Giant Sequoia

Sequoiadendron giganteum

This tree is native to the western foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in California. It is one of the largest and longest-living organisms on earth. A famous living sequoia, the General Sherman tree, is 27 feet in diameter, 274 feet tall, and well over 3000 years old. It is estimated to weigh 12 million pounds. Sequoias have been widely planted in England and Europe since 1853, and to the surprise of many, grow well in Flagstaff.

All wild sequoia groves are protected and most are relatively easy to visit. Particularly impressive and accessible groves are found in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks and Sequoia National Forest. Giant Sequoia, along with its relative, Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), is the state tree of California.

For more information on Giant Sequoia, visit the links below:

Virginia Tech University Department of Forestry
Gymnosperm Database