Sequoiadendron giganteum - Giant Redwood

Giant by name and giant by nature the Sequoiadendron giganteum is a vigorous large evergreen tree.

The branches form a rounded dense conical crown towards the top with individual branches sweeping downwards with upturned ends.

It has distinctive spongy reddish –brown bark with small scale-like blue-green, awl shaped leaves 6-12mm long arranged spirally round the shoots.

Male and female cones are borne on the same tree and are tiny (5-7cm) in relation to the tree as a whole.

The cones take at least two years to ripen when they turn reddish brown but many will remain green and unopened for anything up to 20 years.

FACT: Giant Sequoias are among the oldest living things on earth, the oldest known giant sequoia based on ring count is 3,500 years old.
FACT: Whilst it is still known under the name ‘Wellingtonia’ this name is invalid as it had already been used for another unrelated plant.