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Sequoia sempervirens

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For other uses, see Sequoia (disambiguation).

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Sequoia is a genus in the cypress family Cupressaceae, containing the single species Sequoia sempervirens. Common names include Coast Redwood and California Redwood (it is one of three species of trees known as redwoods). It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living for up to 2,000 years, and is the tallest tree in the world, reaching up to 112 m in height, and 7 m diameter at the base. It is probably named after the Cherokee Indian leader, Sequoyah, though this is uncertain.

The name Sequoia is also used as a general term for the subfamily Sequoioideae in which this genus is classified together with Sequoiadendron (Giant Sequoia) and Metasequoia (Dawn Redwood).

Detail: bark

The crown is conical, with horizontal to slightly drooping branches. The bark is very thick, up to 30 cm thick and quite soft, fibrous and a bright red-brown when freshly exposed (whence the name 'redwood'), weathering darker. The root system is composed of deep, wide-spreading lateral roots. The leaves are variable, being 15-25 mm long and flat on young trees and shaded shoots in the lower crown of old trees, and scale-like, 5-10 mm long on shoots in full sun in the upper crown of older trees; there is a full range of transition between the two extremes. They are dark green above, and with two blue-white stomatal bands below. Leaf arrangement is spiral, but the larger shade leaves are twisted at the base to lie in a flat plane for maximum light capture. The cones are ovoid, 15-32 mm long, with 15-25 spirally arranged scales; pollination is in late winter with maturation about 8-9 months after. Each cone scale bears 3-7 seeds, each seed 3-4 mm long and 0.5 mm broad, with two wings 1 mm wide. The seeds are released when the cone scales dry out and open at maturity. Its genetic makeup is unusual among conifers, being a hexaploid (6n) and likely autoallopolyploid (AAAABB). The mitochondrial genome is (unlike other conifers) paternally inherited (Neale et al. 1989).

Statistics

Trees over 60 m (200 feet) are common, and many are over 90 m (300 feet).

  • The tallest is the "Stratosphere Giant" in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, at 112.83 metres, last measured in 2004 (was 112.34 m in Aug 2000 and 112.56 m in 2002).
  • There are 15 known living trees more than 110 m (361 feet) tall.
  • There are 47 trees that are more than 105 m (344.5 feet) tall.
  • A tree claimed to be 115.8 m (380 feet) was cut down in 1912.
  • The tallest non-redwood tree is a 100.3 m (329 foot) tall Douglas-fir.

In 2004, an article in Nature reported that the theoretical maximum potential height of Coast Redwoods (or any other tree) is limited to between 122-130 m (400-425 feet), due to gravity and the friction between water and the vessels through which it flows.

The largest in volume is the "Del Norte Titan", with an estimated volume of 1044.7 m3; it is 93.57 m tall with a diameter of 7.22 m. Among current living trees only 15 Giant Sequoias are larger than this; these are shorter, but have thicker trunks, giving the largest Giant Sequoia a volume of 1,487 cubic metres (52,510 cubic feet). A redwood cut down in 1926 had a claimed volume of 1,794 cubic metres (63,350 cubic feet), but this is not verified.

Reproduction

This is an example of a "fairy ring" sprouted from a stump. All the sprouts are identical clones with exactly the same genomic material.
Coast Redwood in fog, Redwood National Park.
Coast Redwood, Redwood National Park.

Coast Redwood reproduces both sexually and asexually. Seed production begins at 10-15 years of age, and large seed crops occur frequently, but viability of the seed is low, typically below 20%. The low viability may be an adaptation to discourage seed predators, which do not want to waste time sorting chaff (empty seeds) from edible seeds. The winged seeds are small and light, weighing 3.3-5 mg (200-300 seeds/g; 5600-8500/ounce). The wings are not effective for wide dispersal, and seeds are dispersed by wind an average of only 60-120 m (200-400 feet) from the parent tree. Coast Redwoods can reproduce asexually by layering or sprouting from the root crown, stump, or even fallen branches. Sprouts originate from dormant or adventitious buds at or under the surface of the bark. The dormant sprouts are stimulated when the adult redwood gets damaged or starts to die. Many sprouts spontaneously erupt and develop round the circumference of the tree trunk. Within a short period after sprouting each sprout will develop its own root system, with the dominant sprouts forming a ring of trees around the parent root crown or stump. This ring of trees is called a "fairy ring". Sprouts can achieve heights of 2.3 m (8 feet) in a single growing season. They are able to reproduce using burls. A burl is a type of tumor that commonly appears on a redwood tree below the soil line. It rarely appears above the soil line, especially above 3m. Shoot clones commonly sprout from burls and are often turned into decorative hedges when found in suburbia. There have been some reported cases when a burl was made into furniture and began sprouting.

Range and ecology

Coast Redwoods occupy a narrow strip of land approximately 750 km (470 miles) in length and 8-75 km (5-47 miles) in width along the Pacific coast. The northern boundary of its range is marked by two groves on the Chetco River on the western fringe of the Klamath Mountains, 25 km (15 miles) north of the California-Oregon border. The largest populations are in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park (Del Norte County), Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park (Humboldt County). The furthest inland are 75 km from the sea, in Napa County. The southern boundary of the range is marked by a grove in Salmon Creek Canyon in the Santa Lucia Mountains of southern Monterey County.

This native area provides a unique environment with heavy seasonal rains (2500 mm or 100 in annually), cool coastal air and fog keeping this forest constantly damp year round. As this heavy rain has left the soil with few nutrients, these trees depend on the entire biotic community of the forest, and complete recycling of the trees when dead. Logging interrupts this process. This forest community includes Douglas-fir, Western Hemlock, Tanoak, Madrone, and other trees along with a wide variety of ferns, Redwood sorrel, mosses and mushrooms. Redwood forests provide habitat for a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Remnant old growth redwood stands provide habitat for the federally threatened Spotted Owl and the California-endangered Marbled Murrelet.

The thick, tannin-rich bark, combined with foliage that starts high above the ground provides good protection from both fire and insect damage, contributing to the Coast Redwood's longevity. The oldest known Coast Redwood is about 2200 years old; many others in the wild exceed 600 years.

Cultivation and uses

Coast Redwood is one of California's most valuable timber species. The second growth wood is soft, weak, easily split, and resistant to decay. The clear wood is used for dimension stock, siding, fencing, and shingles. Redwood burls are used in the production of table tops, veneers, and turned goods. The phenolics and tannins present in old growth redwood stock affords excellent termite and water damage protection. Old growth redwood construction is highly prized as a result. Only 3% of the present redwood forest is old growth, and is protected from further exploitation. More and more of the second growth forest is being converted into protected areas with hopes of them taking on old growth forest characteristics. Examples of this are the Big Basin State Park and the recently acquired San Lorenzo River Redwoods. Some of the remaining forest consists of redwood plantations grown on a short (40-70 years) rotation. Other areas are slowly succumbing to suburban sprawl. The Coast Redwood is also naturalised in New Zealand.

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