Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia)

Sequoiadendron giganteum

Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl.) J. Buchholz

Americus giganteus (Lindl.) W.H. Hanford nom. utique rej.

Sequoia gigantea (Lindl.) Decne.

Sequoia wellingtonia Seem.

Giant Sequoia, Sierra Redwood

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
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	Sequoiadendron	This name is derived from the genus name Sequoia and the Greek dendron for “tree,” hence Sequoia tree
Species	giganteum	Gigantic

About plant names...

The giant sequoia is the only living species of genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three living species of cone-bearing trees called redwoods. They are found on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.

Interested in the oldest trees? Check this Wired magazine article.

Identification: Although California redwoods are taller, giant sequoias have a larger volume. Giant sequoias reach 164-279' (50-85 m) vs. California redwoods, which top out at 377' (115 m). Giant sequoias also live longer, up to 3,500 years. Bark, up to 3' (91 cm) thick at the bottom of the tree, is fibrous and furrowed. Leaves are ¹/₁₆-³/₁₆" (3-6 mm) long, arranged in spiral whorls. Cones are 1½-2½" (4-7 cm) long. (Photo 1 is a baby tree planted in 1981, not a trick of perspective.

1 · “Out of its element here, the giant sequoia shares a heritage with the coast redwood. Mature sequoias do not reach the lofty heights of the tallest coast redwoods. Tolerant of extreme heat and cold, this mammoth thrives on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Unlike the coast redwood, the giant sequoia requires fire in the reproduction process.” · 8/28/2007 · Rte 199 State Park Info Place, Crescent City, CA
≈ 5½ × 8½' (1.7 × 2.6 m)

The redwoods:

	*Sequoia sempervirens*	You are here Sequoiadendron giganteum	*Metasequoia glyptostroboides*
Common Name	Coast Redwood	Giant Sequoia	Dawn Redwood
Plant	Up to 377' (115 m) tall, living up to 2,200 years.	164-279' (50-85 m) tall.	Up to 148' (45 m) high, up to 6½' (2 m) in diameter.
Leaves	Needles ¹/₃₂-1" (1-30 mm) long, in a branching configuration or in opposite pairs. Photos of mature sun-illuminated foliage (left) and shade foliage. Photos by Christopher J. Earle.	¹/₁₆-³/₁₆" (3-6 mm) long, arranged in spiral whorls.	Small branchlets 3" (7.6 cm) long, with needle-like leaves about ⅜" (1.2 cm) long and ¹/₁₆" (1.6 mm) wide.
Stem	Bark up to 12" (30 cm) thick at base.	Bark, up to 3' (91 cm) thick at the bottom of the tree, is fibrous and furrowed.	Bark reddish brown when young, becoming fissured an gray.
Fruit	Oval, ½-1¼" (1.5-3.2 cm), with 15-25 spirally arranged scales.	Cones are 1½-2½" (4-7 cm) long.	Cones are ½-⅞" (1.5-2.5 cm) in diameter, with 16-28 scales.
Range/ Zones
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild

Online References:

Sequoiadendron giganteum on Wikipedia

Sequoiadendron giganteum on www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de

Sequoiadendron giganteum on The Gymnosperm Database

Sequoiadendron giganteum on floridata.com

Sequoiadendron giganteum at the Encyclopedia of Stanford Trees, Shrubs and Vines

Sequoiadendron giganteum at the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site

Sequoiadendron giganteum on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Sequoiadendron giganteum at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Sequoiadendron giganteum on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Sequoiadendron giganteum on www2.humboldt.edu

Sequoiadendron giganteum on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

2 · 9/6/2018 · Sequoia National Park, Tulare Country, CA · By Constance B. Kent

3 · 9/6/2018 · Sequoia National Park, Tulare Country, CA · By Constance B. Kent

Sequoiadendron giganteum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 2 Jan 2019.

4 · The General Sherman Tree: the largest living thing on Earth. · 9/6/2018 · By Constance B. Kent

5 · 9/6/2018 · Sequoia National Park, Tulare Country, CA · By Constance B. Kent

Range:

About this map...