Giant sequoias are the largest trees ever to inhabit the earth, and are among the oldest. Heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet are not uncommon. Their ages commonly range from 2,000 to 3,000 years (only bristlecone pines are older).

Leaves

Needles are generally scale-like but have sharp tips. Blue-green in color.

Cones

Cones are woody, egg-shaped, extremely hard, and 2-3 feet long.

Bark

Bark is thick, dark reddish-brown, and deeply furrowed. Trunks are greatly enlarged and buttressed at the base.

Where to find Giant Sequoias

Although once widespread, giant sequoias now occur only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. Since 1890, giant sequoias have been protected in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, as well as in smaller individual groves. There is only one species within this genus, Sequoiadendron giganteum; it has the same common name as its genus, giant sequoia.

Habitat

Coast Redwoods occupy a narrow strip of land approximately 750 km (470 miles) in length and 8-75 km (5-47 miles) in width along the Pacific coast. The northern boundary of its range is marked by two groves on the Chetco River on the western fringe of the Klamath Mountains, 25 km (15 miles) north of the California-Oregon border. The largest populations are in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (Del Norte County), Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Humboldt County). The furthest inland are 75 km from the sea, in Napa County. The southern boundary of the range is marked by a grove in Salmon Creek Canyon in the Santa Lucia Mountains of southern Monterey County. This native area provides a unique environment with heavy seasonal rains (2500 mm or 100 in annually), cool coastal air and fog keeping this forest constantly damp year round. As this heavy rain has left the soil with few nutrients, these trees depend on the entire biotic community of the forest, and complete recycling of the trees when dead. Logging interrupts this process. This forest community includes Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, Tanoak, Madrone, and other trees along with a wide variety of ferns, Redwood sorrel, mosses and mushrooms. Redwood forests provide habitat for a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Remnant old growth redwood stands provide habitat for the federally threatened Spotted Owl and the California-endangered Marbled Murrelet. The thick, tannin-rich bark, combined with foliage that starts high above the ground provides good protection from both fire and insect damage, contributing to the Coast Redwood's longevity. The oldest known Coast Redwood is about 2200 years old; many others in the wild exceed 600 years. The prehistoric fossil range of the genus is considerably greater, with a subcosmopolitan distribution including Europe and Asia until about 5 million years ago.

Uses

Coast Redwood is one of California's most valuable timber species. The second growth wood is soft, weak, easily split, and not resistant to decay. The clear wood is used for dimension stock, siding, fencing, and shingles. Redwood burls are used in the production of table tops, veneers, and turned goods. The phenolics and tannins present in old growth redwood stock affords excellent termite and water damage protection. Old growth redwood construction is highly prized as a result

Notes

The species is well protected in its native range and can easily be seen in California's Redwood National Park, Muir Woods National Monument, and a long chain of State Parks of which some of the more noteworthy are, from north to south, Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods, Humboldt Redwoods, and Big Basin Redwoods.