Sequoia tree: types, distribution, description, characteristics of the tallest trees in the world + photo of sequoia with a person

Types of sequoia tree

There are three types of sequoia that are known to world botany.

Several species are native to North America:

Redwood or coast redwood, which grows on the California coast.
Gigantic is a growing area of the Sierra Nevada.
Metasequoia, native to China.

The giant sequoia is the most popular in the world, the coastal one is called "Mahogany".

These species reach gigantic sizes: the coastal sequoia is the largest in height, and the gigantic in the thickness of the trunk. Metasequoia is no different from ordinary trees.

Pig feet

The Indians, who lived in America since time immemorial, did not give names to trees. European colonialists thought about this, and were struck to the core by the sight of sequoias. As soon as they called it names: Californian pine, mammoth tree, huge Washingtonia... But the situation was corrected by the Austrian naturalist Stefan Endhler. In America, he met the leader of the Cherokee tribe, nicknamed Sequoia. Stefan was so amazed by the intelligence, resourcefulness and greatness of the leader that he gave the tree a similar name, which stuck forever. The most curious thing is that from the Cherokee language the word “sequoia” is translated as “pig’s legs”: this is what the leader called himself after he was wounded while hunting and damaged both legs. Here's the story.

Coastal redwood

Redwood grows exclusively on the Pacific coast of the North American states. Trees of this species are the tallest on Earth, reaching a height of more than one hundred meters; the thickness of the Redwood trunk is six meters in diameter.

Sequoia is a long-lived tree: there are trees on Earth that are about two thousand years old.
The crown of the tree has a conical shape, and the branches grow horizontally to the ground.
The thick but soft bark has a reddish tint.
Young trees have elongated leaves, reaching a length of up to two and a half centimeters.

In old trees, in the upper part of the crown, the leaves look like scales, no more than one centimeter long. The seeds of the tree ripen in cones, about three centimeters long. When the seeds ripen, the cone dries out, after which it opens and the seeds spill out.

The maturation process lasts about nine months. Each cone contains from three to seven seeds.

giant sequoia

This type of sequoia grows in the Sierra Nevada region of California. The tree reaches gigantic sizes, and the thickness of the trunk can be twelve meters.

The oldest sequoia of this species is about three thousand years old; now there are about thirty groves with giant sequoias preserved on the planet.
There is evidence that the breeding season for this species of sequoia begins after reaching four hundred years of age.

For successful tree propagation, high temperatures are necessary, so fires do not harm the trees. Sequoia bark is highly resistant to fire, absorbing moisture like a sponge.

Metasequoia

This type of sequoia grows in some Chinese provinces. The Chinese sequoia is not gigantic in size. This type of sequoia is listed in the Red Book due to extinction.

Metasequoia can be found on mountain slopes.
These trees reach a height of no more than 35 meters, the diameter of the trunk is only a few meters.
Mature trees have a rounded crown, while young trees have a conical crown.
Young trees have a reddish bark that becomes darker with age.
The two-row leaves fall off during the winter season.

Spherical cones up to two centimeters in diameter appear in the sixth or ninth year of the plant’s life. The life span of one tree is about six hundred years. At the age of twenty, metasequoia reaches a height of about twenty meters, one and a half meters in volume.

Stress-resistant

When you live for 3000 years, it is not surprising that you can withstand various harmful factors. Redwoods are no exception: their wood is full of moisture, and therefore almost does not burn and is resistant to forest fires. The bark contains a lot of tannic acid, which is disgusting to bugs, and therefore they do not wear down trees. The seeds, 3-4 mm in size, are so well hidden among the extensive crown and huge cones that birds cannot reach them. Well, as they say, “if you want to live, know how to spin.”

In this interesting article we compared trees by height. Look how the sequoia is superior to other species.

"Hyperion"

Hyperion is the largest sequoia tree currently available. The giant was discovered fifteen years ago in one of the American national parks. This tree, 115.5 meters high, has far outgrown its relatives, which reach a height of no more than 90 meters.

The approximate age of the tree is eight hundred years. Hyperion grows three centimeters every year.
The slight increase in growth is explained by damage to the upper part of the trunk by woodpeckers, which is why the growth of the tree has slowed down.
The tree grows on a slope, not in a valley, where there is more liquid and prospects for growth.

Before this place became a national park, there was active deforestation here, “Hyperion” miraculously remained untouched. Due to its height, the giant is a world celebrity and a landmark of Redwood Park.

Peers of dinosaurs

The first redwood trees appeared about 200,000,000 years ago, long before the dinosaurs. They survived these lizards, more than one ice age, meteorite falls, and saw how the planet was inhabited by people. The oldest tree is currently 3240 years old, which means it existed long before our era. By the way, it was possible to photograph this tree in full growth only once, and this required a lot of equipment and effort: find out from our article how people did it.

Characteristics of the sequoia tree

The young tree has a wide and very dense crown. With age, the crown thins out and becomes more open. The branches grow horizontally to the ground, the roots lie shallow. The bark is very dense, but soft and has a fibrous texture.

Non-flammable bark approximately 35 centimeters thick. New shoots grow upward, moving slightly to the side.
Sequoia has thin branches and a deep green color. The leaves are flat, from one and a half to three centimeters in length.
The pollination process begins at the end of the winter season, after nine months the seeds are fully ripe.
The brown cone with a reddish tint bursts and the seeds scatter.
Young shoots grow very quickly: the growth is more than a meter per year.
The trees form huge forests that stretch along the Pacific coast, up to 75 kilometers wide.

Sequoias can grow close to the water, or at an altitude of up to one kilometer, as they love moist air. They also grow in ravines and gorges where the air is humid all year round.

In places with high humidity, sequoias reach enormous sizes. The dense crown of the sequoia practically does not allow sunlight to pass through, so only shade-loving plants that love moisture no less than the sequoia can grow next to it.

Sequoiadendron care

The temperature in which sequoia dendron is kept should be moderate, but in winter it can fluctuate from +8 to -10°C. Between May and August, this plant is best kept in a bright, open space.

The hot air from heating radiators will be detrimental to the tree.

Sequoiadendron needs diffused bright light. However, there must be shading from direct ultraviolet rays. In winter, the plant will also require a bright space.

If there is not enough lighting, the tree will stretch out and lose its attractive shape, and if there is too much light, the leaves will simply turn yellow and fall off.

From spring to autumn, abundant watering should be carried out. In winter it should be moderate. This plant does not tolerate excess moisture very well, as well as too dry soil.

From May to August, potted plants should be fed with mineral liquid fertilizer, which should be taken at half the amount indicated in the recommendations. This procedure should be carried out once a month.

Breeding period

Usually a lot of seeds ripen in sequoia, but only a few of them take root and produce young shoots. Young shoots are forced to survive in conditions of lack of sunlight.

The lifespan of one tree is about three thousand years and slow reproduction will not affect the plant population in any way, but redwoods are periodically cut down and the recovery period is slow.
Fortunately, forest fires have a positive effect on the reproduction process of redwoods. Young trees after a fire receive moisture, carbohydrates and nutrients. The tree is able to displace conifers and exist safely in its own shadow.

Sequoia is not picky about the soil; it loves moist air, but does not like swampy places and dry limestone soils.

Extremely valuable

But the redwoods were not left alone when they realized that they were no good for anything. People decided to “take revenge” on the trees for their “worthlessness”, and began to organize dances on the stumps or cut down shelters for hunters in the trunks. Then nature and tree lovers, realizing that the redwoods would not last that long, founded a state park and a high fine for cutting down or damaging a tree. Nowadays, redwoods are cut down only if they are considered dangerous or dead, and the trees are recognized as a valuable heritage for future generations.

Where does the sequoia tree grow?

Sequoia predominates on the North American coast. This is where the largest trees on the planet grow, dense forests dominated by redwoods.

Redwood Park is dominated by coast redwoods, which have grown naturally here for many hundreds of years.

California is rich in giant sequoias, namely the national park of the same name, Humboldt Park, Grant Grove and Mariposa Forest.
These are the most popular places where giant trees grow. In our country, sequoia can be found in Transcaucasia, on the Crimean coast and in Ukraine.

In these parts, just as in China, sequoias do not reach enormous heights; their height varies around thirty meters. Sequoia is able to survive frosts down to minus 17 degrees, and frost resistance increases with age.

Vodokhreby

The lower the tree is, the better it grows. Sequoias need moisture, even in the air, just as we need sleep and food. They are especially happy about fogs, when even the air is filled with water. Therefore, sequoias cannot be found in places that are higher than 1 km above sea level - the air there is too dry for these giants.

Application of wood

Due to the large amount of resins contained in sequoia wood, it is not susceptible to fungi, mold and other diseases characteristic of coniferous species. Sequoia absorbs moisture during its life, but when dried, it dries out a little and does not crack.

The popularity of this type of wood lies in its reddish tint. The habitat of a tree affects the quality characteristics of the wood.
Thin and loose wood with a beige tint - the tree grew in an area with high humidity.
Reddish and light brown hue is found in sequoia wood that grew in an area with moderate humidity.
The structure of a young tree is loose, consisting of straight fibers.

Wood does not have a specific odor, so it is preferred in the manufacture of caskets and boxes for storing food products.

In addition, sequoia is used in the manufacture of furniture, as well as in finishing and construction work. Wood is a unique material due to its fire-resistant qualities and lack of odor.

Interesting facts about the sequoia tree

The breeding period of the giant sequoia begins at the age of four hundred years.
Wood is resistant to fire due to its ability to absorb moisture from the air.
Fires have a beneficial effect on the opening of cones and the spread of seeds.
Metasequoia was first discovered as fossilized remains.
About three thousand trees with a trunk volume of two to eight meters grow in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Scientists examined the remains of a redwood tree found in the ground and stated that they were about fifty million years old.

Planting sequoiadendron

Before planting, the seeds must be soaked for 24 hours, adding special stimulants to the water to activate germination (Zircon, Ribav-Extra or Epin).

Seeds should be sown in nutritious soil mixed with river sand, maintaining a distance of 5-7 cm. However, the substrate must be pre-moistened. The seeds are buried 0.7-1 cm, then covered with film and allowed to germinate at room temperature in diffused light.

The humidity level must be constantly monitored. Descents can appear in a period from 2 months to 2 years, so you should be patient.