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A Giant Sequoia
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The Giant Sequoias are found in a narrow strip on the
western slopes of the Sierra Nevada range. They can grow taller than
300 feet and as wide as 40 feet in diameter. The largest one is
estimated to weigh about 2,500 metric tons. Some living sequoias are
believed to be close to 4,000 years old. The Giant Sequoia is an
evergreen tree that has bark up to two feet thick that makes it highly
resistant to fire and insects. The seeds are only the size of oat flakes,
while the pine cones are like chicken eggs. It is illegal to cut these
trees.
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A Coast Redwood
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The Coast Redwoods are taller than the Giant Sequoias, but not as
wide. They grow in a narrow, very humid strip along the Pacific
Ocean of California and Southwestern Oregon. These redwoods
grow as tall as 375 feet making them the tallest living things on
Earth. Their trunks measure up to twenty-five feet in diameter,
and they are believed to live as long as 2,500 years. The seeds of
these evergreens are tiny like tomato seeds and the cones are the
size of large olives. A single Coast Redwood can release up to 500
gallons of moisture into the air per day. The bitter tannin in the
bark is distasteful or even poisonous to tree pests such as termites
and ants. It is very resistant to water and chars into a heat shield
when exposed to fire. That is why redwood makes such a good
building material.
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Dawn Redwoods are considerably smaller trees than the other two
species, seldom reaching above 100 feet in height or more than six feet
in diameter. The Dawn Redwood is also different because it?s a
deciduous tree, while the others are evergreen. They are natives of
China while the other two are natives of California. They were once
commonly found in Western North America, but were thought to be
extinct until being found in a single valley in central China during
World War II .
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