The flora of our planet never ceases to amaze with its diversity. A special place is given to trees. They have grown on Earth since ancient times. Diversity in appearance, shape, habitat, size - all this forces a person to study them with special care. Sometimes you can meet real record holders, for example, the most tall tree in the world. This will be discussed in this article.
Growth champion - general information
Sequoia is the name of the tallest tree in the world. This is a coniferous tree found mostly only in the state of California (USA).
It got its name in honor of the Indian chief who invented the Cherokee syllabary and became the founder of a newspaper in this language.
The local population, who are already accustomed to these giants, simply call this plant “mahogany.”
Most of these giants are found in the Muir Forest, Redwood and national park"Sequoia".
Among the giants you can find both “aged” and fairly young specimens.
Currently, the title of "Tallest Tree in the World" belongs to a sequoia called "Hyperion". It is over 115 m tall, 11 m in diameter and about 800 years old.
What is the tallest tree in the world? A little history
In ancient times, when air humidity was higher, sequoia was also found in today's territories of Japan, France, Spitsbergen and the New Siberian Islands. The Ice Age also had a significant impact on settlement.
Until 1848, this tree was not exploited in the forest. This is due to the large size of the plant, since it was difficult to fell it with an ax and even (later) a saw.
Extermination begins unique forest The “gold rush” is considered to have come to these territories in the same 1848. The US authorities took protection of this tree only after about half of these giants had been cut down. Then the sequoia was declared a national property.
Appearance
The crown of the plant has a conical shape. Sequoia branches grow mostly horizontally, less often with a slight downward slope.
The bark of this giant is quite thick and can reach 30 cm in width. It is fibrous and soft to the touch; when you touch it, it seems as if your hand is plunging into it; the sensations are very unusual. When the bark is removed, it is red-brown, but after a while it darkens.
The tallest tree in the world changes its appearance with age. In “youth” (up to 100 years) it resembles a dark green pyramid. The branches densely cover the trunk from the ground to the top. Over time, its lower part becomes exposed and becomes thicker.
The leaves are small, reaching 15-25 cm in length. In young sequoia they grow elongated and flat, in long-lived ones they grow with arrows in the lower crown, and scaly in the upper crown.
The cones of these giants are small, no more chicken egg, approximately 1.5-3.5 cm. Pollination occurs at the end of winter, and after 8-9 months up to 7 seeds ripen. They fall to the ground when the cone dries and opens.
It is expected that by 2017 the record holder will change again, and it will become the Helion sequoia, which now reaches 114 meters. This is due to the fact that the tree grows very quickly, which cannot be said about “Hyperion” with its top damaged by woodpeckers.
Age
Sequoia is not only the tallest tree in the world. It also breaks world records for the fauna of our planet in terms of age. The plant is also called a "living fossil" or mammoth tree. On average, a sequoia lives from two to four thousand years.
The real record holder among representatives of this species is a tree with an age of 4484 years. It was established using the growth rings of a cut sequoia tree in 1965.
In the pre-glacial period, the number of these plants was greater, perhaps dinosaurs also rested under them. Archaeologists have proven that the tree grew in the Jurassic period.
The secret of the longevity of these giants is in their root system. It is superficial and widely branched. Thanks to this, when searching for water and other nutrients, it covers a larger area.
The special sequoia bark plays a significant role; it is very thick and contains chemical elements, repelling various insects and other pests.
Sequoia National Park
It is located in the state of California and has an area of 1683 sq. km. It got its name thanks to its majestic inhabitants. It was formed in 1890 with the aim of protecting these trees. It has mountainous terrain.
The largest plants are under special protection, surrounded by a fence and even have their own name.
The most popular is the General Sherman tree. You can see him in the Forest of Giants. It is about 2 thousand years old, the plant reaches a height of 81 meters, and its circumference at the base is 32 meters.
The General Sherman Sequoia continues to grow today, each year the diameter of the trunk increases by an average of 1.5 cm. Its wood would be enough to build a six-room house.
Thanks to such amazing characteristics the tree received the title of “largest”.
The tallest tree in the world, the Hyperion sequoia, is located in another Redwood National Park. However, five out of ten record holders among plants for growth grow here.
National Park famous for other attractions. Here you can drive a car through a small tunnel cut through the middle of a sequoia tree that fell onto the road and blocked further movement.
The park is also famous for its caves, of which there are more than 250.
Living conditions
Sequoia needs high humidity, that's why it grows near the coast Pacific Ocean. The tree can be found at an altitude of 30-750 m above sea level. It grows both on the shore and in the mountain gorge. It loves fogs, from which it receives up to 30% of all the necessary humidity, which allows the tree to grow taller and larger.
Despite their scarcity (only 500 specimens remain in the world), the tallest trees in the world are very viable. Around the huge stumps left over from the cut down giants, you can always see young shoots, and they also begin to grow instead of a broken branch or top. Usually the “new generation” grows very quickly.
It has been proven that the tallest trees in the world - sequoias - have the ability to purify the air from carbon dioxide better than other plants. Forest owners who have not cut down a significant part of them for a hundred years receive special compensation for lost profits. It's called a carbon credit.
Fires are not destructive to this tree; its bark does not burn. On the contrary, they have great importance for his survival. Fire prepares forest floor for germination and thins the forest from other plants, providing access sun rays to young shoots. The heat also causes the buds to open, causing the seeds to fall to the ground.
Sequoia will grow well in other conditions (some people even try to plant it at home), but the process will be long, and it will not reach its majestic size as in its natural habitat.
The tallest and largest trees in the world
These titles are transferred from one to another creation of nature from time to time.
Sequoia - absolute record holder among all the trees. However, you should not ignore other plants.
The giant eucalyptus from the dense forests of Tasmania is the tallest deciduous tree in the world. It reaches 101 meters. Experts have established that its age is 400 years old, the plant was named “Centurion”. It is included in the Guinness Book of Records because it is the tallest flowering tree in the world.
One should not ignore another giant - a record holder, but this time in terms of trunk thickness. This is a baobab, or Adansonia palmata. It grows only 30 m in height, but its diameter can reach 9 m. This plant does not have growth rings, which will make it difficult to determine its age. However, thanks to special analyzes it has been proven that a tree with a trunk diameter of 4.5 meters is approximately 5000 years old.
Only the European chestnut can compete with the baobab. A tree with a trunk diameter of 20 m has been known since 1845.
Tallest tree in Russia
Our country also has its own giants. These are Siberian firs. They grow up to 60-100 meters. The straight trunk of the tree is densely covered with branches, making it seem as if the crown starts from the ground itself.
IN Krasnodar region the Nordmann fir is known, which favorable conditions reaches 80 m in height. Even the common spruce, which grows throughout Russia, can stretch up to 60 meters.
There is another tall tree - it is 18 meters Siberian cedar, its trunk girth is 3 m, age is 250 years. This evergreen coniferous tree is considered one of the most beautiful in this region. Siberian cedar can reach a maximum height of 40 meters, since it grows up to 500 years.
Trees are one of the isolated biological forms with a huge number of unique features. We see them every day, but we don’t even think about how unusual and interesting they are. For example, the seeds of this plant can differ millions of times from the adult specimen in size and shape. This statement is true even for ordinary oak, birch or linden, so let’s not even talk about such giants as baobabs or sequoias. It will be very interesting to find out which tree is the tallest and largest in the world, which differs in its crown, girth, and also the time (period) of its existence (age). This is exactly what we will talk about today.
The leader in height among trees on the planet: a magnificent giant
Many representatives have claimed the title of the largest tree on the planet. flora V different time. One of the most famous was a specimen of evergreen sequoia ( Sequoia sempervirens), which even has given name. A tree named Hyperion grows in one of the National Parks (Redwoods) of California, in the USA. Last time official representatives The scientific community measured it in two thousand and fifteen. At that time, the height of the sequoia was 11 meters and 61 centimeters.
Contrary to misconceptions, a colossal number of corners of our planet remain unexplored even today, when science and technology have reached enviable heights. Therefore, there may be many more new giants of the plant world that we do not know about. For protection purposes environment Due to the general “pilgrimage” of tourists, the exact coordinates of the growth of the already discovered huge trees are strictly classified. Until recently, even their approximate location was limited to the country and region.
Accurate information about Hyperion
Two American nature lovers, biologists and researchers, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, decided to go to Redwood National Park in two thousand and six. There they were going to replenish their knowledge about the flora of this region, as well as the specifics of tree growth. In the middle of summer they came across an incredible giant sequoia, which received a personal name - Hyperion - in honor of one of the ancient Greek mythical giants.
Scientists believe that the tree sprouted its first thin stem back in the twelfth or thirteenth century, so its age tends to be a thousand years. The total volume of wood, according to rough calculations, is half a thousand cubic meters, and the girth at a height of one and a half meters reaches almost five meters. It will be interesting to know that the further rapid growth of the sequoia was prevented by ordinary woodpeckers, who damaged the trunk in the upper part, otherwise the data would already be out of date.
The most famous green giants
The list of the largest trees does not end with the famous Hyperion. There are many other trees that have almost reached the same height. Let's figure out what is known about them and what these representatives of the plant kingdom are famous for.
Helios
Not far from the largest and tallest tree in the world there is another giant, which in the same 2015 already reached 114 meters and 58 centimeters. Due to the fact that Helios continues to grow in height, it appears that he will soon become the new leader in this regard.
Mendocino
Scientists discovered this giant in the vicinity of the city of Montgomery Woods, which is located in California. The tree was surrounded by a grove of almost identical sequoias, and was never officially declared as the tallest in the world. Although in 1996 Mendocino reached 112 meters and twenty centimeters. At the same time, its girth at a height of one and a half meters reached four meters 19 centimeters. Until 2006, it was considered the absolute leader in height.
Laurelin
In the north-central region of California there is a river called the South Fork Ell. It is in her pool that the tree grows, about which we're talking about, in the vicinity of the city of Humboldt. Its height is 112 meters and sixty-two centimeters. The giant's girth reaches four and a half meters.
The sequoia growing in the same vicinity of the Redwood Creek is almost the same size as the previous one. The height of the NGS, as scientists call it for short, in the ninety-fourth year of the last century, reached 112 meters and seventy-one centimeters. The girth was 4 meters and almost forty centimeters. For a year from that moment, the tree remained the largest known on the planet.
Rockefeller
Another giant of the plant world that can impress anyone is the sequoia of the same species, located in the National Park of the same name. Its exact diameter has not been measured since 2005, therefore it is unknown, and the tree reaches a height of 112 meters and sixty centimeters. Few people know where exactly this giant grows.
Orion
This is a sequoia of the same species as the previous specimens. It grows in Redwood, California. Its height in 2004 reached 112 meters and sixty-three centimeters. There is no exact information about the giant’s coverage today, but in 2014 it was 4 meters and 33 centimeters.
Paradox
This wonderful sequoia grew not far from the town with the funny name Humboldt, in the same California (USA). It is located in a national park called Rockefeller Forest. Its height has already exceeded Mendocino and reaches 112 meters and fifty centimeters, with a girth at chest level of three meters and twenty centimeters.
In the hot summer at the dawn of the new millennium, researchers found a huge sequoia tree in Humboldt National Park near the town of the same name. They decided to call it the Giant of the Stratosphere, since the height reached 112 meters thirty-four centimeters. However, the plant did not stop there and continued to grow. In the tenth year of the new century, its height was already 113 meters and eleven centimeters. Also, his girth inspires respect - 5 meters and eighteen centimeters.
Icarus
On the first day of summer 2006, in Redwood National Park, approximately in the area of the left tributary of the Redwood Creek in California, researchers found another tree from the genus of the same sequoias. Its height at that time was 113 meters and fourteen centimeters, and its girth at one and a half meters high was 3 meters and seventy-eight centimeters.
The thickest trees in the world
But height is not the only possible indicator that is taken into account in research. Giants natural world may also have the greatest girth. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to figure out what the largest (widest) tree is in diameter.
The tree considered to be the thickest does not belong to the baobab tree, as many people think, but to ordinary cypress trees. More precisely, this is Taxodium Mexicana, growing right in the square of one of the Mexican towns in the state of Oaxaca called Santa Maria del Tule. It is thanks to this that large tree on the planet and received this name. In the year two thousand and five its height already reached forty meters, but we are interested in something else. The girth of the giant's trunk was 36 meters 20 centimeters (119 feet), with a real diameter of 11 meters and 62 centimeters, which is equal to just over 38 feet.
Sunland Big Baobab
These trees are true record holders for the thickness of trunks, if taken in mass terms. Each baobab has an enviable diameter, which residents have long learned to use for their own purposes. African continent. The thing is that a cavity gradually forms inside the trunk, in which you can build a kind of house. Prisons, bus stations, and toilets are located there. The largest, the girth of which was more than thirty meters with a diameter of nine, grows in South Africa, on a farm owned by married couple from Britain - Doug and Heather van Heerden. There is a special cafe inside the giant's trunk.
In essence, this is not the most thick tree in the world, but the diameter of its crown is truly impressive. It covers an area of one and a half hectares, and its circumference in 2005 was 350 meters. In the very high place the tree is twenty-five meters high. A representative of the Ficus Bengal species, the Great Banyan, belongs to the mulberry family, and grows in the botanical garden of the city of Howre, in India. True, scientists today do not consider it one tree, but call it a clonal colony, since after a lightning strike in the twenty-fifth year of the last century it was divided into two parts.
Trees that have been growing since ancient times
It is interesting to find out not only the sizes of representatives of the plant world, but also to find out their age. After all, it took more than a dozen years for something like this to grow.
In cold Scandinavia, namely in the Swedish province of Dalarna, on the picturesque mountain Fulufjellet grows the oldest tree on planet Earth known to scientists. Its age is, according to researchers, at least nine and a half thousand years. This is a separate spruce, because the duration of growth of some clonal colonies sometimes reaches eighty thousand. Nevertheless, Tikko is one of the clone trees (connected into a single organism by the root system).
Methuselah
A famous US botanist, dendrochronologist and paleoclimatologist with French roots named Edmun Shulman spent many months in 1957 in the Inyo National Forest conducting research to determine the age criteria of bristlecone pines. It was then that a tree was discovered, named after the biblical Old Testament centenarian. According to the most conservative estimates, it sprouted approximately in 2831 BC, that is, it real age was about 4 thousand 848 years. Unfortunately, there is no photograph of this plant.
Largest deciduous tree
Centurion
The most famous plant gigantic size Of the flowering and also non-coniferous species, this particular eucalyptus, which grows in remote areas, can be called wet forests Tasmania. Its height in 2000 was 98 meters, and already in 2008 - 101. At the same time, its girth at the base is forty meters.
El Grande
Another famous colossal eucalyptus has not survived to this day. It is sad to report that deforestation in Tasmania, where it is located, and in Australia, has become a serious threat to the environment. True, El Grande did not die from this; it was destroyed to the ground in a fire, for which many later blamed the state company Tasmania Forestry. However, their guilt was never proven, and at the time of the fire the tree reached seventy-nine meters in height.
Longevity champions among oak trees
For residents of Russia, other trees that grow in our area are more familiar. Mostly, our ancestors associated legends and myths with these trees, endowing them with wisdom and strength, due to their longevity. Let's figure out which of them is the oldest and largest oak tree in the world, and the photo will help you better appreciate its scale.
Chapel in France
Scientists do not know the exact age of this wonderful plant. It reaches approximately eight hundred years. This means that the seed sprouted back in the twelfth or thirteenth century. However, according to legend, it was planted in 911, when Normandy was founded. Its height is small, only eighteen, with a width of sixteen meters. In the seventeenth century, Abbot Detroit built a chapel in a hollow trunk and dedicated it to the mother of the Savior, the Virgin Mary. The iron cross towering above the crown has not been preserved, but the date plate on the door is intact to this day.
King Oak
With a similar name you can find many trees around the world. But we are interested in exactly the one that is located in Belarus, which will allow us to go and see it cheaply and quickly. Another name for the tree is Pozhezhinsky Tsar Oak, as it is located on the territory of the forest district of the same name. If you drive three kilometers south of a village called Staroe Romatovo, you will stumble upon it. It has a diameter of almost two meters and forty-six in height. The age of the plant is estimated at eight hundred years.
Artificially ennobled Tree of Life
In the state of Florida (USA), near the town of Orlando, there is a wonderful, one of the most famous and largest amusement parks called Walt Disney World Resort Center. This is where it is located famous tree Life, which many consider alive and thinking. It is the result of the work of twelve artists who built it, demonstrating the connection of all creatures on the planet. This oak is not living, although some of its parts are planted in special pots. Inside the building there is a cinema with more than four hundred seats.
Champion trees of Russia
The tallest tree in the country was recognized as fir, of which there are five species (Siberian, Caucasian, and so on). However, it was not possible to find an absolute champion in the colossal territories covered with forests. There are a lot of such trees, which reach more than a hundred meters, in the Siberian wilds. Perhaps somewhere out there is hiding a giant capable of easily breaking the record of the American Hyperion.
Magnolia kobus
If we talk about the capital of our Motherland, the city of Moscow, then the tallest tree should be looked for in the botanical garden of the First Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov. Recently, they decided to open the park to the public, so everyone can see the notorious plant. It belongs to the magnolia kobus species, and in height it can hardly compete with the famous world giants. Nevertheless, six meters in the air makes him a champion in the city and region.
The flora of planet Earth is striking in its diversity. The “lungs” of the Earth - forests and groves - have attracted the attention of people for a long time. Great amount types and forms of trees made them objects of study.
There are many ratings of the most big trees, the oldest, the most cold-resistant... We present a ranking of the tallest trees in the world. Historically, the most remarkable specimens grow on the American and Australian continents.
The tallest trees in Australia: legends and reality
Back in the 19th century, there were no measuring instruments that would allow us to determine the exact height of a tree - up to a centimeter. Therefore, people who encountered giant eucalyptus trees in Australian forests had to take their word for it. In 1872, an Australian resident reported finding a 150-meter tall eucalyptus tree in the forest. But, alas, there was no documentary evidence of this.The tallest tree in Australia, which was measured already in the middle of the 20th century, is a specimen of the regal eucalyptus, and its height is significantly less than 150 meters. It grows on Mount Baw Baw in Queensland and reaches a height of 99.4 meters. A second tree of comparable height of the same species is located in the valley of the River Styx, which flows in Tasmania. Its height is 98.1 meters, and its name is Centurion.
America's Tallest Trees: Sequoia
Sequoias claim the title of absolute leader - these coniferous giants grow mainly on the West Coast of the United States, off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Sequoias received their generic name in honor of one of the legendary Indian leaders of the Cherokee tribe. 
Moreover, many trees recognized as unique for their big sizes, there are also personal names.
About 150 million years ago, forests entirely composed of these giants covered almost the entire American continent. Now their habitat is limited to thirty relatively small groves on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The ten tallest trees in the world grow in one region of the world - California, USA. The exact location of some of them is kept secret, and it is difficult to find photographs of them on the Internet. This was done on purpose - so that curious tourists would not make pilgrimages to the sequoias and would allow them to grow peacefully.
It's interesting that in late XIX century, when redwood groves were given the status national parks, rangers began to monitor forest fires and prevent them from spreading. It would seem that this is a good and right thing. However, several years later it turned out that during this time not a single young sequoia tree appeared in the groves.
The solution looked paradoxical, but turned out to be correct. It turned out that Forest fires needed in life cycle redwoods. This is one of the few trees in the world that has managed to adapt to fire.
Under the influence high temperature The sequoia cone opens, the seed falls into the ground and has a chance to germinate. And at this time, a forest fire burns out fallen needles and foliage and allows the earth to “breathe.”
Top 10 Tallest Trees in the World: Redwoods
10. Now the tenth tallest tree in the world is the Mendocino tree, which grows in Montgomery Woods, California, USA. Height – 112.20 meters. The trunk volume is 4.19 meters. 
9. In ninth place is a sequoia called Paradox, which grows in Rockefeller Forest. Height – 112.56 meters, trunk volume – 3.90 meters.
7. A redwood tree named Lauralin grows in the same Humboldt County. Its height is estimated at 112.62 meters, diameter - 4.54 meters.
6. The sixth place in the world in height is occupied by a sequoia called Orion. It grows in Redwood National Park in San Mateo County. Height – 112.63 meters, trunk volume – 4.33 meters.
Five tallest trees in the world
5. Sequoia, named after the National Geographical Society(NGS), is rightfully considered an asset to the surrounding Redwood Creek area. Height – 112.71 meters. The trunk volume is 4.39 meters. 
The editors of the site clarify: it is easy to notice that these trees differ little in height and are located quite closely together in the ranking. The unofficial title of the first among the giants passed from one specimen to another several times. For an entire year - from 1994 to 1995 - the NGS sequoia was considered the tallest in the world.
4. The giant of the Stratosphere - a sequoia with a height of 113.11 meters - was discovered in the summer of 2000. Then its size was slightly smaller, but the tree still continues to grow. From 2000 to 2010, the size of the Stratosphere Giant increased by seventy centimeters - from 112.34 meters.
3. The top three tallest trees in the world are closed by the sequoia “named” Icarus. Height – 113.14 meters, trunk volume – 3.78 meters. Icarus got its name from its sun-scorched, reddish dead top.
2. The second tallest tree in the world is called Helios and grows near one of the tributaries of the Redwood Creek. Its height reaches 114.58 meters. For literally two and a half months - from June to August 2006 - Helios was considered the highest in the world. However, soon an even more impressive tree was discovered on the other side of the river.
Tallest tree in the world: Hyperion
1. Now officially the tallest tree in the world is called Hyperion. This is a sequoia that grows on the opposite bank from its brother, Helios. Hyperion has held the championship in size since August 25, 2006, when it was discovered by two naturalists. Hyperion's height is 115.61 meters, girth is 4.84 meters. Most tall sequoia about to lose your statusAnd the Helios sequoia, which now ranks second in the world ranking, according to ecologists, grows two inches a year, and in a few years Hyperion may give it the title of the tallest tree in the world.
There are only 30 groves left in the world in which sequoias grow. This rare view, and environmentalists are trying to support it - grow it specifically in British Columbia (Canada) and carefully protect it nature reserves with redwoods. We invite you to read about endangered animal species - the rarest populations consist of up to several dozen individuals.
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People have lived near trees throughout history. A tree provides shade when it’s hot, shelter from the sun, firewood for a fire, wood for paper and much more. Therefore, trees have attracted people's attention for a very long time. And the tallest tree in the world accordingly attracts the most attention. This is what our post today will be about.
The flora of the Earth impresses with its diversity and splendor. However, a special place is usually given to trees that have grown on the planet since ancient times. A huge number of species, shapes, sizes and habitats. All this became the reason for studying trees with special care. Among them there are real record holders, particularly in height. The tallest tree in the world is just such a record holder. It's time to get to know him better
Most of the champion trees in height grow in America. First of all, these are redwoods, the location of which is usually kept secret. Among them there are young giants, as well as many centenarians.
Watch this wonderful video from the National Geographic channel to appreciate the power and height of these amazing trees:
The tallest trees in the world, sequoia conifers, are distributed mainly in California - the famous American state. There are several contenders for first place, but in 2006, the tallest tree in the world was recognized as the sequoia, called Hyperion, whose height exceeds 115 meters and diameter is about eleven meters. Hyperion is about eight hundred years old.
Before the discovery of Hyperion, the championship belonged to the Helios sequoia. Now this tree has moved to second position. The following places are occupied by the Icarus and Stratosphere Giant sequoias. It is possible that in the future ecologists and naturalists will discover taller trees. Then the title of the tallest tree in the world will pass to them.
What does the tallest tree in the world look like - sequoia
The crown of this amazing representative of the plant world has a conical shape. Most branches grow horizontally, sometimes with a slight downward slope. Sequoia bark is very massive, up to 30cm thick, but soft and fibrous to the touch. When touched, an unusual sensation is created that the hand is immersed in it. The bark removed from the tree is red-brown in color and darkens over time. As the tree ages, its appearance changes.
Until about a hundred years of age, it is a kind of dark green pyramid, tightly covered with branches from bottom to top. Over time, the entire lower part of the tree thickens and becomes exposed. The leaves of young sequoias are flat and elongated. Their length reaches 25cm. The leaves of long-lived trees are scaly at the top and have arrows at the bottom. The cones of these giants are characterized by rather modest sizes - up to 25 cm in length.
Sequoias are also distinguished by their considerable age. For this they are called mammoth trees or “living fossils.” Archaeologists have proven that in the pre-glacial period the number of these trees was very large and dinosaurs may have walked under them. Their average lifespan can last up to four thousand years. The record holder in this regard is the sequoia with a lifespan of 4484 years, which was determined by the annual rings of a cut tree. The main secret of sequoia longevity is its widely branched surface root system, capturing vast areas in search of nutrients and water. In addition, the powerful bark of the tree contains chemical elements that repel pests.
However mammoth tree not the oldest - the life expectancy of some varieties of pines and spruces is even longer. In particular, the Canadian spruce growing in Sweden is approximately 9550 years old. This is the age of the ancient spruce, which was “reborn” in the form of a “clone”.
The concept of the largest tree in the world includes not only height indicators. The volume of the trunk and branches is also taken into account. According to these parameters the largest trees are redwoods that grow mainly in America. In particular, there is a similar giant in the Californian National Park and is called “General Sherman”. This general is distinguished by its height of 84 meters and its age of about 2200 years. At the same time, the tree continues to grow.
Sequoias are the undisputed champions in size. However, other majestic plants are also worthy of attention.
In the dense forests of Tasmania grows the giant Centurion eucalyptus. Its height is 101 meters, it is a record holder among deciduous trees. Experts have established its approximate age - about 400 years. In the Guinness Book of Records, this eucalyptus is listed as the tallest tree in the world, but already among flowering trees.
Another record holder, but this time in terms of trunk thickness, is considered to be the baobab (Adansonia palmate). The trunk diameter of a thirty-meter baobab can reach 9 meters. Only the European chestnut can compete with it. A representative of this species has been known since the nineteenth century, with a trunk diameter of an incredible 20 meters.
The tallest trees in Russia
First of all, this is Siberian firs, growing up to one hundred meters. Their straight trunk is covered with a dense layer of branches growing directly from the ground. Nordmann fir also reaches great heights of up to 80 meters. This tree is found in the Krasnodar region.
The common spruce will grow up to sixty meters. There are giants among the forest beech trees.
One of the tallest and most beautiful evergreens coniferous trees Siberian cedar is considered to reach forty meters.
There is also a famous sequoia in our country - in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden near Yalta. It lags behind its Californian relatives and has a height of about thirty meters.
The tallest tree in the world - interesting facts
- The most giant trees Redwood lands - have unique ability purifying the air from carbon dioxide. Interestingly, this property is much more effective than that of other plants. Owners of sequoia plantations, for refusing to cut them down, receive a certain compensation for lost profits, which is called a carbon credit.
- Fire is not destructive for sequoias, whose bark does not ignite. Fire, on the contrary, prepares the nearby soil for the germination of young shoots, clearing it of other plants. Also, under the influence of heat, the cones quickly open, the seeds of which fall into the ground.
- Sequoia can grow well in almost any conditions, but the process will be very slow and its height will not reach the target natural environment a habitat.
As you can see, the tallest tree in the world also turned out to be a record holder in other respects. Well, we can only be glad that humanity has such wonderful neighbors in the plant world. Stay with us and learn a lot more interesting things!
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