Fauna
Plant

Giant Sequoia

Sequoiadendron giganteum

Also 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
Giant Sequoia reference1 / 7
(c) Laura Camp, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthesis)
ThreatsHigh-severity wildfires, severe drought, climate change
HabitatsMontane mixed-conifer forests
Life spanUp to 3,400 years
Classification
  1. OrderPinales
  2. FamilyCupressaceae
  3. GenusSequoiadendron
  4. SpeciesSequoiadendron giganteum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. 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.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…