Giant Sequoia

Attributes:
Giant Sequoias are well-named, being arguably the largest trees in the world. They make excellent specimen trees and buffer strips. When planted 20 feet apart, they also serve as excellent windbreaks. They are a very long-lived tree, some cultivated examples being several hundred years old.

Wildlife Value:
Wildlife primarily use Giant Sequoias for shelter. Mature cones are collected and stored by Douglas squirrels (chickarees), and the sequoia seedlings are eaten by chipmunks, sparrows and finches.

History/Lore/Use:
From their earliest discovery, America's Redwoods have fired the imagination and the human sense of wonder as few other living things have done. The first sighting of them by Western voyagers was recorded in 1769 by a clergyman named Father Crespi, a member of a Spanish expedition, who wondered at the sight of these awesome "trees of a red color." The name Sequoia came from the Cherokee Chief Sequoyah, who was also famed for framing the alphabet of his Native American tongue. Not long after this discovery, redwoods were being harvested for their lumber, with the California Redwood providing the most useful wood. Its resistance to decay made it an ideal choice for caskets, cigar boxes, boats, and pipes. The gold rush of the 1850s also took a toll on the Redwoods and protective measures were not put into place until the 1930s. Unlike the Redwood, Sequoia wood is brittle and does not make good lumber.

Moisture:
Normal moisture requirements, with no flooding and only slight drought tolerance.

Leaves:
This tree has bluish green needles, spirally arranged on the terminal leader, approximately 1/4 inch long.

Flower Color:
Nondescript light brown.

Bloom Time:
April-May.

Fruit Description:
The fruit is oval to round; 1-1/2 to 3 inches long, dry and hard, nondescript.