Sequoia sempervirens (Lamb. ex D. Don) Endl.
Coast redwood, giant sequoia, giant redwood, California redwood, redwood
California redwoods, native to portions of California and Oregon along the west coast of North America, are the only living species remaining of genus Sequoia. They live for a long time, up to 2,200 years.
Plants: Redwoods reach 377′ (115 m), the tallest trees on Earth, and may reach 26′ (8 m) in diameter. Even the bark can be 1′ (30 cm) thick. The bark is red-brown and deeply furrowed. Tree size and the restricted natural location of these majestic trees serve to identify them.
Leaves: The leaves (needles) are 1/32–1″ (1–30 mm) long, and occur in different groups depending on their age. Older leaves tend to subdivide into smaller and smaller branches, while younger ones resemble hemlock, occurring in closely-spaced, flattened, opposing pairs.
Fruits: Cones are oval in shape, ½–1¼″ (1.5–3.2 cm), with 15-25 spirally arranged scales.
Habitats: California’s North Coast provides the only known suitable habitat. A combination of longitude, climate, and elevation limits the redwoods’ range to a few hundred coastal miles. The cool, moist air created by the Pacific Ocean keeps the trees continually damp, even during summer droughts.
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Some redwoods. |
Online References:
8/28/2007 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
8/28/2007 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
8/28/2007 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
8/28/2007 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
8/28/2007 · Simpson Reed Grove, Crescent City, California 
8/28/2007 · Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Stout Grove, Crescent City, California 
6/5/1996 · California · By Susan M. Kent 
ID is uncertain 
8/28/2007 · Simpson Reed Grove, Crescent City, California 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Coniferophyta | Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs) |
| Class | Pinopsida | Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews |
| Order | Pinales | Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others |
| Family | Cupressaceae | Cypres family, including junipers and redwoods |
| Genus | Sequoia | After Sequoiah (1770-1843), the son of a British merchant and a Cherokee woman |
| Species | sempervirens | “Evergreen” |
Sequoia sempervirens description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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