WALLACE W HANSEN

Native Plants of the Northwest

Native Plant Nursery & Gardens

2158 Bower Ct S.E., Salem, Oregon 97317-9216

E-Mail: Wallace W Hansen
Phone: 503-581-2638; Fax: 408-586-1306

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Updated August 18, 2007

Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigenteum)

A Note from Wally: I grow Carex obnupta (Slough Sedge) and many other Northwest Native Plants here in my Nursery and Gardens in the Willamette Valley in Western Oregon. I specialize in Northwest Native Plants and sell both Wholesale and Retail, depending on quantity. I usually have plants available year-round in one gallon containers and often in various other container sizes and as Bare Root plants in the Winter months. This site is intended as a reference for all who are interested in Northwest Native Plants: amateur, professional – everyone. For more information, go to my Home Page at www.nwplants.com and then click on Plant Catalog for current prices and availability. Be sure and then click on Plant Sales for any bargains. If you buy in large quantities, check the Wholesale Information Sites on my Home Page.

If you have any information about this species – stories, climates, uses, propagation, etc. please contact me at plants@nwplants.com If I publish your tips and information, I will credit you on the web and send you a credit memo.

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Description:

The Big Tree is nature's finest masterpiece ... the greatest of all living things, it belongs to an ancient stock and has a strange air of another day about it, a thoroughbred look inherited from long ago -- the Auld Lang Syne of trees." --JOHN MUIR

The Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron gigenteum are the largest trees known to man. Larger than a dinosaur, bigger than a whale, as tall as a football field is long, these incredibly huge trees are now native to the coastal regions of Oregon and Northern California.

The largest living Giant Sequoia is the General Sherman Tree in the Giant Forest area of the Sequoia National Park in California. Standing at 274.9' (83.8 meters) tall, and 102.6' (31.3 meters) in circumference at its base, the General's wood is roughly equivalent to 180 miles of 2x4's. Were this a harvestable lumber tree, it's wood is enough to build over 40 houses, each with 5 rooms. Other trees in the world are taller: the tallest tree in the world is the Coast Redwood, which averages between 300' - 350' in height. Near Oaxaca, Mexico is a cypress which has a greater circumference, 162'. But in sheer mass, the General has no equal, and earns this tree the title of the World's Largest Living Thing.

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The loss of lower branches reduces the fire ladder effect when there is a lack of understory trees, another way to limit fire damage. With very shallow root systems, 95% of the sequoias have roots no deeper than 3 meters. This explains why the big trees are so massive around the base, to avoid wind blow down.  With these built-in preservation factors, we can see why the Big Trees can live so long--the oldest known fallen tree had approximately 3300 annual growth rings. 

Cones from these trees hold an average of 200 seeds, very light in weight and they have wings to help them disperse in the wind. Sequoia cones are serotinous, releasing seed only when subjected to extreme heat. The cones of the Giant Sequoia are surprisingly small, obtaining a maximum length of only 9 cm. In weight, it is estimated that 91,000 seeds would equal one pound. They usually take over 2 years to mature, and may remain on the tree up to 20 years. As each tree produces an average 1,500 cones per year, a mature tree may have up to 40,000 cones at any given time. Statistally, out of 40,000 cones, 1/3 are seedless. The rest are green and sheltered within the cone until fire or the long horned beetle (Phymatodes nitidus) causes the cones to open and release the seeds. When the forest surrounding the tree catches fire, hot air plumes into the tree canopy high above and dries the cones which then open and release their seeds. The beetle larvae, on the other hand, disconnect the seeds from the cone which triggers the dry-and-release mechanism. Another forest wildlife companion, the Douglas squirrel, or chickaree, (Tamiasciurus douglasii), is also a contributor to releasing the seeds as they feed on the fleshy part of the cones. Although the squirrels and other rodents store cones for their winter food, most of those buried will never take root. Of the seeds that do mature and fall to the ground, they must find bare mineral soil to germinate and full sun as they are shade intolerant. The lucky seeds falling onto the soil in a patch of sunlight must become firmly established before the dry Sierran summer comes. Once these tender youths are settled, their growth is very rapid.

Habitat and Geographic Range:

Eons of ever-warmer summers and cooler winters have almost decimated the giant sequoia and their cousins, the coast redwood of northern California and the metasequoia of southern regions of China. Fossils of the giants have been found in the Petrified Forest in Arizona. Once ranged throughout northern America and Europe, these trees now grow naturally in more moist areas such as Oregon and California coasts. In an estimated 7 million years they have "traveled" from Colorado, Nevada and Wyoming to the east and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and at this time the last of the great groves of the giant sequoia that are known to exist today are located on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada from Placer County to southern Tulare County, California. Found at elevations of 4500 to 8400 ft, the groves are spread over many acres of forest land.

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Of course, they are still found in smaller groupings, mostly along the coastal regions of the northwestern United States where the coastal fogs provide the water which drips down to the soil level, giving clean, cool water to the roots below. Showing a marked preference for deep well-drained soils, the Old Ones are more often found on the west side of mountain slopes in the 4,000 to 7,000 foot range. Although the summers may offer only drought conditions, the fog steps in when the winter rains and snow taper off. They can withstand temperatures from -10 to 95 degrees. This marks them hardy up to Plant Zone 6, and even higher zones if sheltered until the tender young trees are acclimated to colder regions. They do prefer full sun.

The biggest of the Big trees, the Giant Sequoia, may get up to 100 feet tall and three or four feet in diameter over 50 - 60 years span, but not realistically bigger than that.

Uses of Plant:

Giant sequoia has excellent ornamental value, as specimen or feature trees or planted in groups. They make excellent windbreaks and privacy screens while still young (their fast growth is an added advantage). Their beautiful foliage and bark is a perfect backdrop for smaller shrubs with similar growing conditions. They do not require trimming as a rule, and their drought resistance make them fairly maintenance free once established.

Logging companies tried for many years to harvest the old growth giants, and played a major part in wiping out a large percentage of their population. Finally they concluded that the older trees were not cost-effective to harvest. Over 80% of the wood was lost due to the tendency of these Old Ones to shatter when they hit the ground. Now under the protection of national and state parks, cutting is no longer a concern. Instead, the logging companies learned to plant new trees specifically for cutting and they harvest them when young. Cut in their youth, the wood does make good shingles, fence posts, and landscape structures such as gazebos and trellis. The young-growth timber is comparable to other lumber species grown in the same general areas.

Sometimes grown as Christmas trees.

Native Americans traditionally use them for food, medicine, tools, and utensils.

Some modern medicinal uses.

Propagation:

Giant sequoia may be propagated from seed or cuttings.

Cuttings are best taken from trees less than 30 years old, but may be taken from older trees with limited success. Treat cut ends with a rooting hormone and place in damp earth or humus. Make sure they are kept slightly damp but well-drained until firmly rooted.

Seeds which have been extracted from fresh, ripe cones should be soaked overnight in clear water. Pot in sand or well-drained soil and place in a cool area (do not let them dry out!) for about 60 days. 

Culture:

Needs of the Old Ones are few: sun, well-drained soil, sufficient moisture when young and room to grow! They appreciate a nice shower during extremely dry spells.

Pests and Diseases:

Among the most fire, disease, and insect resistant trees known. Usually not harmed by disease, they are sometimes weakened when the roots are damaged and finally will blow down. Minimal problems with fungi. One insect which does cause problems is the Carpenter ant. They do not bother the trees directly but do facilitate entry of fungus and some beatles. The one pest most harmful to the giants is visitors. 

In nurseries, either home or commercial, grey mold will sometimes attack the foliage and roots if care is not taken to give the young trees enough sun and air circulation. Root rot is sometimes a factor when the soil is not sufficiently well-drained.

Historical and Special interest:

In April 2000, the Giant Sequoia National Monument was established. As a part of our national Earth Day celebration, President Clinton announced on April 15 federal protection of the "forgotten" half of the Giant Sequoia ecosystem in a Giant Sequoia National Monument. This action was meant to ensure the trees, watersheds and lands around the largest remaining groves of the giants will remain unharmed. The Monument includes about 400,000 acres of publicly- owned National Forest lands which was then added to the 402,000 acres of the Sequoia National Park. The Trail of 100 Trees is a part of this monument.

"The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material 
expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; 
but when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another 
heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again."-- William Beebe, 1906 

Origin of botanical name, original discovery info, etc.:

The Sequoia, in both its forms (the coast Sequoia and the Giant Sequoia) is the state tree of California. The name Sequoia was chosen to honor the Cherokee nation leader Seqouyah, who invented an 86 character alphabet and taught his people to read and write their own language. The giant sequoias, or Ancient Ones, are highly significant in the community and culture of many forest Tribes. The youth learn a spiritual way to gain knowledge through fasting, holding sweats, and praying for the Ancient Ones to pass on knowledge of past generations (Schoenherr 1992).

"Although there are no stone slabs over his grave to mark Sequoia's passing, the honor to his name and to his people will ever remain in the timeless Sequoia redwood trees that were named for him, and for the alphabet that he alone invented." Thomas Brian Underwood - The Story of the Cherokee People, 1961.

Thanks, and happy gardening!

Wally

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