Redwood trees are some of the tallest trees in the world. They can reach over 300 feet (91 meters) and live for hundreds of years.
They are also called giant sequoia trees because they look similar to Sequoiadendron giganteum. These trees are native to California and Oregon.
As of writing, the most giant tree is called Hyperion on Mount Shasta in Northern California. It’s estimated to have a diameter of about 70 feet (21 m). Giant Redwoods grow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Oregon.
The tallest one here is General Sherman, which stands at 380 ft (115m) high. They are deciduous trees – which means they lose their leaves annually during wintertime.
The redwood trees have been used by humans since ancient times. In fact, many people believe that these trees were sacred to the Native Americans who lived in the area. Today, many Native American tribes still use them as part of their culture.
Redwoods are flowering plants, unlike conifers. Their flowers bloom only every several decades under certain conditions and then die back down within a year or two.
A seed pod will drop from each flower up to 20 feet away from the parent plant. Seeds inside take around 15 years to germinate. And finally, once planted, they can live for thousands of years.
That’s right, we didn’t make any of this up – redwoods are nearly immortal! Scientists estimate that these redwoods grew between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, although they could very well be millions of years old. Modern measurements say that the average age is approximately 564 years old.
That means that if you had a redwood growing today, it would be older than your great-great-grandparents. In addition to being tall, redwoods are also heavy. Some trees weigh more than 2 tons!
So now that we know all about this species and its history, we thought it would be cool to talk more about different redwood plants.
1. Coast Redwood Tree
This type of redwood grows along the Pacific coast. It is the most common kind of redwood found in the United States.
This particular variety was first discovered by Europeans when Captain Cook explored the west coast of America in 1778. He noticed that the natives used pieces of wood from this species to build houses and boats.
This is actually the second oldest living thing on earth. The first redwood ever discovered was the Methuselah tree, located near San Francisco. It was believed to be 1,200 years old when it died in 2001.
However, scientists later determined that it wasn’t even alive when Columbus sailed to America. So this new discovery beats out the Methuselah by almost 500 years!
Coast redwoods grow in coastal areas such as Baja, California, Mexico. They can grow up to 100 feet tall and live for over 400 years. Like other redwoods, they are deciduous trees; however, they shed their leaves twice a year instead of just once.
As a result, they produce seeds, and leaves fall to the ground when they do so. These seeds are carried off by ocean currents and eventually end up in the Pacific Ocean. There, they germinate and begin to grow into young trees.
In addition, these redwoods can be found in China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Australia.
2. Bigleaf Redwood
These redwoods grow in the forests of northern California and southern Oregon. They are known for having large leaves with long stalks.
These trees can grow up to 200 feet tall and live for hundreds of years. The biggest one ever measured was a bigleaf redwood that stood 379 feet tall. In addition, some of these trees can live for over 1000 years.
Bigleaf redwoods are not native to North America. They were brought here by European settlers. Many of these trees are protected because they are so rare. To care for these plants, people often use drip irrigation. This allows them to drink water without getting too much soil.
This technique helps prevent salt buildup in the ground. The bigleaf redwood has been classified as an endangered species since 1973.
3. Kawaiisu Redwood
The kawaiisu redwood is named after the indigenous people who lived near them. They prefer to call themselves the “redwood people.” The kawaiisu is native to the states of California and Oregon. There are three varieties of this redwood.
One of them is called the giant sequoia. It is one of the largest trees in the world. In addition, there’s another variety called the black sequoia. Then, finally, there is the grand sequoia. It has the most enormous trunk of all the sequoias.
This plant grows to an impressive height of 250 feet (76 m), but most of them are less than 200 feet (61 m). This tree has lived for centuries. However, not everyone likes these trees.
Many people think they’re ugly and don’t belong in the wild. But scientists disagree with that opinion. They actually believe that these trees should be protected.
4. Dawn Redwood
The dawn redwood is the most minor type of redwood. They grow naturally in the foggy mountains of central China. When the weather gets scorching, the trees produce droopy branches that hang low down towards the ground.
The Chinese name for this redwood translates to “sunset tree.” In addition, some people refer to them as “dawn redwoods” because they think that their leaves
turn colors before the sun comes up.
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5. California Redwood
The California Redwood is native to Northern California and Southern Oregon. These trees have been around since prehistoric times. Before European settlers arrived, these giant trees were home to many Native American tribes. Today, there are still a few thousand left in the wild.
6. Royal Redwood
The royal redwood is considered one of the tallest types of trees. They can grow up into the sky, reaching 360 feet or more. These redwoods thrive in an area called the Monterey pine forest. In addition, the Royal Redwood has a high resistance to insects and diseases.
This species of redwood also produces a lot of resins. These resins make the wood soft and easy to work with. Over time, the resin will slowly sink into the heartwood, making the tree stronger than if it had not been treated. To care for this species, fertilize less often and water more frequently.
7. Black Sequoia
Black sequoias are native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. They are also known as the king of the redwoods because of how big they get. According to some estimates, black sequoias can grow up to 230 feet tall!
Black sequoias have thick trunks and branches, and their bark looks like rough gray granite. Thick vines cover the tree every year. But the real reason to love black sequoias is their foliage. Unlike many other redwoods, black sequoias don’t drop their leaves. Instead, they remain green throughout the winter.
The leaves of black sequoias are dark green with a reddish tint. They are roughly triangular-shaped. They are also covered in tiny hairs that protect against insects.
The seeds of black sequoias take around 14 years to germinate and another 12 years before they produce new growth. So, if you want to see a massive specimen of this type of tree, you need to wait until after 2050.
In addition, black sequoias are slow growers. They can reach full maturity at 100 years old. As a result, the black sequoia is considered an endangered species.
8. Giant Sequoia
Giant sequoias are the tallest flowering plant in the world. They grow in the state of California but are considered to be a subspecies of the black sequoia tree. Because of their size, these trees are often compared to skyscrapers.
Giant sequoias grow naturally in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Each year, they produce vast amounts of fruit. Most of this fruit will fall off during the growing season. But around November, the trees start making seeds.
Seeds take about seven years before they sprout into saplings. After another seven years, they bear flowers and cones, which pollinate the following spring.
The most enormous giant sequoia is called Hyperion. It was measured in 2014 at an incredible height of 1,332 feet (411 meters)! This makes it taller than the Empire State Building. However, scientists think it may not even be the tallest giant sequoia because of how difficult it is to measure such large trees.
In 2012, researchers discovered a new giant sequoia in the Klamath National Forest. It was found near the community of Chico. This tree was named “Mammoth Tree” because of its enormous size. It was estimated to be over 800 years old when it died.
Final Thoughts
Redwood trees are a gorgeous species that are renowned for growing super tall. In fact, some of the tallest trees in the world are redwoods!
Several different types in this family are suited to various climates, which means you can likely grow it in your environment. We hope you found this article interesting and valuable!
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