Sequoiadendron giganteum

Sequoiadendron giganteum
The "Grizzly Giant" in the Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

Vulnerable (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Sequoiadendron
Species:
S. giganteum
Binomial name
Sequoiadendron giganteum
Natural range of the California members of the subfamily Sequoioideae
red – Sequoiadendron giganteum

Sequoiadendron giganteum, also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood or Sierra redwood is a coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the most massive trees on Earth.[3] They are native to the groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California but are grown around the world.

The giant sequoia is listed as an endangered species by the IUCN with fewer than 80,000 trees remaining in its native California, but its numbers are growing in other parts of the world.[4][5]

The Giant sequoia grow to an average height of 50–85 m (164–279 ft) with trunk diameters ranging from 6–8 m (20–26 ft). Record trees have been measured at 94.8 m (311 ft) tall. The specimen known to have the greatest diameter at breast height is the General Grant tree at 8.8 m (28.9 ft). Giant sequoias are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. The oldest known giant sequoia is 3,200–3,266 years old.

Wood from mature giant sequoias is fibrous and brittle; trees would often shatter after they were felled. The wood was unsuitable for construction and instead used for fence posts or match sticks. The giant sequoia is a very popular ornamental tree in many parts of the world. A potential hypothesis for the species name, is in honor of the Cherokee Chief Sequoyah, however there are no surviving records of why the species was named as such.

  1. ^ Schmid, R. & Farjon, A. (2013). "Sequoiadendron giganteum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T34023A2840676.
  2. ^ "Sequoiadendron giganteum, Giant Sequoia". Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ^ "The Giant Sequoia National Monument". usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture – Forest service. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  4. ^ "Giant redwoods: World's largest trees 'thriving in UK'". 2024-03-13. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  5. ^ Holland, Ross; Castro, Guilherme; Chavana-Bryant, Cecilia; Levy, Ron; Moat, Justin; Robson, Thomas; Wilkinson, Tim; Wilkes, Phil; Yang, Wanxin; Disney, Mathias (March 2024). "Giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) in the UK: carbon storage potential and growth rates". Royal Society Open Science. 11 (3). doi:10.1098/rsos.230603. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 10933539. PMID 38481981.