10 tallest trees in the world (15 photos + 2 videos)

September 28, 2022 10:09

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There are many tall trees around the world whose extraordinary height has been exaggerated and disputed. However, with the help of the latest measuring instruments, such as laser rangefinders and tape fall measurements, it was possible to find out the real height of the giant trees. Here are the ten tallest trees in the world that remain the same as the world changes around them.

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Almost all of the trees presented are so tall that it is simply impossible to photograph them in full. Dense vegetation also prevents this from happening.

Paradox. Height - 112.56 m.

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The tree, located in the John Davison Rockefeller Forest in Humboldt (USA), was considered the tallest tree on the planet until number ten in our ranking, that is, from 1995 to 1996. In terms of trunk diameter, it is inferior to Mendocino (3.9 meters versus 4.19 meters). And it was very difficult for researchers and simply curious people to find it, since there were no photographs or coordinates of Paradox at that time. Of all the giant trees known to date, Paradox stands out for its beauty.

Chemical composition

Birch buds are rich in fatty acids, resinous substances, alkaloids, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and essential oils (about 3-5%; the composition includes bicyclic sesquiterpenoids).

Birch leaves contain tannins (up to 9%), flavonoids (hyperoside, quercetin), saponins (up to 3.2%), esters of triterpene alcohols, dammaran derivatives, coumarins, betulorethinic and ascorbic (2-8%) acids and essential oils ( up to 0.1%).

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The bark of most birch species contains the triterpenoid betulin, which is one of the few white organic pigments. Chaga contains water-soluble pigments that form a chromogenic polyphenolcarbon complex (20%), polysaccharides, organic acids (formic, acetic, oxalic, butyric, vanillic and others), sterols, lignin, fiber and manganese-rich ash (up to 12%).

Rockefeller. Height - 112.6 m.

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A neighbor of Paradox, also native to California's Humboldt Redwood National Park and the eighth longest tree on Earth. Named after the billionaire, famous not only for his fortune, but also for the number of years he has lived. Rockefeller's long, slender "body" invariably delights those who are lucky enough to see him. And this is not easy to do, since the exact coordinates of most of the tallest trees are kept secret (this is easier than protecting them from vandal tourists around the clock), and from below it is not so easy to distinguish Rockefeller from other sequoias. Its trunk diameter has not yet been measured.

Eucalyptus rodum – Sir Vim (One of the White Knights), Australia, Tasmania

Species: manna gum or white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis Labill.)

Height: 91.3 m

The longest tree of this species was discovered in the 1970s.

Manna gum is a common, mostly relatively small tree. When loggers discovered trees of this species, almost 90m tall, in north-east Tasmania in the 1970s, it came as a surprise. To protect them, the state created the Evercreech Forest Preserve in 1977. Now the tree has exceeded the height of 90 m.

Stratospheric giant. Height at the time of discovery - 112.34 m

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This worthy representative of the tallest trees was found in 2000 in the Humboldt National Park. At that time the tree was 112.34 meters high, but it continues to grow. In 2010, it reached a height of 113.11 meters. Like all the other numbers in our hit parade, the Stratospheric Giant belongs to the redwoods and is blocked by many trees that are almost as tall. The exact location of the tree is hidden to prevent it from being damaged by overly active citizens.

Birch

Birch (lat. Betula) is a genus of deciduous trees and shrubs of the Birch family ( Betulaceae

). Birch is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere; in Russia it is one of the most common tree species. The total number of species is about a hundred or a little more. Many types of birch are widespread and important forest-forming species, largely determining the appearance and species composition of deciduous and coniferous-deciduous (mixed) forests in the temperate and cold parts of Eurasia and North America

Many parts of birch are used on the farm: wood, bark, birch bark (surface layer of bark), birch sap.

Biological description

Most birch species are trees up to 30 and even 45 m high, with a trunk girth of up to 120–150 cm, some species are shrubs from large to small, even creeping, barely rising above the ground. All representatives of the genus are monoecious, dioecious, wind-pollinated (anemophilous) plants.

The root system of birches is powerful, depending on the type and growing conditions, either superficial or, more often, extending obliquely into the depths. The tap root of the seedling dies off very quickly, but the lateral roots develop powerfully and are rich in thin fibrous roots. Birch grows slowly only in the first years. Then, on the contrary, it begins to grow quickly, and this ensures its victory over competing herbaceous vegetation.

The bark of most birches is white, yellowish, pinkish or reddish-brown; in some species it is gray, brown or even black. The cavities of the cork tissue cells on the trunks are filled with a white resinous substance - betulin, which gives the bark a white color. The outer part - birch bark - is usually easily peeled off with ribbons. In old trees, the lower part of the trunk is often covered with a dark crust with deep cracks.

Birch leaves are alternate, entire, serrated along the edges, ovate-rhombic or triangular-ovate, monosymmetrical, with a wide wedge-shaped base or almost truncated, smooth, up to 7 cm long and 4 cm wide, turning yellow before falling. Young leaves are sticky. The venation of the leaf blade is perfect pinnate-neural (pinnate-marginal): the lateral veins end in teeth.

Spreading

Many species of birch are widespread and important forest-forming species, largely determining the appearance and species composition of deciduous and coniferous-deciduous (mixed) forests in the temperate and cold parts of Eurasia and North America. Among the birches there are also shrubs, the most famous of which is the dwarf birch (Betula nana) common in the tundras of Europe and North America and the mountain tundras of Siberia. It does not even reach 1 m in height. During the glacial and post-glacial periods, this birch was distributed much further to the south; now it is found there only in swamps as a relic.

Most birches are very frost-resistant, do not suffer from spring frosts, tolerate permafrost, penetrate far beyond the Arctic Circle or form the upper boundary of forests in the mountains (for example, crooked birch forests in the Caucasus). Birches from subtropical regions (Himalayan-Chinese, some Japanese and American river birch (Betula nigra)) are more demanding of heat. The southernmost and most heat-loving species of birch on our planet is the alder birch (Betula alnoides), which grows in the mountainous regions of the monsoon tropics of Southeast Asia.

Birch is not picky about soil richness. Birch species grow on sandy and loamy, rich and poor, wet and dry soils. It is found on damp banks of rivers and seas, in swamps, swampy tundras, on dry rocky slopes, in hot dry steppes. For example, the Radde Birch (Betula raddeana) forms forests covering gorges in the mountain forest belt in the mountains of Dagestan.

Most birches are light-loving, although there are some that are quite shade-tolerant (Ribbed Birch (Betula costata), Woolly Birch (Betula lanata) and Alleghenian Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)).

Many species of birch are pioneers in the colonization of clearings, burnt areas, wastelands and outcrops (such as the silver birch (Betula pendula)): in these places, pure birch stands (secondary forests) are often observed, mainly of the grass type, so birch is often classified as a soil-improving species. Subsequently, the composition of the forest stand changes: birch is replaced by spruce, since spruce shoots can exist under a relatively light birch canopy, and young birch trees are shaded by spruce trees and die.

In the forest-steppe, in moist places in saucer-shaped depressions, birch (often together with aspen and occasionally willow) forms small forests called kolkas. Kolki are characteristic of the forest-steppe of Western Siberia and are found on the Oka-Don Plain.

The genus Birch in the collections of Russian botanical gardens is generally represented by 92 taxa, exclusively in open ground collections. The largest collection of the genus is located in the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The lifespan of a birch, according to various sources, is 100–120 years, 150 (300) years, 100–150 years, some trees live up to 400 years or more.

Wood

Birch is cut at the age of wood ripeness, from 40–50 years. Previously, to obtain large, good ornamental material, birch trees were cut down at 60–80 and even sometimes at 100 years of age; It is suitable for firewood at 40–60 years of age. Birch is of little use for buildings, as it soon rots due to the development of fungus.

Heavy, dense birch wood is quite strong and resists splitting well. The color is white, with a more yellow core. Used to make high-quality plywood, skis, small carved toys, and firearm butts.

Karelian birch – veneer (sanded)

Karelian birch – veneer (varnished)

Karelian birch is especially valued

, which is distinguished by a very complex wood texture.
Karelian birch is the wood of a variety of silver birch (lat. Betula pendula
var. carelica), which has characteristic thickenings on the trunk (burls), with a patterned curled wood texture. Growths that occasionally form on the roots, large branches or trunks of birch trees - burls - have a unique complex and beautiful pattern when cut. It is distinguished by a beautiful pattern, durability (hard and non-fragile material), and produces beautiful colors in the finish - dark brown inclusions on a light yellow background. In carpentry, under this name, burls on trunks and twisted wood at the roots of other birches are sometimes also used. Processed burl has long been used to make elegant crafts: boxes, snuff boxes, cigarette cases, and decorative furniture parts.

Birch

– wood obtained from trees of two species of the Birch genus (Latin Betula),

• Silver birch (lat. Betula pendula) and
• Downy birch (lat. Betula pubescens).

Both species are undemanding to soil. Silver birch grows even on the poorest and driest soils, for which it is sometimes called sand birch. Downy birch can also grow in very acidic and waterlogged soils and swamps. These are medium-sized trees, reaching a height of 20 to 30 meters and a trunk diameter of 50 to 70 centimeters, occasionally up to a meter. Reaches an age of 100–120 years, growth in height stops at about 60 years.

Also found in Central Europe, Low Birch (Latin Betula humilis) and Dwarf Birch (Latin Betula nana) do not have any economic importance due to their small size.

In Germany, birch trees are rarely used for working timber, but in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, as well as in Russia, this tree plays an important economic role.
Birch is commonly processed into veneer and plywood. Solid wood and plywood are used to make furniture. Birch is used as firewood in small quantities and mainly for home heating. Mechanical properties and characteristics of some types of birch wood

Hyperion – 115.61 m

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The top 10 tallest trees in the world are headed by a sequoia from Northern California, bearing the proud name Hyperion. The volume of its trunk is 502 m³, and its age is estimated at 700-800 years. Tireless naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered the tree in Redwood National Park and believe Hyperion might have been taller if not for woodpeckers. They damaged the trunk of the titanic tree at its very top. Hyperion was last measured in 2015.

Contraindications to the use of birch

Birch chaga mushroom is contraindicated for patients with chronic colitis and chronic infectious diseases, such as, for example, dysentery. Birch medicinal products should not be taken simultaneously with treatment with penicillin and intravenous glucose.

Infusions and decoctions prepared from birch buds are contraindicated in case of insufficiency of kidney function. The infusion of birch buds contains an increased concentration of resinous substances; they can irritate the kidney tissue, so their long-term use is not recommended.

Video version

Redwoods, also known as redwoods, are the tallest tree species on Earth. Representatives of the species "pretty fir" (aka Douglas fir) and eucalyptus in Australia could compete with them, but the largest of these trees were mercilessly cut down. By the way, the same fate awaited Hyperion, but fortunately for him, the Redwood Valley became Redwood National Park in the 70s of the last century and cutting down trees there was prohibited. There are currently hundreds of sequoias exceeding 100 m in height and no living trees of other species exceeding this height. Although Hyperion is unsurpassed in trunk length, it is inferior in volume, weight and age to the redwood tree called General Sherman. The height of General Sherman is modest compared to other representatives of the tallest trees rating - 83.8 m, but its weight is a record 1900 tons, its trunk volume is 1487 m³, and its age ranges from 2300 to 2700 years.

Eucalyptus globulus, Australia, Tasmania

Species: Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus Labill.)

Height: 90.7 m

Tasmanian blue gum is a popular plantation tree because it is well suited to Mediterranean and tropical climates. This tree grows quickly and serves as a good material for the production of wood and eucalyptus oil. The current record holder is not the tallest known tree of this species: Tasmanian blue gums up to 101 m high have existed here.

There is information about the blue eucalyptus Metakaret, 92.3 m high, in the Styx River valley.

Tallest tree in the world - Hyperion

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Until August 2006, the title of “tallest tree in the world” belonged to a giant 112.7-meter sequoia nicknamed the “stratospheric giant.” It is located in Humboldt National Park in California. To give you some idea of ​​the massive size of this tree, it is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus the foundation.

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But the giant lost its status when two naturalists, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, came across a group of trees in Redwood National Park in California that were taller than any they had seen before. They took preliminary measurements using professional laser equipment, and found not one, not two, but three trees that were taller than the "stratospheric giant."

Bloom

All types of birch trees are monoecious plants (they have flowers of the same sex, which have both pistils and stamens), flowering occurs in the spring, birch pollen is carried by the wind. First, two or three male flowers up to four centimeters long appear in complex inflorescences (birch catkins) in the summer. They consist of a huge number of thyroid scales fused with the main stalk-shaped rod. These plates widen closer to the top, at the bottom they have two small scales, each of which has three flowers on the inside, where the stamens are located.

The outside of the male catkin is covered with a resinous substance, which prevents moisture from penetrating inside and allows it to overwinter peacefully. The birch tree wakes up in the spring, the male catkin lengthens, the scales of the flower open and stamens appear, from which the birch begins to dust in all directions. After this, men's earrings, which were previously absolutely straight, bend and hang.

Female birch catkins are not so noticeable: they are much smaller, thinner, more inconspicuous, and look like small greenish mouse tails. They develop from last year's lateral buds and are always located on the side of the branch. They bloom together with male earrings and during flowering contain a large number of flowers, each containing two ovules.

Pollination of birch occurs with the help of the wind, when birch pollen falls on a flower, one ovule dries out, and the second develops: the female catkin begins to lengthen and, due to the increase in the size of the scales, begins to resemble an oblong cone, which crumbles after the fruits in them ripen. Seeds, having fallen from the tree (since they are very light, the wind can carry them a hundred meters from the mother tree), are able to immediately begin to germinate, and if conditions are unfavorable, they go into a dormant state and, on occasion, can hatch over the course of several years.

Hyperion means "very high"

The height of the tallest tree, called Hyperion, is 115 meters. If you have no idea how big Hyperion is, consider this: Big Ben in London is 96.3m tall, making it significantly shorter than this tree. This gigantic redwood tree (sequoia) would have been even taller if not for the woodpeckers that damaged the very top of the trunk. This slowed Hyperion's upward progress. When Atkins and Taylor announced their discovery, a team of scientists led by ecologist Steve Sillett of Humboldt State University arrived at the park to measure the find. This was done in the most precise manner: Sillett climbed to the top of the tree to lower the tape from there directly to the ground. The descent of this tape was filmed for National Geographic.

Hyperion was very lucky: in the 70s of the 20th century, just a few hundred kilometers from it, trees were being cleared. About two weeks before a man with a saw would approach Hyperion, Redwood Valley became Redwood National Park. Logging companies feared this would happen and worked 24/7, harvesting valuable redwood timber and ruthlessly destroying the old-growth forests that had been there long before humans entered the valley. Most redwoods, from which the tallest trees grow, are less fortunate than Hyperion. To date, only 4% of America's redwood forests remain. By mahogany standards, Hyperion is quite young and still growing. Sillett believes the tree is "only" 600 years old, which is about 20 years old in human years. Hyperion's exact location is kept secret by park rangers to avoid tourist crush near the tree. This can upset the delicate balance of the forest ecosystem and harm the tree. After all, tourists can not only admire the huge tree, but also chop off part of the bark “as a keepsake” or scratch something on it in the style of “Jack and Sally were here.” As Sillett puts it, trees can't outrun the paparazzi like humans, and history teaches us that bad things happen to trees that become too popular. It is not at all clear whether Hyperion is the tallest redwood tree or simply the largest sequoia known to us. After all, 96% of redwood forests fell victim to loggers.

Characteristics and signs

Silver birch has the following characteristics:

• drought-resistant;
• frost-resistant (withstands up to -40°C);
• photophilous;
• subject to the destructive effects of honey mushrooms;
• can grow on light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clayey) soils;
• the root is highly developed, fibrous.

It is interesting to note that the foliage of this tree is used to determine the degree of environmental pollution. For this purpose, the method of fluctuating asymmetry is used.

Pests begin to appear on a weakened tree - these can be tinder fungi, birch sponge, honey mushrooms, and chaga. Moreover, chaga parasitizes only on living birch trees. Leaves are usually attacked by silkworm caterpillars, chimney beetles, and chafer beetles.

Silver birch is easily recognizable due to its white trunk with black stripes and spreading branches that reach the ground. It easily gets along with other trees, especially conifers.

Tallest tree ever measured

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The tallest tree in the world, which was measured in the 19th century, is not a sequoia, but a mountain ash. In 1872, a report by Australian State Forest Superintendent William Ferguson mentioned a fallen and burnt Eucalyptus regnans (aka Eucalyptus regnans, aka mountain ash) that was at least 132 meters tall in life. Around the same time, several 140 m tall specimens were recorded. Unfortunately, we cannot verify these measurements: all these trees were cut down. Rowan was and is an important building material in Australia. The tallest living eucalyptus trees can be found in Tasmania. The height of the eucalyptus, bearing the proud nickname “Centurion”, is about 100 meters. It is the tallest living deciduous tree on Earth. It was discovered in October 2008 using a laser mounted on an aircraft, which measured terrain height, forest height and forest biomass.

The healing properties of birch

A decoction of birch buds has a bactericidal and wound-healing effect, they are used as a diuretic for edema of the renal and cardiovascular nature, as a choleretic for diseases of the liver and biliary tract, as a disinfectant and expectorant for bronchitis and tracheitis, as well as for malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. intestinal tract.

An infusion of birch leaves is used as a general tonic for vitamin deficiencies, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, as well as for the treatment of mild forms of cholecystitis and cholecystoangiocholitis.

Birch sap has a choleretic, diuretic and restorative effect, activates metabolism and is useful for vitamin deficiencies, colds, bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, anemia, gout, rheumatism and long-term non-healing wounds and ulcers.

Young birch leaves are widely used in folk medicine. An infusion of birch leaves is recommended for edema associated with cardiovascular failure, kidney disease, anemia, neuroses and as a diuretic and diaphoretic. Baths from a decoction of leaves are prescribed for radiculitis and eczema of the hands.

Chaga preparations (birch mushroom, bifungin extract) are used in the treatment of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, to enhance immunity and as a symptomatic remedy for malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Activated birch charcoal (carbolene) is used for flatulence, colitis, poisoning and increased acidity of gastric juice. Birch tar has a strong antiseptic effect. It is included in Vishnevsky ointment and other preparations for the treatment of burns, purulent wounds, eczema, ulcers and fungal skin diseases.