How old is redwood trees

For thousands of years the people of the area managed to live in harmony with these ancient trees, understanding the importance of their unique forest ecosystem. And then the gold rush happened. With the arrival of hundreds of thousands of gold-seekers starting in , the redwoods were doomed. Logged into near oblivion to keep up with the demand for lumber, today, only 5 percent of the original old-growth coast redwood forest remains, fewer than , acres dotted along the coast.

The loss is heartbreaking And praise is easy, considering how spectacular they are. Consider the following:. Coast redwoods are among the oldest living organisms in the world. They can live for more than 2, years — which is to say, some of these grande dames were alive during the Roman Empire. The oldest-known living redwood clocks in at around 2, years old. Aside from the pockets of old-growth, most of the coast redwood forest is now young.

Attaining soaring heights of more than feet, they are so tall that their tops are out of sight. The tallest one of all is a towering beauty by the name of Hyperion; discovered in , this giant stands at Other notable specimens include Helios at In , much of the tree was destroyed by a fire since it no longer had its fire resistant bark to protect it. The Robert E. It is the 11 th largest giant sequoia overall and contains about 1.

Lee tree and found its volume to be 40, cubic feet 1, Lee as a hazard. Whitcomb determined that the tree had other weak branches. Until , the giant sequoia tree named Washington , was the second largest tree in the world. Washington is also one of the oldest and its age is estimated to be about 2, years. Much of the once beautiful and giant tree was destroyed by a fire caused by a lightning strike in Before the fire, Washington was about Unfortunately, Washington was shortened again in when the remaining portion of its crown collapsed.

It is currently feet 35 m with only a few living branches near the top. Despite all the damage, Washington is currently still alive. Park officials say that Washington may live for a few more decades or even centuries as other sequoias have survived with less foliage. The giant sequoia simply known as President is the the oldest-known living redwood tree. Based on volume of trunk, the President is the second largest tree in the world.

How old are these redwoods, really? This is a coast redwood at Henry Cowell State Park that is more than 2, years old. More about Garrison Frost Topics: Allyson Carroll coast redwoods dating tree rings dendrochronology giant sequoia Steve Sillett tree rings. Name required. Email will not be published required.

Related Articles. Honor your elders, both human and tree by Francis Mendoza. Backburning: fighting fire with fire by Linnea Hardlund. Redwoods, however, get their water from rain rather than snowmelt, and therefore require consistent rainfall throughout the year.

They even "create" their own rain by trapping fog in their lofty branches. With the right amount of moisture, redwoods can grow two or three feet in a year, making them one of the fastest-growing conifers in the world. In contrast to their size, redwoods have extremely small cones — about one inch long. They have appropriately large root systems , however, often extending feet 30 meters and intertwining with the roots of other redwoods, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Baby redwoods often sprout at their parents' base, latching onto their roots for nutrients. For this reason, they often grow in circular clusters sometimes called fairy rings. The coast redwood's lumber has been highly valued historically. It is durable, resistant to rot and termites, non-warping, and relatively soft. For this reason, it has been extensively logged. Since logging began in the s, 95 percent of old-growth coast redwoods have been cut down, according to the Sempervirens Fund.

Today, many redwoods exist in protected forests and parks. The changing climate presents problems for redwoods.

A warmer climate may result in less rain, and perhaps more concerning, less fog, which has historically been the tree's defense against dry spells, according to an ongoing study by a group of University of California-based researchers. Fog in northern California and Oregon is on the decline because of climate change and the expanding human population along the coasts, which produce "urban heat islands," according to a UC Merced researcher with the study.

On the other hand, a long-term study conducted by the Save the Redwoods League found that coastal redwoods have seen unprecedented growth over the last years. They are still trying to understand why but one theory involves lessening fog in those areas.