Sequoiadendron giganteum is the largest tree in the world :O It’s the monster of all monsters and it’s still growing! It’s average branch size is larger than most trees on the Mississippi River.
The biggest known giant sequoia is located in California’s Sequoia National Park and has been nicknamed General Sherman. It’s a whopping 1487 cubic meters in volume and 83.8 meters in height! How amazing is that. This monument was named in 1879 after Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman. The California Sequoia National Park is also home to the next four largest trees in the world.
Fun Facts:
-Its volume is equivalent to more than half the volume of an Olympic swimming pool.
-General Sherman has been estimated to be around 2000-2500 years old :O which is about middle-aged for giant sequoias. Makes you wonder how much bigger this guy is going to get!
-In 1978, a branch 1.2 meters in diameter and at least 140 feet in length broke off from the tree.
-In 2006, the largest branch on the tree (over 2 meters in diameter) broke off crushing a fence and cratering the sidewalk in its path. Another sign the beast cannot be contained??
-It is thought that the loss of branches is a natural defense mechanism to adverse weather conditions.
-In theory, Giant Sherman’s trunk could be turned into 120 miles of standard sized planks of lumber.
-Its first branch starts at 40 meters above the ground.
This tree is definitely on my bucket list of things to see. With the state of the Earth’s environment who knows how long it will be around. Plus I’d love me some California beaches J
