The tallest tree species on Earth — record holders top 380 feet. Old-growth coast redwoods can live over 2,200 years and host their own canopy ecosystems with soils, ferns, and salamanders that never touch the ground.

Also called: California Redwood

Native status: Native; endemic to Pacific Coast

§ Quick facts

SizeMature height 60–115 m (200–380 ft); largest verified 116 m; trunk diameter 4–7 m
WeightLargest individuals exceed 1,000 tonnes
Lifespan1,200–1,800 years; oldest documented 2,200+
OrderCupressales
FamilyCupressaceae

§ Encyclopedia

Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae. Common names include coast redwood, coastal redwood and California redwood. It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living 1,200–2,200 years or more. This species includes the tallest living trees on Earth, reaching up to 116.22 m (381.3 ft) in height and up to 8.9 m (29 ft) in diameter at breast height. These trees are also among the longest-living trees on Earth. Before commercial logging and clearing began by the 1850s, this massive tree occurred naturally in an estimated 810,000 ha along much of coastal California and the southwestern corner of coastal Oregon within the United States. Being the tallest tree species, with a small range and an extremely long lifespan, many redwoods are preserved in various state and national parks; many of the largest specimens have their own official names.

Source: Wikipedia — Sequoia sempervirens Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Massive single-trunked conifer with reddish fibrous bark and flat needle-like leaves.

Similar species. Giant Sequoia (broader, only Sierra Nevada). Douglas Fir (shorter, different bark).

Voice. N/A

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. N/A — photosynthesis

Behavior. Reproduces from seed AND from basal sprouts. Coastal fog provides 40% of moisture.

§ Range

A narrow ~450-mile fog belt along the Pacific coast from southern Oregon to central California

§ Habitat

Coastal valleys with summer fog, deep alluvial soils, year-round moisture

§ Threats

Historic logging (95%+ of old-growth gone), climate-driven fog reduction, sudden oak death pathogen, fire intensity.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the coast redwood is currently classified as Endangered.

§ What helps

Support Save the Redwoods League. Visit and donate to redwood state parks. Reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to preserve fog patterns.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Save the Redwoods League
  • National Park Service Redwood
  • IUCN Red List 2013