Sequoia sempervirens

The redwood is a giant tree.

It is the tallest tree on Earth. These trees live for a very long time. They can live for over 1,000 years!

The bark is thick and red.

This bark is soft and easy to touch. The tree has a very straight trunk.

Redwoods need water to grow. They get water from the fog. The fog helps them stay healthy.

Small cones grow on the tree.

When the scales dry, they open up. Then the wind carries the seeds away.

These trees grow near the ocean. They live in California and Oregon. They are truly amazing giants.

The coast redwood is a giant tree.

It is the tallest tree on Earth. These trees can reach 115.9 meters tall. They are also very long-lived. A redwood can live for 2,200 years or more.

Their bark is thick and red. This bark can be 30 centimeters thick. It is soft and fibrous. The trunk is very straight.

Redwoods have small cones. These cones have 15 to 25 scales. When the scales dry, they open. Then the wind carries the seeds away. Most redwoods grow in California and Oregon. They like to live in mountains near the ocean.

They get much of their water from fog. Fog helps the trees stay healthy. Some people are even planting redwoods in Washington. They want to help the trees move north. This might help them face climate change.

The coast redwood is a truly amazing living thing.

It is the tallest tree species on our planet. These giants can reach heights of over 115 meters.

They are also among the longest-living trees in the world. A single redwood can live for 2,200 years or even more. This makes them special wonders of the natural world. They belong to the cypress family.

Many people call them California redwoods or coastal redwoods. This name comes from their bright red-brown bark.

There is a special way these trees grow and spread.

The trees are monoecious, which means they have both pollen and seed cones on one plant. In late winter, the trees are pollinated. The seed cones are shaped like eggs and have 15 to 25 scales. Each scale holds three to seven small seeds. These seeds have two tiny wings to help them fly. When the cone scales dry out, they open up. Then the wind carries the seeds to new places.

People have been studying these trees for a long time.

In 1824, a botanist named David Don first described them. Later, in 1847, Stephan Endlicher gave them their scientific name, Sequoia sempervirens. The name "sempervirens" means "evergreen." This is because they keep their leaves all year. In 1893, William P. Gibbons described a massive hollow redwood in the Oakland Hills. He found a tree with a very wide diameter. Many of the biggest trees now live in protected state and national parks.

Redwoods have many unique facts about their bodies.

Their bark can be as thick as 30 centimeters. This thick bark helps protect them. Their roots are not very deep. Instead, they are shallow and spread out wide. The leaves are dark green on top. On the bottom, they have two blue-white bands.

Scientists found that these trees have a very large genome. This is the set of instructions inside their cells. Their genome is the largest known of any plant studied up to 2020.

Most redwoods live in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast.

They grow from Monterey County in California up to Oregon. They love living in mountains where they can catch ocean fog. This fog provides much of the water they need to stay healthy. Because they can sprout from their roots, they are great at capturing carbon. Some people are even helping them move north. They are planting redwoods in places like Washington state. This might help the trees survive as the climate changes.

The coast redwood, scientifically known as *Sequoia sempervirens*, is a remarkable evergreen tree.

It is the only living species in the genus *Sequoia*. These giants belong to the cypress family, known as Cupressaceae. They are famous for being the tallest living trees on Earth. Some individuals can reach heights exceeding 115 meters.

They are also among the longest-living organisms on the planet. A single tree can live for 1,200 to 2,200 years or even longer. Because of their size and age, they are vital to forest ecosystems.

The biology of the redwood is highly specialized for survival. They are monoecious, meaning a single tree produces both pollen and seed cones.

In the late winter, pollination occurs. The seed cones are ovoid, or egg-shaped, with 15 to 25 spirally arranged scales. Each of these scales holds between three and seven seeds. These seeds are small, with two wings that allow the wind to carry them away. Once the cone scales dry out at maturity, they open to release the seeds. This process allows the species to spread to new locations.

Physically, the coast redwood has several distinct features. The trunk is remarkably straight and can reach a diameter of up to 8 meters at breast height.

The bark is very thick, sometimes reaching 30 centimeters in depth. This bark is soft and fibrous, appearing bright red-brown when first exposed. The name "redwood" comes from this distinctive red heartwood. Unlike many other trees, their root system is shallow. Instead of growing deep, the roots spread out widely to provide stability. The leaves are also variable; they are long and flat on young trees but become scale-like on older trees in full sun.

Taxonomy, or the science of naming organisms, has evolved alongside our study of these trees. In 1824, the botanist David Don described them as *Taxodium sempervirens*. Later, in 1847, Stephan Endlicher established the genus *Sequoia*. The species name *sempervirens* translates to "evergreen."

This refers to the fact that they keep their leaves year-round. While the giant sequoia (*Sequoiadendron giganteum*) is a close relative, the coast redwood is its own unique genus. Recent molecular studies suggest the redwood may have even resulted from hybridization. This is a process called reticulate evolution, where two different species combine to create a third.

Redwoods occupy a very specific habitat along the Pacific coast of North America.

They live in a narrow strip stretching from Monterey County, California, to the southwestern corner of Oregon. They prefer mountainous areas where they can capture moisture from ocean fog. This fog drip is essential for their water needs. The tallest and oldest trees are often found in deep valleys and gullies. In these areas, year-round streams provide constant hydration. However, trees growing above the fog layer tend to be shorter and smaller due to wind and cold.

Genetically, the coast redwood is an extreme outlier. It is a hexaploid, meaning it has six sets of chromosomes.

This is unusual among conifers. According to Guinness, the coast redwood has the largest known genome of any plant examined up to the year 2020. Its genome totals 26.5 gigabases. This massive amount of genetic information is a significant subject for scientific study. It helps researchers understand how such large organisms function and grow over millennia.

The redwood plays a major role in global environmental systems. They are often called "carbon-sequestration champions." This is because they are excellent at capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Their ability to resprout from their root crowns after being felled or burned helps them maintain their presence in the landscape. Because of this, some groups are practicing "assisted migration." They are planting redwoods further north in places like Washington state. The goal is to help the species adapt to a changing climate by reclaiming territory they once held during past geologic eras.