Redwoods, particularly coast redwoods, or Sequoia sempervirens, are the tallest trees on the planet. They can reach heights of nearly 400 feet, which is roughly equivalent to a 37-story skyscraper—so high that, when standing at the bottom of a redwood, you can't see the top, even on a clear day.
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Redwoods are so huge, a single tree itself can be habitat for an incredible number of species. When redwoods shed their foliage, much of it accumulates in the branches and decomposes to become soil, or canopy soil, where other species of plant seeds and fungi spores can sprout.
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.
General Sherman Tree is at the north end of Giant Forest. The General Sherman Tree is the world's largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base.
Visit our restoration webpages to learn more about this exciting work. How many acres of old-growth forest are left? Fewer than 120,000 acres, or 5 percent, of the original redwood forest remains today.