What happened to all the redwoods?

The development of chainsaws and tracked bulldozers in the 1930s led to the massive increase in the rate of logging of redwood trees. Acres of ancient redwoods could now be cut down in just days. It was the post World War II housing and economic boom caused the majority of old-growth redwoods to be clear cut.



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Some of the modern-day threats to redwoods include climate change; human land uses not compatible with forest health (such as development and conversion to vineyards); intense fires; people's increasing detachment from nature; illegal marijuana cultivation; and burl poaching.

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Today, only 5% of the old-growth redwood forests remain. The majority of these 100,000 acres of remaining forests are found in assorted sections of different California state, local, and national parks.

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And while the fantastic creatures of that age have long since disappeared, the redwoods continue to thrive, in the right environment. California's North Coast provides the only such environment in the world. A combination of longitude, climate, and elevation limits the redwoods' range to a few hundred coastal miles.

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Despite the difference in growing conditions from their native range, the giant redwoods seem to be enjoying the Scottish climate. Many of the biggest specimens in the UK are found in Scotland, with fine examples growing in other National Trust for Scotland gardens, such as Geilston and Craigievar, as well as Holmwood.

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With now over half a million to discover in the nation's forests, why not head to your local forest to see if you can discover one of nature's giants! You can see magnificent examples of coast and giant redwoods at Forestry England sites across England, more information can be found here.

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Many of California's old-growth redwoods — the world's tallest living things that can grow to more than 300 feet high and live 2,000 years — were cut down between the 1800s and the 1970s for decks, paneling, and even fence posts and railroad ties. Modern environmental laws and the creation of public parks ended it.

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Coast redwoods sometimes regenerate as seedlings but more often grow from sprouts, which start easily on lateral roots or from stumps or downed logs. Young redwoods grow quickly—two to six feet a year—so that a 20-year-old tree will often be 50 feet tall and about eight inches in diameter.

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They Live for Thousands of Years Although a redwoods' ability for a long lifespan contributed to its Latin name, Sequoia sempervirens—sempervirens means evergreen or everlasting” in Latin—most of the remaining redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains are “second-growth”, about 50-150 years old.

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As its nickname suggests, giant or coastal redwoods thrive in the moist, humid climate of the Northern California coast, where marine fog delivers precise conditions necessary for its growth. The fog adds moisture to the soil and helps trap it there by lowering the rate of evaporation.

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Giant Sequoias were introduced to Britain in 1860 and Elvaston Castle Country Park has 2 of the original specimens still going strong. Giant Sequoia in Elvaston Castle Country Park. Contributed by Dan Hartley of Derby in the UK.

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Center Parcs Longleat Forest is home to the UK's tallest Giant Redwood tree. Officially confirmed by the Tree Register of the British Isles after being spotted by a tree-loving guest, the Giant Redwood measures up at 58m.

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