What is the oldest redwood tree in the United States?

The General Sherman and the President, of Sequoia National Park, and the Grizzly Giant, of Yosemite National Park, are usually considered the oldest trees of their kind. Of these three, it is difficult to say which is the oldest; many believe it is the Grizzly Giant.



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Muir Snag is believed to be the oldest redwood tree in the world. Muir Snag is estimated to be more than 3,500 years old, but is no longer living. Although the tree is dead, it is still standing in the Converse Basin of the Giant Sequoia National Monument in Sierra Nevada, California.

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North Coast, Humboldt County, California Just south, this California coastal area is often called Redwood Country thanks to its thriving forests. The area is home to 45 percent of the remaining old-growth redwoods in California, and Redwood National and State Parks shelters some of the tallest trees on Earth.

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Coast redwoods can live longer than 2,000 years. A mature redwood forest is composed of trees 500-1,000 years old on average. The trees in this redwood grove are approximately 65 years old. Coast redwoods can grow three to ten feet per year.

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The tallest tree currently living is a specimen of Sequoia sempervirens in Redwood National Park in California, USA. Nicknamed Hyperion, the coast redwood was discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor (both USA) on 25 August 2006 and its precise location is kept a closely guarded secret to try and protect it.

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Almost as Old as the Dinosaurs The earliest redwoods showed up on Earth shortly after the dinosaurs – before flowers, birds, spiders… and, of course, humans. Redwoods have been around for about 240 million years 2, and in California for at least 20 million years, compared to about 200,000 years for “modern” humans 3.

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There is evidence of Tyrannosaurus rex activity near redwoods as well. No animals have been seen feeding on these trees yet, and the trees are likely too large to be significantly damaged by any other than the very largest dinosaurs.

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Fewer than 120,000 acres, or 5 percent, of the original redwood forest remains today. It's a tragedy to have lost most of the ancient redwoods; however, science-based forest restoration holds the key to bringing back what we've lost.

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While most people stop at the Redwoods National and State Parks in northern California, the trees continue growing across the border, planting their roots into the forests of southwest Oregon. Admittedly, the trees in Oregon are much smaller and far less impressive than the famous stands in California.

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1: Redwoods Only Grow on the Northern Pacific Coast Slowly, over time, climate change and coastal rain patterns limited redwood forests' range to their current boundaries. If you travel inland more than twenty-five miles inland the redwoods start to thin out.

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