Redwoods Information
- Redwood trees are not only the tallest, but also one of the largest trees in existence. Their diameter can range from 8 feet to as much as 20 feet on average, and some trees are more than 370 feet tall, which makes them taller than many man-made structures such as the Statute of Liberty.
- The 367.8-foot-tall coastal redwood tree called "Stratosphere Giant" held the title of the tallest tree in the world. It was discovered by the National Geographic Society in 1963. It lost its distinction to the 378.1-foot-tall "Hyperion," which was discovered by a team of California researchers in 2006.
- Redwoods have been on earth since prehistoric times. Once spread throughout the world, the only living forests of the tree exist on the coastal belt of Northern California (the sequoia sempervirens), Sierra Nevada mountains (sequoiadendron gigantia) and in China (meta sequoia).
- The coastal Redwoods grow well in the foggy environment of the region. They pull in moisture through their leaves, which is beneficial for them as the circulation system of these giants is not able to take moisture to that height. Temperature is another important factor in the life cycle of coastal redwoods--the tops of the trees can have as much as a 50 degree Fahrenheit range compared with the bottom--meaning they adapt to various temperature exposures.
- Redwood trees can grow anywhere--they just normally grow to a much smaller size. There has been evidence of them growing in completely different environments, in various areas throughout California and Florida, but they don't show the same growth as on the coastal region where the fog and temperature create ideal conditions for them and also keep their competitors--such as pines--stunted and sodden. In most areas, redwoods are spread out sporadically and are mixed with other types of trees.