Giant sequoia

The giant sequoia, or “big tree,” is found in a narrow strip about 300 km (about 200 mi) long on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range at elevations from about 900 to 2,400 m (about 3,000 to 8,000 ft). It is the most massive of all living forms. The largest specimen, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 84 m (275 ft) tall, has a diameter of 11.1 m (36.4 ft) at the base, and was estimated in the early 1990s to weigh about 2,500 metric tons. Other trees range from 46 to 99 m (150 to 325 ft) in height, with diameters up to 9 m (30 ft). A count of annual rings on stumps has verified ages as great as 2,300 years. Some living trees, however, are believed to be close to 4,000 years old.

The leaves of the giant sequoia are scalelike and lie close to the branches. The bark of the trunk is fluted and is spongy in texture; in large trees it reaches a thickness of 60 cm (2 ft). The wood is light, coarse-grained, and highly resistant to insects and fire. Most of the giant sequoia groves are included within the National Park System or are otherwise under government protection—cutting of the big trees is prohibited.