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Where do the largest trees grow? Rating of the tallest trees in the world

His name is Hyperion. Hyperion is a sequoia. Specifically, the evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens). Among the giant trees there is a competition for the title of the highest on the planet. So, Hyperion was recognized as the highest in August 2006.

Sequoia To tell the truth, the trees themselves are, of course, unaware of their participation in such a contest. Looking for the tallest, fattest, oldest growing in extreme conditions, and other things people do. Let's get acquainted closer with the world of dendro-giants.

tree giants

There are not so many varieties of trees, whose height reaches sixty or more meters, on our planet. Botanists refer to them as common spruce and mountain pine, they grow up to 60-70 meters. False Lawson's cypress, known to many gardeners as Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), in natural conditions can reach eighty meters in height. Fir: noble, Nordman, and also Douglas, otherwise called Menzies pseudo-hemlock. Douglas fir is the second tallest tree today, a height of seventy meters is not uncommon for it. The tallest specimen of the Douglas Fir living today is nicknamed "Doerner Fir", its height is 99.4 meters. The regal eucalyptus, which can grow more than a hundred meters, also has an impressive size.

Climbing the sequoias. Photo by Michael Nichols from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Climbing the sequoias. Photo by Michael Nichols from nationalgeographic.com However, the "yellow jersey" rightfully belongs to the redwoods. There are, in fact, evergreen sequoia (or red, Redwood) and giant sequoia (or sequoiadendron), whose representatives are also called mammoth trees for their gigantic dimensions. Sequoias are taller, but sequoiadendrons have a thicker trunk.

Sequoiadendrons - mammoth trees

General Sherman, Hyperion and Helios

As mentioned above, the evergreen sequoia named Hyperion is currently recognized as the tallest tree on Earth. The height of the tree growing in northern California in the Redwood National Park is 115.61 meters, the diameter of the trunk at the level of 1.5 meters is 4.84 meters. The age of the giant is about eight hundred years. Hyperion was “unlucky”: a woodpecker damaged his top, so the growth of the giant slowed down. Perhaps, very soon he will have to give way to another representative of the red sequoias - Helios. Helios continues to grow actively, and in 2015 its height was 114 meters 58 centimeters. But let the young compete in height. The largest tree on the planet is the giant sequoiadendron (Sequoiadendron giganteum), called General Sherman.

Sequoydendron General Sherman - the largest living organism on planet Earth

Sequoiadendron General Sherman - the largest living organism on planet Earth This outstanding mammoth tree, according to scientists, is almost 2700 years old. And although he is far from the tallest tree in the world (his height is only 83.8 meters), General Sherman is the largest living organism on our planet. Well, not counting Pando Grove (Utah, USA) - a clonal colony of aspen poplar, whose total weight is six thousand tons. Although it is a grove, it is considered a single organism. The weight of General Sherman is 1900 tons, the volume of wood is 1487 cubic meters, and the diameter of the trunk is 7.7 meters (at a height of 1.5 meters). For comparison: the volume of wood of a tall, but "skinny" Hyperion is only 502 cubic meters. No matter how tall the sequoias are, there is a limit to their growth. And this limit, surprisingly, is set by the laws of physics. Scientists have calculated that the growth of any tree on our planet cannot exceed 120-130 meters. The forces of gravity and friction of water against the pores of wood will prevent it from growing higher.

Sequoias and people

The authors of the famous "Golden Calf" Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov wrote in "One-Story America" that "Americans are extremely practical people. There is a sign near the Sherman, where it is reported with the greatest accuracy that forty houses can be built from this tree alone, with five rooms in each house.

Lumberjacks and sequoias. Photo from https://gravgrav.com Lumberjacks and sequoias. Photo courtesy of gravgrav.com Sequoias are one of the oldest trees on the ground. They grew widely on our planet back in Cretaceous(145 million years ago). ice Age greatly reduced redwood forests in North America, and the rest were thoroughly thinned out by the inhabitants of the New World: still, he cut down one tree and built a whole cottage village. Now only three dozen groves of these giants remain - in Northern California on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Sequoiadendron seedling. Photo from the site https://4seed.jimdo.com Sequoiadendron seedling. Photo from 4seed.jimdo.com For those who love conifers and are interested in giants, you can get a real sequoiadendron in your area. It is possible to grow this relic plant from seeds or buy a ready-made seedling.

Trees on planet Earth appeared long before the emergence of mankind, later people began to widely use wood in Everyday life for construction and other economic purposes. These representatives of the flora differ from each other in height, shape, habitats, and for many centuries they have not ceased to amaze with their diversity. It is possible that many have thought about the name of the tallest or largest tree in the world, then the information below will be of interest to the reader.

General characteristics of giant plants

Examples giant size eucalyptus, sequoia and fir trees predominate, individual specimens can reach a height of several tens of meters. Growth is influenced by many factors, the main of which are considered average temperature for the year and its fluctuations, the distance to the ocean and the elevation of growth above sea level.

High record holder

The absolute winner in this category is the Hyperion tree - it grows in state park Redwood in California.

In 2015, the height of the tallest tree in the world was recorded at 115.61 m, after which it received the title of the tallest tree on Earth that is currently growing. Belongs to the genus of evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens) of the Cypress family, the maximum age of which is up to 2000 years.

The record holder was discovered in August 2006, when 2 naturalist botanists, Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins, decided to take measurements from this specimen. It turned out that its height then was 115.55 m, and in 2015 the diameter of the trunk at the level of 1.4 m from the ground was 4.84 m. Experts estimate the volume of wood at 502 cubic meters, relative to age, figures are given in the range of 700-800 years.

Outwardly, it looks strictly and concisely - a conical crown and a slender trunk. The bark is thick, has a red-brown hue, its width can vary up to 30 cm.

The management of the national park decided not to disclose exact location where this greatest attraction grows, out of fear that the brisk flow of tourists from all over the world could cause irreparable damage to the natural ecosystem surrounding the Hyperion.

Specialists during a recent examination of the upper part of the trunk noticed damage caused by woodpeckers. Unfortunately, they do not allow Hyperion to grow further, growth can only continue in width, so other participants have dozens of the most tall trees there is every chance to soon overtake the current winner of this category.

According to Wikipedia, there are now 15 modern trees over 110 m high.

Huge giant

"General Sherman" is the name of the largest tree in the world, which is considered to be a representative of the giant sequoiadendron.

It grows in the American Sequoia Grove in California, has the nomination "The largest in terms of volume and mass that grows on Earth today."

This is the heaviest living form of life, which has truly colossal parameters, and the annual growth in width, according to experts, is 1.5 cm:

height - 83.8 m;
trunk circumference at ground level - 31.3 m;
diameter at the base - 11.1 m;
crown span (average value) - 32.5 m;
total weight - 1910 tons;
barrel weight - 1121 tons;
barrel volume - 1487 cubic meters;
age - within 2300-2700 years (according to Wikipedia). However, there are a number of versions proving that it is no more than 2000 years old.

In 1879, the botanist James Wolverton named this giant tree after William Tecumseh Sherman, the famous US general, under whose leadership he happened to serve for several years. Later, in 1931, experts found that this particular specimen is considered the most powerful in the world.

The "Giant Forest", where this award-winning winner has grown for millennia, is now a popular tourist spot where you can take great souvenir pictures against the backdrop of a huge sequoia.

Researchers have established Interesting Facts, which say that it is possible to build a house with 6 rooms from the wood of "General Sherman", and the volume of oxygen that it forms is almost 120 kg per year, which is enough for 3-4 people.

January 2006 for a huge trunk was marked by the loss of a large branch, the diameter of which was equal to 2 m, and the length was almost 30 m. When it fell, it ruined the fence and the road. None of the park staff saw the incident, it is believed that this is a protection from unfavorable weather conditions. But, even having lost this part, the tree still holds its title further.

Giants in Russia

It is difficult to say exactly which tree is the tallest in Russia, because the country does not have an official register of botanical winners. However, on the territory of the federation, forests occupy a significant part of the land, so almost every region or region has something to surprise in terms of flora record holders.

The highest representatives of the country

Fir - an evergreen coniferous tree of the Pine family, widely found in the taiga of Siberia, can reach a height of 60-100 m and a diameter of 1.5-2 m. It has a straight trunk and many branches, starting from the very base. Siberian cedars can also be classified as high, which can be just below 40 m tall.

The Krasnodar Territory is known for the Nordmann fir found here, some representatives of this species can grow up to 80 m under favorable environmental conditions.

In other areas, common spruce grows, some specimens are known with a height of about 60 m.

The pride of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, located in the city of Yalta, is the sequoia, which today has already grown to 38 m, but is much behind in growth compared to its eponymous representatives of the genus in California.

Many gardeners and botanists consider the magnolia kobus, which is located on the territory of the Botanical Garden of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, to be the tallest tree in Moscow. This is the only such representative of the species in the capital, which annually pleases garden visitors with its flowering. Today, his height is 6 m.

Maximum circumference

Not far from Lake Baikal, in the foothills of the Sayan Mountains, there is a unique area where poplars with a trunk diameter of about 6 m are found. Since there is no official information about what is the thickest tree in Russia, we can safely assume that the cedar growing here can claim this title . It is over 250 years old, diameter measurements showed 7.4 m.

What is the tallest tree in the world

This is a list of the 10 largest trees in the world. The exact location of the 10 tallest trees is kept secret, so photos of these trees are almost impossible to find. Trees are not guarded 24 hours and 7 days a week, but only classified information so that the flow of tourists does not destroy the infrastructure and prevent the trees from growing further.

10. Mendocino tree - 112.20 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Montgomery Woods, California, USA

Diameter: 4.19 m

Between December 1996 and August 2000, it was the tallest tree in the world, it was discovered in the city of Montgomery Woods and named the Mendocino Tree. The tree is one of dozens of such tall trees in the grove, and has never been specifically declared the largest for protection purposes. The previously highly publicized candidates for the world's tallest tree have been hit hard by tourists.

9. Paradox - 112.56 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Diameter: 3.90 m

8. Rockefeller - 112.60 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, California, USA

Diameter: exact diameter unknown

7. Lauralin - 112.62 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, South Fork Eel River, California, USA

Diameter: 4.54 m

6. Orion - 112.63 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwoods, California, USA

Diameter: 4.33 m

5. National Geographic Society- 112.71 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwood Creek, California, USA

Diameter: 4.39 m

The fifth tallest tree in the world is located in Redwood Creek. From 1994, after it was found, it became the tallest tree in the world until 1995.

4. Giant of the Stratosphere - 113.11 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, Rockefeller Forest, California, USA

Diameter: 5.18 m

The Stratospheric Giant was once the tallest tree in the world. It was opened in July 2000 in the Humboldt National Park, when first measured in 2000, the height of the tree was 112.34 meters and it continues to grow, its height of 113.11 m was recorded in 2010. The tree is surrounded a large number trees are almost the same size. To avoid damage from tourism, exact location the tree was not disclosed to the public.

3. Icarus - 113.14 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Diameter: 3.78 m

2. Helios - 114.58 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwoods, Redwood Creek tributary, California, USA

Diameter: 4.96 m

Helios is the tallest tree in the world from June 1, 2006 to August 25, 2006. The tree lost its title when the foresters found Hyperion on the other side of Redwood Creek.

Pictured, Richard Preston and his daughter climb a tree in Humboldt Park.

1. Hyperion - 115.61 m

Today on Earth grows about 3.04 trillion. trees. Among them there are both ordinary medium-sized specimens and real giants with spreading crowns and powerful branches. So which trees are considered the tallest on the planet, and where exactly are they located?

This majestic plant, reaching 112.20 m in height and 4.19 m in diameter, belongs to the species Sequoia sempervirens, or Evergreen (Red) Sequoia. Mendocino is located in California's Montgomery Woods, one of the nature reserves United States of America. Previously, from 1996 to 2000, the tree was considered the tallest in the world, although conservationists did not deliberately award it this title.

It is important! All plants in this list represent the same species - Sequoia sempervirens (sequoias are evergreen, or red).

Specialists who discovered unique woody specimens, in principle, tried not to talk about their findings to the general public, so as not to endanger them due to a sharp influx of tourists. Because Mendocino's whereabouts are currently known, members environmental organizations it is necessary to protect the plant in order to provide it with normal conditions for life, growth and development.

Paradox already reaches 112.56 m in height and 3.90 m in diameter. One of the tallest trees on the planet also grows in the United States of America, or rather, in the John Rockefeller forest, Humboldt, Kitson County, Minnesota.

From 1995 to 1996, Paradox was considered the main green "giant" on Earth. It is important to understand here that the scientific community evaluates not only the height, but also the diameter of the trunk; In 1996, Mendocino was discovered, which overtook Paradox in this indicator, then the title of "the tallest and largest tree in the world" passed to him.

Despite the fact that one title has been lost, this sequoia still continues to be considered the most beautiful specimen among other woody giants.

Another big one follows. majestic tree originally from America, which reaches a height of 112.6 m. The diameter of the plant has not been accurately determined. Rockefeller is located near the Paradox - all in the same national park"Humboldt-Redwoods", in the Rockefeller forest.

John Rockefeller (1839-1937) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and the first official dollar billionaire in history, and today the world's largest virgin redwood forest is named after him, where man is forbidden to engage in any kind of destructive activity.

As is the case with many of the largest trees in the world, the exact coordinates of Rockefeller's location are not disclosed, so finding it is a real fortune for a tourist!

This evergreen sequoia reaches a height of 112.62 m and also grows in Humboldt Redwoods Park. The trunk diameter is 4.54 m. Lauralin has become the center of a completely independent ecological system. Around the plant, birds flutter tirelessly, which create their own nests on the branches and in the recesses. There are many insects on the ground around, and the presence of lichen, parmelia, and moss is noted on the trunk.

Interestingly, conservationists have decided not to classify information about exactly where this tallest tree in the world is located - Lauralin can be found near the South Fork Eel River.

The height of Orion is already 112.63 m, and the diameter is 4.33 m. To accurately determine the size of this giant, scientists needed to turn to the latest laser equipment!

If a person by some miracle stumbles upon Orion, whose location is kept secret, he will hardly realize that he sees with his own eyes the longest tree in the world. The giant is surrounded by other sequoias, so when viewed from the bottom up, its majesty is almost impossible to appreciate. But from a bird's eye view, it becomes clear that Orion rises above everything that surrounds him in Redwood Park, about 2 times. The age of the plant is 1500 years.

This is interesting! It is allowed to conduct research and measurements of evergreen sequoias only at the beginning of autumn. At any other time of the year they nest rare birds which are protected by the Red Books. Animals are not allowed to be disturbed during such periods.

National Geographic Community

A tree that has an interesting and unusual name, reaches 112.71 m in height and 4.39 m in diameter and is located next to the Redwood Creek in the already famous American Redwood Park, California.

National Geographic Community, discovered back in 1994, has a very advantageous location - right next to the water in a remote area. Even if some curious traveler finds out exactly where this largest tree in the world is located, he will hardly be able to get to it.

At the time of discovery in 2000, this giant reached a height of 112.34 m, and at the time of measurements in 2010 it was already 113.11 m, and the tree continued to grow actively. He lacked quite a bit to enter the honorary three of this rating.

The Stratospheric Giant is located in the Rockefeller Forest of Humboldt Redwoods. It owes its preservation to other trees that grow nearby and block a unique specimen, thereby not allowing ordinary person to appreciate its majesty and scale from the ground.

Another crown high sequoia sways at a distance of 113.14 m from the ground. The diameter of the plant is 3.78 m. Icarus topped the list of green giants from 2005 to 2006, until other specimens were discovered - Helios and Hyperion.

Icarus was named so because of its sun-bleached upper part. And yet even this salient feature will not help tourists and travelers to find a giant, because, firstly, it grows surrounded by other trees with similar "dead" tops, and, secondly, it is located where people almost never wandered, which ensured its stable growth and preservation up to the present.

Icarus continues to grow, especially favored by the climate of Redwood Park. There is enough light, heat and damp fogs, while there are no winds due to the presence of mountain ranges and hills. All this has a positive effect on sequoias and explains why so many giant plants are found in California.

In the period from June 1, 2005 to August 25, 2006, not a single plant was known to the world that could compare with the size of Helios. However, Hyperion was soon found on the opposite side of Redwood Creek.

The ten tallest trees on the planet are headed by Hyperion, located in Redwood. Its height reaches 115.61 m, and the diameter of the trunk is 4.84 m. The thickness of the bark is 30 cm.

The plant was discovered by resourceful biologists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor. It is believed that Hyperion has existed on Earth for about 800 years, therefore, in order to protect such an ancient and unique specimen, it was decided not to publish the exact coordinates of its location.

Scientists do not risk setting the exact age, because. fear of damaging the plant. Botanists have to wait until it dies on its own - only after that it will be possible to count the annual rings and say how long the giant actually lived.

It is not known if the plant will retain the gold medal title. The fact is that the top of Hyperion was significantly damaged by woodpeckers, so in the future it can be overtaken by Helios, which grows faster and more actively. The first stretches only 3-4 cm per year, while the second - 4-5 cm.

And what about in Russia

Despite the fact that in Russia there is no official botanical register of the tallest trees, even here one can single out individual specimens that deserve attention.

In particular, we are talking about the species Nordmann Fir, genus Fir, Pine family. The trees owe their name to Alexander von Nordmann (1803-1866), a Finnish and Russian paleontologist, zoologist, and botanist. Found in the territory Krasnodar Territory, these giants under favorable climatic conditions can reach up to 80 m in height, while usually they grow up to 50-60 m. Life expectancy is up to 500 years.

4.7 (94.84%) 31 votes

People have lived next to trees throughout their history. The tree provides shade when it's hot, shelter from lies, wood for a fire, wood for bumga and much more. Therefore, trees have attracted the attention of people for a very long time. And the tallest tree in the world, respectively, attracts the most attention. This is what our post today will be about.

The flora of the Earth impresses with its diversity and magnificence. However, a special place is usually given to trees that have been growing on the planet since ancient times. A huge number of species, shapes, sizes and habitats. All this was the reason for the study of trees with special care. Among them there are real champions, in particular, 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 tall champion trees grow in America. First of all, these are sequoias, 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 channel national geographic to appreciate the full power and height of these amazing trees:

The tallest trees in the world, sequoia coniferous trees, are distributed mainly in California - the famous american state. There are several contenders for the first place, but in 2006 the sequoia, called Hyperion, was recognized as the tallest tree in the world, with a height of more than 115 meters and a diameter of about eleven meters. Hyperion is about 800 years old.

Prior to the discovery of Hyperion, the sequoia Helios held the lead. Now this tree has moved to the second position. The following places are occupied by the sequoias Icarus and the Giant of the Stratosphere. 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 go to them.

What does the tallest tree in the world look like - a sequoia

Crown of this amazing representative flora has a conical shape. Most branches grow horizontally, sometimes with a slight downward slope. Sequoia bark is very massive with a thickness of up to 30 cm, but at the same time 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 has a red-brown color, and darkens over time. With age appearance sequoia is changing.

Until about a century old, it is a kind of pyramid of dark green color, densely covered with branches from top to bottom. Over time, the entire lower part of the tree thickens and becomes bare. The leaves of young sequoias are flat and elongated. Their length reaches 25cm. The leaves of long-lived trees are scaly in the upper part, with arrows below. The cones of these giants are characterized by rather modest sizes - up to 25 cm long.

Sequoias also differ in solid 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 walked under them. Their average life span can be 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 growth rings of a sawn tree. The main secret of sequoia longevity is a 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 age of 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 largest trees are redwoods, growing mainly in America. In particular, there is a similar giant in the California National Park and is called "General Sherman". This general is distinguished by a height of 84 meters and an age of about 2200 years. Meanwhile, the tree continues to grow.

Sequoias are the undisputed champions in size. However, other majestic plants are worthy of attention.
In the dense forests of Tasmania, the giant eucalyptus "Centurion" grows. His height is 101 meters, he is the champion 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 from flowering trees.

Another champion, but already in terms of the thickness of the trunk, is the baobab (Adansonia digitata). The diameter of the trunk of a thirty-meter baobab can reach 9 meters. Only the European chestnut can compete with it. Since the nineteenth century, a representative of this species has been known, the trunk diameter of which is an incredible 20 meters.

The tallest trees in Russia

First of all, these are Siberian firs, growing up to a hundred meters. Their straight trunk is covered with a dense layer of branches growing directly from the ground. Also, Nordmann fir reaches high heights up to 80 meters. This tree is found in the Krasnodar Territory.

Norway spruce will grow up to sixty meters. There are giants among the forest beeches.
One of the tallest and most beautiful evergreens coniferous trees counts Siberian cedar reaching forty meters.
There is also a famous sequoia in our country - in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden near Yalta. It lags behind the California relatives and has a height of about thirty meters.

The tallest tree in the world - interesting facts

Most giant trees Sequoia lands - have a unique ability to purify the air from carbon dioxide. Interestingly, this property is much more effective than other plants. Owners of sequoia plantations, for refusing to cut them down - for lost profits receive a certain compensation, which is called a carbon credit.
Fire is not fatal to sequoia, 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 natural environment habitat.

As you can see, the tallest tree in the world also holds the record for other parameters. Well, we can only be glad that humanity has such wonderful neighbors in the plant world. Stay tuned and find out more!