Native range: California

Leaves:

• scale-like
• lanceolate
• up to 1/4” long
• bluish-green on cord-like branches
• point towards apex
• spiral in 3 longitudinal rows
• stomata on both surfaces

Cones:

• female cones:
  • 2-3” long
  • ~1.5” diameter
  • ovoid w/ peltate (shield shaped) “wrinkled” cone scales
  • very hard and woody
  • cone upright first year, pendulous second year
  • take at least two years to ripen
  • bract indistinct or none Winged seed

Other characteristics:

• huge tree to 325 ft. (95 m) in height and ~30 ft. (12 m) in diameter
• by volume, the largest tree in the world
• spongy, fibrous, red bark
• trunk buttressed at base
• perfect conical shape
• branches form a rounded crown towards the top with individual branches sweeping downwards with upturned ends
• crown changes dramatically as it ages, from a simple conical crown of primary branches to a complex structure reflecting multiple episodes of epicormic branch formation, often recording damage from past episodes of drought, fire, and storm
• branchlets, not leaves, shed, so look on ground under tree

Relevant info:

• rapid growing tree
• very long lived (2,000-3,000 years)
• does not take root compaction well in managed landscapes
• formerly included in Sequoia as S. gigantea (Lindley)
• separation of the two genera is based on differences in the development of Sequoia and Sequoiadendron seed cones
• California state tree, in addition to Sequoia sempervirens

Ecology & Adaptations:

• Native to mixed conifer forests in isolated groves on western slopes of Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, 900-2700 m elevation
• found in humid environments with dry summers and snowy winters
• evergreen leaves allow photosynthesis year-round, and conical shape maximizes light absorption throughout the day and all seasons
• vegetative reproduction – may sprout from buds in trunk when old branches are lost to fire or breakage
• pollination:
  • by wind occurs in late winter or spring when the female conelets are only 2-3 times larger than the twig
  • fertilization does not occur until summer, by which time the cones are almost full size
• seed dispersal:
  • via gravity and insect and rodent activity
  • cones also fall to ground and may open over several years or two decades
  • 300,000+ seeds released from a single tree
• seed germination – seeds dropped just before the first snow or just as the snow melts may have the best chance of germinating and becoming successfully established
• fire-resistance:
  • deeply furrowed bark can be up to 60 cm thick and is fire-resistant
  • heat from fire causes cones to open, dispersing their seeds on the wind
  • post-fire, seedlings establish in layer of ash in cleared areas
• herbivore & microbial protection – compounds in wood and leaves include tannins (including antimicrobial catechin), terpenes, resins, waxes
• nutrient absorption – mycorrhizal association aids nutrient and water uptake in forest environments with a lot of competition for resources
• can withstand drier conditions than Sequoia sempervirens