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Sequoiadendron giganteum, also named, Sequoia gigantea,
the Big Tree, Sierra redwood and Giant sequoia, is the
world's largest tree in terms of circumference and volume.
It is also a very long-lived tree in the wild, specimens
have been found that are 3500 years old. It grows in more
or less isolated groves on the Western slopes of the
Sierra Nevada in Central California, in a narrow belt
approximately 260 miles long.
This species has the most massive trunk in the world.
Fairly fast growing in height, increase in girth can be
spectacular, 7-10 cm a year being the average. The bark
is very thick on large trees, 1 to 2 feet, reddish-brown
and deeply furrowed with large rounded ridges, fibrous.
It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to April,
and the seeds ripen all year. The foliage is bluish-green,
hard and harsh to the touch. Branchlets are clothed with
short, overlapping, scale-like leaves with sharp points.
The scented flowers are monoecious, individual flowers
are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on
the same plant. The cones take 2 years to mature. In its
native habitat the cones are retained on the tree with
viable seed for up to 30 years. They open after the heat
of a forest fire.
Hardiness zones 6-8, (-20°C/-5°F, -10°C/15°F) in
Winter. They tolerate light shade only when very young,
older plants strongly dislike shade. It requires dry or
moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant prefers a
deep rich soil.
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