Coastal redwood Sequoia sempervirens
The world’s tallest tree species.
The very tallest tree on Earth is called Hyperion and is a lofty 115 metres in height. The bark of this species is reddish-brown, soft and fibrous, giving rise to the Dutch name of ‘kustmammoetboom’ (coastal mammoth tree).
The coastal redwood in a nutshell
- inhabits
- Western North America
- flowers in
- March to May
- excels at
- growing straight as an arrow
The leaves are somewhat similar to the needles of a yew tree. Coastal redwoods can reach an age of up to 3,000 years.
Native or exotic?
Prior to the ice ages, coastal redwoods also occurred in Europe. Many plant species migrated south during the ice ages, but their advance was halted by the impassable barrier presented by the Pyrenees and the Alps. The cold led to the extinction of many species. As a consequence, the species in northern Europe are even now less diverse than in many other parts of the world.
Endangered
Coastal redwoods are felled for their timber, resulting in the loss of around half of their original number. Nowadays, the areas in which coastal redwoods grow are protected.
Fire
Coastal redwoods are highly fire-resistant and even benefit from the effects of an occasional forest fire. This is because the tree’s seeds are contained in the type of cone that only pops open when completely dried out, for example following a fire.