Plant · GBIF taxon 2684120
giant sequoia
Sequoiadendron giganteumAlso known as Sierra Redwood, Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia
Giant sequoias are the largest living trees on Earth by volume, featuring massive fibrous trunks wrapped in fire-resistant, cinnamon-red bark up to three feet thick. Their small serotinous cones require the intense heat of low-intensity surface fires to open and release seeds onto freshly cleared, mineral-rich ash beds. Native only to a narrow belt of groves along California's Sierra Nevada, these towering conifers can live for over three millennia.
GiantEvergreenFire-Adapted
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
Not available
ThreatsHigh-severity wildfires, severe drought, climate change
HabitatsMontane mixed-conifer forests
Life spanUp to 3,400 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPinales
- FamilyCupressaceae
- GenusSequoiadendron
- SpeciesSequoiadendron giganteum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by immense trunk diameters, fibrous red-cinnamon bark, and evergreen scale-like leaves.
- Support conservation
- Remain on paved trails and boardwalks to avoid damaging the wide, shallow root systems.
Responsible observation
- Boardwalk Access: Stay strictly on designated boardwalks to protect fragile, shallow root zones.
- Best Viewing: Visit protected public groves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
- Photography: Use a wide-angle lens or panorama mode from a distance to capture the full tree height.
Frequent Companion (c) Danny Steaven, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Miguel Vieira, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Miguel Vieira · cc-by
Close Relative (c) W Rao, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by W Rao · cc-by
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