Sequoia plant. Giant California sequoias in the Grove of the Titans. Contraindications and side effects

(as it is also commonly called) is rightfully considered one of the most huge trees in the world. Also, this long-liver is one of the many wonders of the world. This giant tree coniferous family can reach a height of more than 110 meters, and its trunk diameter is 12 meters. miracle of nature is simply unthinkable. The giant sequoia lives for over 5,000 years.

History of occurrence

To date, scientists have come to the conclusion that a tree of this breed appeared on earth as early as 140 million years ago. This is proved by the found and studied fossils and other geological deposits, on the basis of which it is possible to calculate the approximate period of the appearance of a huge natural creature on Earth.

In ancient times, the sequoia spread in the territories that are today known as France, Japan, and even the Giant Tree existed already in Jurassic period when the planet was inhabited by dinosaurs, and even then forests occupied vast territories in the northern hemisphere. According to experts, 50 million years ago, due to the fact that the temperature on Earth dropped significantly, glacial period. The giant sequoia has stopped spreading across the planet and its range has greatly decreased. After warming, these trees remained at the same stage of development and remained to grow in only one region.

The first giant sequoias were discovered by the Spaniards, who in 1769 sent an expedition to the area of ​​present-day San Francisco. Mammoth trees got their name from the linguist and botanist S. Endlifer, who was the first to call them "red trees". Initially, no one knew what to do with these huge centenarians. They were practically not exploited, this is due to the fact that strong trunks were almost impossible to knock down, since neither an ax nor a saw took them. On top of that, the wood turned out to be absolutely unsuitable for construction, as, for example, pine trees or other giant sequoias were even exterminated in 1848. By the time more than half of the trees had already been destroyed, the US authorities decided to start protecting amazing creatures nature.

Our days

Today, natural sequoia forests are considered public property, but they have survived only on the Pacific coast of California. The mammoth tree also grows on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This is the only place where the remains of amazing and beautiful forest giants are still preserved. This reserve covers an area of ​​about 670 kilometers of the coast and about 45 kilometers inland. The giant sequoia does not grow high in the mountains because it requires high humidity air. However, the mammoth tree does an excellent job of low temperatures, which just helped this wonder of the world to survive during the Ice Age.

Every year, thousands of tourists come to the United States who want to be photographed at the foot of the tree. The reserve, where the giant sequoia grows, is also popular with the Americans, who even named one such giant after the famous American commander. This giant is protected, like any other monument, and is a cultural asset throughout America. Despite the interest from scientists, it is not cut down under any pretext.

Tree "General Sherman"

The giant sequoia "General Sherman" grows in the Sierra Nevada and is considered one of the most amazing plants on earth. The height of the tree is more than 83 meters, and its trunk volume is 1486 cubic meters with a weight of more than 6000 tons. According to rough estimates, the tree is somewhere around 2700 years old, and it still continues to grow. Every year, the giant builds up as much wood as an 18-meter tree can. Scientists still continue to study the only one in the world that has seen the entire history of mankind in its lifetime.

Another famous giant

In addition to the "General Sherman" in the reserve there is another amazing tree- giant sequoia (sequoiadendron). California, where it was cut down, still preserves the foundation of the giant. Moreover, it was also honored by becoming the unspoken symbol of the state. The tree was cut down in 1930 at the age of 1930! On its core, some sectors are combined with paint and the following is written on them:

1. 1066 - year
2. 1212 - year of signing
3. 1492 - the year of the discovery of America.
4. 1776 - the year of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
5. 1930 is the year of felling.

Description of sequoia

The tree has a thick bark, the thickness of which is 60 cm. Wood moisture is completely free of oily substances, but tannin is contained in large quantities, making it resistant to any forest fires. Even burnt trunks continue to grow further, while others coniferous trees after such defeats die. The wood of this tree is not subject to attacks by insects, fungi, diseases and rot. Its roots grow so deep in the ground that the chance of the tree falling in a strong gust of wind is zero. The giant sequoia, whose pictures and photographs are amazing, has a pinkish bark that becomes redder closer to the core. It does not rot for a long time, withstands huge loads and therefore is excellent for a wide variety of purposes, although it is not actively used.

reproduction

An adult sequoia tree produces a huge amount of seeds, but only a tiny part of them germinate successfully, and even those that have made their way through the ground are forced to fight for their lives. The fact is that young shoots branch along their entire length, but the older they get, the more lower branches they have. Thus, the tree forms a strong dome that absolutely does not let through. daylight. The giant sequoia forests do not allow anything to grow under this green canopy. Therefore, young shoots have to deal with low light, therefore it is very difficult to talk about natural distribution. mammoth trees on the ground. In the event that humanity will actively use such wood, there will be a need to create special reserves in which young trees will be grown.

Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl. - Sequoia evergreen, or red sequoia.

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Name

The generic name was proposed by the Austrian botanist Stefan Endlicher in 1847 for the tree formerly known as Taxodium sempervivens. D.Don, Endlicher did not indicate its origin. In 1854, Asa Gray, who recognized the need to distinguish the genus, wrote about the new name as "meaningless and dissonant." In 1858, George Gordon published the etymology of the generic names of a number of genera of conifers proposed by Endlicher, but he did not find an explanation for the name "Sequoia".

In 1868 California geologist Josiah Dwight Whitney in a guide to Yosemite The Yosemite Book indicated that the plant was named after Sequoia  (George Hess) ( Sequoyah, OK. 1770 - c. 1843) - chief of the Cherokee Indian tribe, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary (1826) and founder of the Cherokee newspaper. According to Whitney, Endlicher learned about the Indian chief from an article in country gentleman that caught his attention. From later editions The Yosemite Book phrase about the article country gentleman was removed due to its obvious fallacy. Endlicher published the title in 1847, died March 28, 1849, and the first number country gentleman only came out on November 4, 1852. IN country gentleman indeed, an article mentioning the Sequoia appeared only on January 24, 1856. This article described the tree Sequoia gigantea, and also for the first time it was assumed that it was named after an Indian leader.

In 1860 in a magazine The Gardener's Monthly two articles appeared, in the first of which a certain L. supported the justification for naming a plant genus after a prominent Indian chief, and in the second editor of the journal Thomas Meehan reported that neither he nor L. no, but it seems to them quite probable.

George Gordon suggested in 1862 that sequoia derived from lat. sequī - "follow something", in his opinion this genus "follows" the genus Taxodium, from which Endlicher isolated it. However, he also isolated the genus Glyptostrobus from the genus Taxodium, but called it completely differently.

It should be noted that in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bnatural distribution, the sequoia is better known as the “mahogany” (eng. Redwood, or Coastal Redwood, or California Redwood), Redwood and Muir forest reserves are located in this area; at the same time, plants of the related species sequoiadendron are known as "giant sequoias". It is the latter that grow in the Sequoia National Park.

Botanical description

Distribution and ecology

It grows in the United States along the Pacific coast in a strip about 750 km long and 8 to 75 km wide from California to southwestern Oregon, and is also grown in the Canadian province of British Columbia, in the southeastern United States from east Texas to Maryland, in Hawaii , in New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, South Africa and Mexico. Average heights - 30-750 m above sea level, sometimes trees grow near the shore, sometimes climb to a height of up to 920 m. Sequoia loves the humidity that the sea air brings with it. the highest and oldest trees grow in gorges and deep ravines, where all year round currents of humid air can get and where fogs occur regularly. Trees growing above the fog layer (above 700 m) are lower and smaller due to drier, windier and cooler growing conditions.

Data

Trees taller than 60 m are very common, many taller than 90 m.

The flora of our planet is amazing and diverse. One of the most interesting is a separate genus of trees, consisting of only one species, represented by evergreen sequoia.

There are several other names for this plant - red sequoia and evergreen taxodium. These representatives of the Taxodiev family are the absolute leaders in height not only among the conifers, but also in the entire plant kingdom of the Earth. The maximum is amazing What power, what strength! Let's talk about this giant, preserved from ancient times.

Sequoia: giant tree

Sequoia is one of three types of trees known by the epithet "mahogany". This is an evergreen conifer, the life span of which, according to various sources, reaches 3000 years, the height is up to 115, and the diameter of the base is 5-6 meters or more. The name "sequoia" is supposedly given to the plant in honor of the leader of the Cherokee - Sequoia, but it is possible that this is only a beautiful legend.

The maximum height of an evergreen sequoia

These trees are real giants. The height to which they stretch is amazing, and for people who have never seen them, it is difficult to imagine a plant reaching the roof of a 46-story building. This is a truly unique tree, because even average specimens in the bulk exceed the sixty-meter mark. Many conifers of this species are capable of ninety-meter growth, and there are record holders. The maximum height of the evergreen sequoia, called the "Father of the Forests" and, unfortunately, not preserved to this day, was 135 meters. The modern undisputed leader is the Hyperion sequoia, which has reached a height of 115.6 meters. No less impressive is the diameter of the base of the "Hyperion" - almost 5 meters. The approximate age of the giant is about 800 years.

The leadership of this plant was established in 2006 by American scientists. They also said that if the top of the tree had not been damaged by birds, then maximum height evergreen sequoia in meters would be 115.8 m. The giant is located in California national park"Redwood" California, and everyone can admire it. In the history of mankind, the most large diameter trunk - 7 m, as well as a solid age, reaching up to 3.5 thousand years.

View Features

So, the sequoia is an evergreen monoecious conifer with a crown of a conical shape. The branches of a tree usually grow horizontally to the ground or with a slight downward slope. The bark, reaching a thickness of 30 cm, has a fibrous, dissected into deep furrows, a relatively soft structure and a terracotta shade, darkening after some time after its removal. It is this property of the bark that gave the name to the species - "mahogany".

Among all the taxodia sequoia has the most valuable timber with a core of pink-red tone and cream or white sapwood, i.e. layers located between the heartwood and cambium. Surprisingly, the quality of wood in one trunk can vary. The maximum height of an evergreen sequoia, exceeding 110 meters, as business card species, indicates the uniqueness of this plant. One tree is able to give wood significantly more than 1000 cubic meters.

Narrow, decorated with cones, begins to grow above the third part of the trunk. The root system is formed by strongly spreading lateral roots that go shallow into the ground.

Sequoia is not only a giant, but also a long-liver - one of the longest living plants on Earth. Its age is over 2000 years. Young sequoias reach maturity at 400-500 years.

Sequoia breeding

Many amazing things happen in nature. So the sequoia, the great Gulliver of the plant kingdom, grows from a tiny seed, the length of which does not exceed half a centimeter. The sequoia is propagated by seeds collected in small single oval-shaped cones, and can also produce abundant shoots. Cones of a plant ranging in size from 15 to 30 mm ripen in late autumn and contain 3-7 seeds each, which spill out when the fruit dries.

A feature of the species is the absence of differences in terms of growth rate and longevity between seedlings grown from seeds and young shoots that arise spontaneously. The maximum height of the evergreen sequoia does not change, depending on the method of germination.

Where do giant trees grow?

A long time ago, at the end of these evergreens were distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. Then no one was struck by the maximum height of an evergreen sequoia.

Today, the remains of relict forests where it grows have been preserved in the limited space of the west. North America: on a narrow strip of coast Pacific Ocean stretching from Monterey County in northern California to the Chetco River in southern Oregon. This strip lasts a little over 700 km, and is located at an altitude of 600 to 900 meters above sea level. A humid climate is necessary for sequoia, so it cannot spread further from the coast than 30-40 km, and always remains in the zone of influence sea ​​air, carrying so necessary for the plant water.

For the first time, the concept of "sequoia forests" arose in 1769 when they were discovered on the Pacific coast. At the same time, according to the color of the wood, the plant received the name "mahogany", which has survived to this day. In 1847, the Austrian biologist Stefan Endlicher isolated these plants as a separate species, characteristic feature which became the maximum height of evergreen sequoia, in meters exceeding 100-110.

wood properties

The magnificent quality wood of the plant, dense, light, resistant to pests and decay, is widely known in the world and is used as a joinery material, which is often indispensable in the manufacture of various things - from sleepers and furniture to finished houses.

The complete absence of a woody smell makes it possible to use the material in those areas industrial production where it is needed, for example, in food and tobacco. The maximum height of an evergreen sequoia is amazing. The photos of these plants presented in the article emphasize their greatness, power and beauty.

The giant sequoia, or, as it is also called, the mammoth tree, has rightfully earned the title of the most tall tree in the world. It is not for nothing that this long-liver is considered one of the wonders of the world. This plant belongs to coniferous trees and can reach a height of up to 110 meters, while its trunk in girth can be more than 12 meters. And the life span of this miracle of nature is simply unthinkable. She can live up to 5 thousand years. This tree is the oldest on the planet.

How did the sequoia

Scientists have now concluded that a tree appeared on the planet over 100 million years ago. There is a lot of evidence for this conclusion: fossils found in different places planets, other geological deposits that allow us to determine the approximate time of the appearance of this unusual natural phenomenon on the planet.

Even in ancient times, sequoia seeds spread over the territories that today are occupied by France, Japan and the New Siberian Islands. It is believed that a giant tree existed even during the time of the dinosaurs, when entire forests with powerful trunks occupied vast territories throughout the northern hemisphere. According to experts, 50 million years ago there was an ice age, which affected not only the distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe tree, but also its size. After it got warmer, the plant remained to exist in its previous form, however, it now settled in only one place. Sequoias are native to North America.

Giant sequoias for the first time were discovered by the Spaniards in 1769 when they went on an expedition to the area of ​​what is now San Francisco. They received the nickname "Mammoth Trees" from the botanist Endlifer, who was the first in the world to call them "red trees". And at first, no one could even imagine what to do with these huge trunks. For a long time, the trees were not used at all, because neither a saw nor an ax takes them, due to the very hard bark and wood. And sequoia wood is unsuitable for construction, as is the material of other conifers.

Due to their uselessness, the giant sequoia forests were even completely destroyed in 1848. But people are very contradictory. By the time almost half of the trees were destroyed, the sequoia began to be protected by environmentalists and US authorities. After all, these giants natural world should have survived to posterity in its original form.

Present time

Sequoia is currently, Wikipedia says this unambiguously, grows only on the Pacific coast of California, although it is the property of all mankind, a unique tree flora. In addition to this place, sequoia also grows on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. These are the only two places where you can still see giant trees in full beauty and power. The reserve occupies vast areas of the coast and mountain slopes, which makes it possible for tourists to visit these places and admire the beauty of the forest.

The tree cannot grow high in the mountains because it needs very high humidity. Nevertheless, the mammoth tree perfectly tolerates low temperatures, which allowed it to survive in the conditions of the ice age.

Every year, the United States is visited by many tourists who are eager to be photographed at the foot of the giants, and the Americans themselves respect these trees. One of them even has a name - he was named after the American commander. This giant is protected by law as a cultural monument and is considered the property of all America. Scientists show remarkable interest in sequoia, but it is not cut down under any pretext.

General Sherman

A tree named "General Sherman" grows in the Sierra Nevada and is considered the most amazing plant on the planet. The height of the trunk is more than 83 meters, and in girth it is more than 148 meters. The age of the tree, according to approximate calculations, is as much as 2700 years, which is quite a lot for a plant. But the sequoia constantly continues to grow, which is also quite unique fact. The sequoia annually grows as much wood on the trunk as an 18-meter tree can grow. Scientists are still studying it unique plant which has seen almost the entire history of mankind.

Not less famous representative

Another representative of coniferous sequoia is a sequoia tree. The place where this sequoia was cut down still keeps the base of the giant in its original form. It, like "General Sherman", is honored to become one of the symbols of America. The tree was cut down in 1930 after 1930 years. Very symbolic! Annual rings are painted on its trunk and signed:

What is a sequoia

Externally, the tree is a huge trunk covered with thick bark. Its thickness reaches 60 cm. There are no oils in the sap of the tree, which are found in other conifers, but there is a huge amount of tannin, which prevents the tree from burning. Even after the strongest fire, the sequoia will survive and continue to grow, while other conifers die. The wood of this plant is not at all affected by fungi, rot or small bugs. Its roots are so deeply buried in the ground that the wind is not strong enough to knock down this tree. The growth rate of sequoia reaches 3-4 meters per year, the maximum height is 110 meters, high altitude The tree was discovered quite a long time ago in one of the national parks, its height is 115.5 meters.

Sequoia wood has a bright pink color, which changes to red closer to the center. It is very durable, which allows it to serve for a long time. Although the sequoia is not used in construction or other purposes on the farm.

reproduction

The northern giant is a gymnosperm tree and produces a huge amount of seeds, but only a small fraction of them can successfully germinate. But even those that were able to break through the ground are fighting for life for a long time. young tree branches along its entire length, but the older and more majestic it becomes, the fewer lower branches remain. This helps the sequoia form a secure and strong dome that prevents light rays from penetrating down to the ground. A young tree cannot live without light.

Only nothing grows under the arches of majestic plants. That is why it is very difficult to say that a tree reproduces naturally. its much more often planted in small seedlings that are less than a year old. And plant them away from the main planting. But the cultivation of sequoia artificially will be needed only if the wood is actively used in construction. After all, then the plant may simply disappear.

Places of growth

Today sequoia grows in:

• Great Britain;
• Spain;
• New Zealand.

The tree needs high humidity, and therefore all the existing reserves are located near the sea. But you can meet this giant in Russia. We also have access to the sea and wet air with a warm climate. This place is located in the Krasnodar Territory, and therefore the sequoia grows there. In the Sochi arboretum there is a plantation of this evergreen, but not yet a giant. But in a few thousand years, huge trunks with branched crowns will rise there, which will amaze the imagination of tourists and residents of this glorious place.

The nature of our planet is amazing and amazingly diverse. This, for example, is clearly evidenced by the real giants of the world of flora - sequoias. Majestic trees have been growing for more than one millennium, reaching a height of one hundred meters, and some representatives even exceed this threshold. Simply amazing! Of course, such amazing plants you will not meet at every step. So, we will talk about where giant sequoias grow.

Where does the sequoia grow in natural conditions?

Unfortunately, the lands of North America are the only place where the sequoia tree grows. The evergreen giant grows on the Pacific coast on a narrow strip of land up to 75 km wide and up to 750 km long.

They like the warm and humid climates of Northern and Central California and Southern Oregon. In addition, sequoia can be found in ravines and gorges where there are fogs. The most beautiful representatives of the sequoia are found on the lands of the Redwood National Park and in the Sequoia National Park.

Where are sequoias grown?

In addition to natural growth, the natural giant is grown in the UK, Hawaii, Italy, New Zealand, and South Africa. As you can see, these are mainly countries that have access to the sea.

If we talk about whether sequoia grows in Russia, then fortunately, we also have the opportunity to see this tree, beautiful in its gigantic growth. Since the presence warm climate and sea moisture is possible only on the Black Sea coast, the place where sequoia grows in Russia is Krasnodar region. The Sochi Arboretum has small plot planted with not yet giant evergreen trees. But who knows, maybe in one or two thousand years, the sharp peaks of hundred-meter sequoias will proudly rise above the surroundings.