It's hard to surprise a person tall buildings or towers, huge structures are growing all over the world. Concrete slabs and reinforcement make up the bulk of these giants. But what nature gives us always arouses curiosity and admiration. Gigantic, hundred-meter trees fascinate at first sight. Standing in front of such a “living being,” we feel dwarfed, but at the same time we feel proud of the grandeur and beauty of our environment.

All the leading places among the tallest trees are occupied by sequoia conifers. They grow mainly in the southern United States. The redwood or evergreen sequoia is the state symbol of California. In addition to the title of the tallest tree, it is one of the most ancient plants; their appearance on earth dates back to more than 200 million years ago. The tree received its name in honor of the leader of the Indian tribe Sequoia. Perhaps they became the prototype for the huge trees from another planet from the movie Avatar.

Over the past 15 years, the first place has constantly passed from one tree to another. As a result, today the undisputed winner is a tree called. The height of the giant is 115.5 m, its age reaches about 750–800 years. There is an opinion that the growth of sequoia per year increases by an average of 25 cm. Considering that the lifespan of such a giant reaches 4 thousand years, Hypereon can safely be called a young tree that still has time to grow and grow.

The next champion in height stands next to the previous one. Sequoia called Helios. The height of the trunk is 114.6 m. Before the discovery of Hypereon, it was Helios who held the title of the tallest tree. These trees take first place not only in growth, they are better than other plants in purifying the air from carbon dioxide.

In third place he confidently settled down, or rather, stood tall Icarus. This is also a sequoia growing next to Hyperon and Helios. The location of almost all giant trees in California is classified. Preserving the infrastructure and not disturbing the ecology around protected natural monuments is the main goal of the parks. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the number of these trees declined sharply, the main reason being the human factor. Building materials made from sequoia were extremely popular; products made from it are durable, lightweight and completely resistant to rot. Scroll chemical substances in wood is so large that it repels all pests, including termites. Nowadays, there are about 500 giant trees left.

Stratosphere Giant- until 2010, it had the title of the tallest tree in the world. Located in California. The latest measurements recorded a height of 113.11 meters. It is worth noting that all types of sequoia do not suffer from fire; the tree bark is fire-resistant. Due to the burnt area around the sequoia, Sun rays provide rapid growth to young shoots.

Fifth place is taken by sequoia with long name National Geographical Society. The height of the tree is 112.71 m. Diameter – 4.39. By the way, the largest, heaviest and most voluminous tree in the sequoia family is General Sherman. At 2,500 years old and weighing about 1,900 tons, the circumference of the trunk measures more than 30 meters.

Orion. Sixth place. A huge sequoia grows close to several other giants, but is twice as tall. For 2012, the height is 112.63 m. Age about 1500 years. All representatives of the sequoia species can rightfully be called long-livers; the record holder is a tree with an age of 4484 years. The sequoia, cut down in 1965, today attracts thousands of tourists, shocked by the thickness of the trunk and the abundance of growth rings.

Lauralin, the seventh tallest tree. Location - California. The height reaches 112.62 meters. Among its representatives it is one of the youngest. Although it is fundamentally incorrect to call a sequoia that has reached more than 100 meters young. “Living fossil” or “Mammoth tree”, these are two words that characterize these trees. It has been proven that giants grew back in Jurassic period and perhaps dinosaurs rested under them. Each growing tree has its own ecosystem - birds nest, lichen and other vegetation grow, animals and insects live.

In ninth place is another representative of this genus Paradox. It grows in the same park as Rockefeller and is no less popular. The height of the tree is 112.56 m. It was one of the first to be discovered; it got its name because of the contrast: mature coniferous trees growing nearby look dwarf compared to Paradox.

Sequoia closes the top ten list. Mendocino- the most damaged tree due to the influx of curious tourists. Now it is under protection; it is impossible to see the tree up close.

We are convinced that all honorable places belong to the redwoods, but if we exclude them from the list as the absolute champions, where do our eyes turn? In difficult conditions, in places where forest fires raged, on the island of Tasmania, the largest deciduous tree- regal eucalyptus, with a sonorous name Centurion. The age of this giant is more than 400 years, and its height is 101 m. The island is the owner of several eucalyptus trees of similar height, next after Centurion is the giant Icarus's Dream, reaching 97m. Eucalyptus trees, for their ability to absorb and evaporate more than a hundred liters of water per day, are called “pump trees.” The tallest flowering tree can be seen without bark, since the rapid growth of the tree in breadth leads to its shedding.

Some sources indicate several more species of equally huge trees, but descriptions of them are extremely scant. Thus, in the Columbia National Forest in Washington, the Noble Fir grows, reaching 85 m. And in the state of Idaho, mountain pine grows with a height of 70 m.

Our country has a wide variety of forests with different climatic zone. Can Russia boast of tall trees? The same famous sequoias grow on the territory of the Yalta Botanical Garden and in the Krasnodar Territory, but the longest of them is 38 m.

In the forests of the Krasnodar region, in the southeastern part Black Sea coast, growing Nordmann fir, tall trees with a straight trunk, sometimes reaching 70–80m. Thanks to the long lower branches, they resemble a dark green pyramid. The age reaches no more than 600 years, they mainly die from insect pests.

Slightly taller, normal height is 60 to 100m. An evergreen, frost-resistant tree, grows very slowly, lives up to 600–700 years.

Often meets spruce, reaching sizes up to 50–60 m. The most widespread distribution is the entire northern part of our country. It lives a little less than its evergreen representatives, on average about 250–300 years. In the list of our tall trees, we should also note the Siberian cedar (slightly smaller than the others, but an unusually beautiful and spreading tree), beech, ash, birch (the height of some specimens reaches 30–35 m). Each of the listed trees evokes pride and calls for responsibility, careful attitude to our nature.

This is a list of the 10 largest trees in the world. The exact location of the 10 tallest trees is kept secret, so photographs of these trees are almost impossible to find. The trees are not guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but the information is only classified so that the flow of tourists does not destroy the infrastructure and prevent the trees from growing further.

10. Mendocino tree - 112.20 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Montgomery Woods, California, USA

Diameter: 4.19 m

Between December 1996 and August 2000, it was the tallest tree in the world and was discovered in the town of Montgomery Woods and named the Mendocino Tree. The tree is one of dozens of similar tall trees in the grove, and was never specifically declared the largest for protection purposes. Previously highly publicized candidates for the tallest tree in the world have suffered greatly due to numerous tourists.

9. Paradox - 112.56 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Diameter: 3.90 m

8. Rockefeller - 112.60 m, USA

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, California, USA

Diameter: exact diameter unknown

7. Lauralin - 112.62 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, South Fork Eel River, California, USA

Diameter: 4.54 m

6. Orion - 112.63 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwoods, California, USA

Diameter: 4.33 m

5. National Geographic Society - 112.71 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwood Creek, California, USA

Diameter: 4.39 m

The fifth tallest tree in the world is located in Redwood Creek. From 1994, after it was found, it became the tallest tree in the world until 1995.

4. Giant of the Stratosphere - 113.11 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Humboldt, Rockefeller Forest, California, USA

Diameter: 5.18 m

The Stratosphere Giant was once the tallest tree in the world. It was discovered in July 2000 in Humboldt National Park, when first measured in 2000, the height of the tree was 112.34 meters and it continues to grow, its height of 113.11 m was recorded in 2010. The tree is surrounded large quantity trees are almost the same size. To avoid damage from tourism, the exact location of the tree has not been revealed to the public.

3. Icarus - 113.14 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Diameter: 3.78 m

2. Helios - 114.58 m

Species: Sequoia sempervirens

Location: Redwoods, Redwood Creek Tributary, California, USA

Diameter: 4.96 m

Helios is the tallest tree in the world from June 1, 2006 to August 25, 2006. The tree lost its title after foresters found Hyperion on the other side of Redwood Creek.

Photo shows Richard Preston and his daughter climbing a tree in Humboldt Park.

1. Hyperion - 115.61 m

Looking at the environment around us, at the beauty that nature gives, at the trees that seem huge to us, you involuntarily ask the question: how old are the trees that we meet every day on our way to work? But that tree, which seems to be the largest among all, is just a small bush compared to the largest tree in the world. Not everyone has seen and knows that one tree that has incredible dimensions. So what's the best a big tree in the world?

Some historical facts

The name of the giant and only living creature of this size is sequoiadendron. Sequoia is also called sequoia for a reason. By appearance this tree resembles a mammoth with its huge size, and the hanging branches look like its tusks. For the first time in history, mention of sequoia appeared in 1853. Most often, these trees were found in western California, on the slope of the Sierra Nevada. The giant sequoiadendron amazed the people of the Old World, and representatives of this plant were given the names of great people. Liar Lindley, the first known botanist, was the first to describe the sequoia and named it after the English Duke of Wellington, who became a hero at the Battle of Waterloo. The Americans, having discovered another representative of the sequoia family, gave him the name George Washington in honor of the first president of the United States of America. After which, in 1939, the family giant trees got its name - sequoiadendron, which is used to this day.

Giant of our time

The largest tree in the world, the sequoiadendron, is currently located in the place where it was first discovered: in California. Now a national park with the same name “Sequoia” has been created there on the mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The largest tree in the world, whose name is General Sherman, is named after the commander and politician William Tecumseh Sherman. He gained his fame on Civil War 1861-1865. He was called a talented general, as he possessed tactics of attacking the enemy, which was beyond the control of anyone. The general is also notorious for his tactics called “scorched earth.”

Tree dimensions

The height of the largest tree in the world is more than eighty-three meters. The circumference of the trunk is twenty-four meters, and the crown is more than thirty-three.

The forest in which this giant grows is called the Giant Forest. In addition, other sequoias grow there, but much smaller in size. This forest was first discovered by explorer John Muir in the nineteenth century. It was he who gave it this name. Part national park, in which huge trees grow, is called the Giant Forest to this day.

Tourists who come to California specifically to see the largest tree in the world describe its bark as a red-orange stone, the top of which is impossible to see. When photographed next to the General Sherman tree, people look like tiny ants.

General Sherman's age

The question regarding the age of the legendary plant was controversial until recently. For a long time it was believed that the largest tree in the world is more than three thousand years old. But recently, experts, after conducting a series of studies, officially stated that the age of the legendary sequoiadendron is two and a half thousand years. It’s scary to imagine what this mighty tree could endure in order to grow to such stunning sizes. It is very difficult for a tree of this size to grow, and such giants die mainly not from old age, but because of the size of the branches, which are difficult for them to hold. The General Sherman tree also suffered losses in 2006. The largest and heaviest branch fell off, the diameter of which was two meters and the length was over thirty meters. When the branch fell, the fence and the road leading to the living attraction were destroyed. But even after such a loss, General Sherman’s tree did not cease to be considered the largest tree in the world.

In terms of size, General Sherman is the largest plant, but surprisingly not the oldest. The oldest tree is California pine, which was four and a half thousand years old. But unfortunately, it has not survived to this day, since it was cut down in 1965 unknown people. In the same year, trees were cut down that were as old as three thousand years. There is an opinion that there are still centenarians left on Earth, whose age is about five thousand years.

Tree growth

Even though the giant sequoiadendron is already huge, it continues to grow. Once a year, specialists take measurements, and it can be noted that the tree grows by one and a half centimeters every year.

In general, mature trees of the sequoiadendron species reach a height of one hundred meters, and a trunk diameter of up to twelve meters.

National Park and his workers made sure that all people could see the legendary giant and take a photo of the largest tree in the world. A special road has been built for people with disabilities, so they can see the tree as closely as possible.

There is also a tree tunnel in a national park in California that attracts a lot of attention from tourists. This tunnel is made from a redwood tree that fell in 1937. Since there was no way to move or remove the tree, employees were forced to create a tunnel leading into the park, since the fallen tree lay right at the entrance to the living attractions area.

In addition, the park has the peak of Moro Rock, which offers an incredible view of the entire “forest of giants.”

But unfortunately, all the giants and long-livers of the national park may disappear from the face of the Earth. This threat is related to the climate in California. The drought, which has been going on for several years, threatens all plants, including the largest tree in the world - the sequoiadendron. No matter how powerful the redwood trees are, they cannot resist fires. Also, due to the dryness, new trees do not have the opportunity to appear. The park staff are trying in every way to maintain the beneficial life of the legendary plants.

Trees appeared on planet Earth long before the emergence of mankind; later people began to widely use wood in Everyday life for construction and other economic purposes. These representatives of the flora differ from each other in height, shape, habitat, and for many centuries they have not ceased to amaze with their diversity. It is possible that many have wondered what the tallest or largest tree in the world is called, then the information below will be interesting to the reader.

General characteristics of giant plants

Among the examples gigantic size Eucalyptus, sequoia and fir trees predominate; individual specimens can reach a height of several tens of meters. Growth is influenced by many factors, the main ones being: average temperature per year and its fluctuations, distance to the ocean and elevation of growth above sea level.

High record holder

The overall winner in this category is the Hyperion tree, which grows in Redwood State Park in California.

In 2015, the height of the tallest tree in the world was recorded at 115.61 m, after which it received the title of the tallest tree on Earth that is currently growing. Belongs to the genus of evergreen sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens) of the Cypress family, the maximum age of which is up to 2000 years.

The record holder was discovered in August 2006, when 2 botanist naturalists, Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins, decided to take measurements from this sample. It turned out that its height was then 115.55 m, and in 2015 the diameter of the trunk at the level of 1.4 m from the surface of the earth was 4.84 m. Experts estimate the volume of wood at 502 cubic meters; relative to age, they give figures in the range of 700- 800 years.

Outwardly it looks strict and laconic - a conical crown and a slender trunk. The bark is thick, has a red-brown tint, and its width can vary up to 30 cm.

The management of the national park has decided not to publish the exact location where this greatest attraction grows, out of fear that the busy flow of tourists from all over the world could cause irreparable damage natural ecosystem, surrounding the Hyperion.

During a recent examination of the upper part of the trunk, specialists noticed damage caused by woodpeckers. Unfortunately, they do not allow Hyperion to grow further; growth can only continue in width, so other participants in the top ten tallest trees have every chance of soon overtaking the current winner of this category.

According to Wikipedia, there are now 15 modern trees over 110 m tall.

Huge giant

“General Sherman” is the name of the largest tree in the world, which is rightfully considered a representative of the giant sequoiadendron.

It grows in the American Sequoia grove in California and has the nomination “The largest in volume and mass that grows on Earth today.”

This is the heaviest living form of life, having truly colossal parameters, and the annual growth in width, according to experts, is 1.5 cm:

• height – 83.8 m;
• trunk circumference at ground level – 31.3 m;
• diameter at the base – 11.1 m;
• crown span (average value) – 32.5 m;
• total weight – 1910 t;
• barrel weight – 1121 t;
• barrel volume – 1487 cubic meters;
• age - within 2300-2700 years (according to Wikipedia). However, there are a number of versions that prove that it is no more than 2000 years old.

Botanist James Wolverton in 1879 named this giant tree after William Tecumseh Sherman, the famous US general under whose leadership he served for several years. Later, in 1931, experts found that this particular specimen was considered the most powerful in the world.

The “Giant Forest”, where this award-winning winner has grown for thousands of years, is today a popular tourist destination where you can take great photos as a souvenir with the huge sequoia in the background.

Researchers have found Interesting Facts, which say that a house with 6 rooms can be built from General Sherman wood, and the volume of oxygen it produces is almost 120 kg per year, which is enough for 3-4 people.

January 2006 for the huge trunk was marked by the loss of a large branch, the diameter of which was 2 m and the length was almost 30 m. When it fell, it damaged the enclosing fence and the road. None of the park employees saw the incident; it is believed that this is protection from unfavorable weather conditions. But even having lost this part, the tree still retains its title.

Giants in Russia

It is difficult to answer exactly which tree is the tallest in Russia, because the country does not have an official register of botanical winners. However, on the territory of the federation, forests occupy a significant part of the land, so almost every region or region has something to surprise in terms of flora record holders.

The highest representatives of the country

Fir - evergreen conifer tree of the Pine family, widely found in the taiga of Siberia, can reach a height of 60-100 m and a diameter of 1.5-2 m. It has a straight trunk and many branches, starting from the very base. Also included in the tall category are Siberian cedars, which can be slightly less than 40 m tall.

The Krasnodar region is famous for the Nordmann fir found here; individual representatives of this species can grow up to 80 m under favorable environmental conditions.

In other areas, common spruces grow; some specimens are known with a height of about 60 m.

The pride of the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, located in the city of Yalta, is considered to be the sequoia, which today has already grown to 38 m, but is much delayed in growth in comparison with its representatives of the same name in California.

Many gardeners and botanists consider the magnolia kobus, which is located on the territory of the Botanical Garden of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, to be the tallest tree in Moscow. This is the only such representative of the species in the capital, which annually delights garden visitors with its flowering. Today his height is 6 m.

Maximum circumference

Not far from Lake Baikal in the foothills of the Sayan Mountains there is a unique area where poplars with a trunk diameter of about 6 m are found. Since there is no official information about what the thickest tree is in Russia, we can safely assume that the cedar growing here can lay claim to this title . It is more than 250 years old; measurements of its diameter showed 7.4 m.

Dear readers of the site “I and the World”, hello! Have you ever looked at the tallest tree in the world? Moreover, standing under him. It seems that its crown rests on the clouds and props up the sky. In the article you will see in the photo and find out which trees are currently taller than others.

In 5th place is the Tsar Oak - 46 m

The height of the royal oak reaches the 15th floor of a high-rise building, and its girth is 2.14 m. The oak has been growing for 800 years in the Pozhezhinsky Park of Belarus. Now the oak has been awarded the title of Natural Monument.

One day, lightning struck its crown and the top burned to the ground. Good people decided to help, even with difficulty, but they cut down the burnt crown, and inserted and secured a lightning rod into the trunk so that such situations would not happen again.

We gave 4th place to Sequoia “General Sherman” - 83 m

This sequoia lives for 2,700 years, and the trunk diameter has reached 7.7 m. This coniferous tree is much heavier in weight than the largest aquatic animal - blue whale, which weighs 190 tons. The weight of the wood General is about 2000 tons. Sequoia branches are arranged in an unusual way: they grow horizontally and slightly bend towards the ground. In ancient times, sequoias grew on almost all continents, but now they can only be found in Australia and California. Only a few groves have survived, and the largest are protected by law.

3rd place – Sequoia Hyperion – 115.6 m

Although the diameter of the Hyperion is smaller than that of the Sherman (only 4 m), but what a height! And the giant would have grown even higher if the crown had not been damaged by a woodpecker, hollowing out the wood, so the growth stopped. Its age does not exceed 900 years. The name Hyperion was given in honor of one of the ancient Greek titans, which means “very tall.” 43 floors up and you reach the crown.

In second place is Regal Eucalyptus – 150 m

In the mid-19th century, an Australian forest inspector came across a huge fallen giant, 150 meters long. And although this eucalyptus no longer grows, it can be considered the second tallest giant on earth. evergreen tree was almost 20 m in circumference, but history contains information about eucalyptus trees with a circumference of 25 m.

Currently, such giants no longer exist. They did not survive the Australian fires and burned out completely.

Sequoias grow not only on the Australian continent, but also in South America. Interesting fact: all sequoias got their name in honor of the Indian leader of the Sequah tribe, who fought against the conquerors.

1st place – Baobab – 189 m

Where is the tallest tree in the world located and growing? More recently, it was discovered in Africa, 189 meters high. Previously, it was customary to consider sequoias and eucalyptus trees to be the longest, but this baobab is considered taller than all. Its age reaches 5000 years. The thick tree has a diameter of about 9 meters and is perfectly adapted to life in a very hot climate. Its powerful and long roots go deep into the ground for kilometers.

Baobab is good at recovering from damage to the bark by people or fires. Even if the core burns out, the baobab tree stubbornly continues to live. The baobab also blooms during the rainy season and is covered with large flowers with delicate white petals.

We would like to especially note the longest plant - Rattan palm. It belongs to the liana family. So, if this fast-growing plant is delivered, for example, to Paris, then it will be higher than the Eiffel Tower (more than 300 meters).

In the article we showed which is the tallest tree in the world and what it is called. We tried to highlight interesting facts of some giants. And if you liked everything, suggest reading the article to your friends and acquaintances. See you on the pages of our website!