Growing Giant Sequoia Tree: Tips at a Glance
- Type Evergreen tree
- Oldest on Record 3,500 years
- USDA Zones 6-8
- Growth Rate 1-2 feet annually
- Crown Pyramidal canopy
- Location Loamy soil
- Design Tip Majestic mien
- Other Uses National Parks lure
- Peak Season Year-round excitement
Giant Sequoia Trees: A Field Guide
A giant sequoia tree is a commitment. The tallest on record stands at 311 feet, and the oldest has been living for 3,500 years.
The poet Wendell Berry said: “Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.”
Also known as the redwood or giant redwood, Sequoiadendron giganteum has stunning, auburn-toned bark from which it gets its name. Naturalist John Muir dubbed the giant sequoia “noblest of the noble,” and its natural range is limited to California’s Sierra Nevadas (the western slopes). People often talk about the giant sequoia in hyperboles, and for good reason: They make up many of the world’s oldest and tallest trees, and those with the thickest trunks and longest limbs.