of the tallest and narrowest individuals have formed in the redwood grove to keep up with growth. Pseudotsuga menziesii And Sitka spruce (R.itchensis) reaching heights of over 90 m. Per unit area, redwood forests have the highest biomass loads of any ecosystem on earth.

Sequoia sempervirens - young growth

This breed in nature creates a kind of forest biocenoses with rather complex animals and plant communities. Young trees branch in all directions, but with age, the lower branches fall off, and a closed canopy forms at the top. It practically does not transmit light to the ground; as a result, the undergrowth in the sequoia forest is rather poorly developed. Only ferns and other shade-loving plants can grow here, along with rare young sequoias.

Sequoia sempervirens - immature buds

An adult tree produces many seeds, but only a small part of them germinate successfully, and those that germinate are forced to fight with low light. IN vivo such a slow reproduction would be quite sufficient, since trees can live for 3000 years, but with more active forest exploitation, young trees do not appear quickly enough to compensate for felling. In such a forest, 60 m from the ground, life is relatively impoverished.

Sequoia sempervirens - old cone

This is largely a consequence of vegetative self-reproduction after fire damage. The tree can be completely destroyed by fire, after which it quickly regenerates from a bunch of clonal stems. In some cases, a single tree can have over a hundred of these stems, essentially creating a single tree forest. The surfaces of the forks and pockets within this structure create reservoirs for water storage and contribute to the biological activity of the soil, as well as providing a habitat for various mammals, birds, amphibians and a huge variety of arthropods.

To the list " fun facts» refers to the fact that the young growth after the fire receives carbohydrates, water and nutrients from a common network of fused roots from trees undamaged by fire, which allows the sequoia to displace other conifers and regenerate even in deep shade under its own canopy. This also explains the appearance of the so-called "white sequoias", which do not have chlorophyll in their leaves and are completely fed by root connections with photosynthetic trees.

Sequoia is a unique combination of age, size and weight, making these trees the largest and longest-lived creatures present on planet Earth today. The giant sequoia is second in life expectancy only to the bristlecone pines that are found in the arid mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Many trees live up to 2000 years - this is a long time. The oldest known saw cut of a tree has 2267 growth rings.

The question arises, can sequoias live forever? I guess, yes. There is little evidence to support the existence of aging in these conifers, and all very old trees can live many times longer. In fact, there are factors that determine longevity environment that age and kill trees. When a tree is resistant to these factors, or when the factors are weak, the tree can reach a respectable age of 3,000 years or more. Environmental factors is a statistical inevitability.

Sequoia sempervirens - old tree trunk

Old trees die mainly from the combined adverse effects of certain fungi, wind, fire or floods. The most common mortality in redwoods is due to stem or root rot, which leaves the tree vulnerable. Trees are prone to windblow due to the large windage of the crown with poorly developed or rot-damaged roots. The health of such trees never gets better and tends to get worse. Eventually the wind breaks or uproots the tree during a big storm. This happens especially often on swampy soils, when, due to flooding, the friction between the roots and the soil decreases.

This is one of the few trees adapted to forest fires. Fire is not terrible for a tree, but frequent fires can kill with repetition: one fire leaves a scar in the thick bark, the next one enlarges the opening, where fungi subsequently settle, which infect the core, so that ultimately the tree will fall. In culture, as a result of artificial plantings of the 19th and 20th centuries, there are small groves of evergreen Sequoia and its single specimens in Europe and Asia, usually in special botanical gardens and arboretums (for example, in Belgium).

In Russia, it is found in Western Transcaucasia, in Ukraine in south coast Crimea. Three fruit-bearing trees at the limit of the cultural area grow in Transcarpathia (Mukachevo, Berezinka arboretum). Cultivation possible in USDA zones 7-10 (hardiness between -17.7°C and -12.1°C) Winter hardiness increases with age. Thus, the experiment of introduction into forest cultures in Ukraine in Transcarpathia) showed the result of tolerance to lower winter temperatures. Mature 30 m trees in zone 6b / 7a in forest conditions tolerate periodic short drops to -23.2 ° C without damage.

Sequoia sempervirens - underside of leaves

In BS them. Fomina in Kyiv grows with a wide squat bush, periodically freezes strongly but grows back. For successful introduction to more northern regions, it requires lateral lighting, the most protected, with a favorable microclimate of locations, moderately moist, well-drained, permeable soils and high humidity. In general, it is not demanding on soils, does not tolerate blocking soils, and dry calcareous soils. Dwarf varieties of this species with slow growth can be tested in amateur collections in the 6th zone - in the Carpathian and Transcarpathian regions, in the south-west of Belarus, in Kaliningrad, on the coast in the Baltic countries.

Sequoia sempervirens - upper side of leaves

Reproduction and agricultural technology: This is one of the few vegetatively propagating conifers that easily regenerates with stump growth after fire damage. A peculiar consequence of this is the emergence of "white sequoias", which are non-photosynthetic coppice trees that take carbohydrates from photosynthetic associated roots with which the "white trees" have grown together. White sequoias are found only in old-growth forests, where the amount of biomass of photosynthetic sequoias is colossal, they usually do not exceed 3 meters in height. Nevertheless, there are isolated white sequoias up to 20 m in height, dressed in fresh, snow-white needles. Propagation by cuttings and seeds is similar to that of and.

Application: Biostability and durability make sequoia wood an ideal material for the manufacture of wooden pipes, gutters and trays, tanks, vats, roofing shingles, and for the exterior cladding of buildings. It is also used on racks and profile products for interior decoration. The wood is used in the production of plywood. The thick bark serves as raw material for fiber boards and filter media. Wood is valued for its beauty, strength, light weight and resistance to decay.

Commercial lumber plantings now cover large expanses of private land in northern California. Such plantings are especially cost-effective because the tree propagates easily vegetatively and immediately re-establishes roots after felling. As recently as the beginning of the century before last, sequoias were the largest trees on earth, and almost all of them (over 90% of the largest trees) were cut down in a logging frenzy, in just over a century. It all ended in the 1990s. The wood was used for construction, underwater structures, etc.

The hardest times began in 1850 with commercial demand for building timber mines, and continued until the 20th century. The deforestation of the redwoods was driven by the hype created by the California gold rush. Today, redwoods are among the most symbolically important tree species. They are revered by millions of people as an aesthetic symbol of intangible values ​​of greatness and power. wildlife. Sequoia and ( Sequoia Sempervirens and Sequoiadendron giganteum ) is the state tree of California.

Today, the species is well protected in nature, it can be easily seen in several National Parks in California: Redwood National Park (Red Forest) and in National Reserve Muir Forest. If you have never seen a grove of ancient sequoias, it is worth doing it at least once in your life. This view is one of the most beautiful sights anywhere in the world.

ld: The breed is suitable only for large parks and BS in warm temperate humid climate. Magnificent accent of the first order, landing singly or in small groups at the end of the alley or as a silhouette dominant in the background.

In contact with

Everyone has heard about this tree, but few manage to admire it. Despite its huge popularity, for a number of reasons, its distribution is limited. Sequoia is a tree that belongs to the genus of conifers, the cypress family, the subfamily sequoioideae. Consists of two species: giant and evergreen sequoia. Both of these species grow in North America on the Pacific coast.

Scientists are sure that in the distant past it amazing plant inhabited the entire northern hemisphere of our planet. Own modern name the tree was not immediately received: the British and Americans tried to immortalize their heroes in it. Then a compromise was reached: it was decided to name the tree in honor of the leader of the Cherokee tribe - Sequoyah, who, ironically, called on his people to fight against both the British and the Americans.

Today, this plant grows only in a small area in Northern California and Southern Oregon, on a narrow coastal strip. The evergreen sequoia is the tallest tree that exists today on Earth. Usually its height ranges from 60 to 90 meters, but there were also specimens taller than 100 m, and one of them even reached 113 meters. Most of them grow in Redwood National Park, on the slopes of the mountains facing the ocean, and foothill valleys.

The trunk of a sequoia has a very thick and fibrous bark. While the plant is young, it branches along the entire length of the trunk, but with age, the lower branches are lost, and only a dense crown forms at the top. The undergrowth in such a forest develops poorly due to lack of lighting. Despite the fact that an adult seed tree gives a lot, only a small part of them germinate, and even this part is very difficult - not enough sunlight. Due to such a slow reproduction, the sequoia (the tree used to be intensively cut down) was on the verge of extinction. Today, the main places of growth of this are taken under protection, and their barbaric cutting down has been stopped.

The territory of this huge North American reserve is the main repository and is considered to be the greatest living organism. In terms of size and life expectancy, it has no equal in nature. Existence giant sequoia is calculated not in tens or even hundreds of years, but in millennia - it can live up to 4000 years. over such a long period, it grows to a height of up to 95 meters, and in diameter it grows to 10 meters or more. - this is the name of the sequoia - a tree (its photo went around the whole world), which has already lived for 4000 years and continues to grow, today its weight is 2995796 kg.

The tallest tree growing today is the Stratospheric Giant. It is located in Redwood National Park. In 2002, its height was 112.56 m.

The tallest tree on Earth was the Dyerville Giant. When it collapsed, it was possible to determine that its height was 113.4 m, and it lived for about 1600 years.

Currently, 15 sequoias are over 110 meters tall, and 47 trees have already approached the 105 m mark. So, perhaps, the record of Giant Dyerville will be broken. They say that in 1912 a 115.8 m high sequoia was cut down. But this fact has not been proven.

The most voluminous sequoia is a tree named General Sherman. Its volume has already exceeded 1487 cubic meters. m. They say that in 1926 they cut down a tree with a volume of 1794 cubic meters. m. But it is no longer possible to verify this.