Tree 10

Sequoiadendron giganteum



Quick Facts

Genus: Sequoiadenderon

Species: giganteum

Common Names: Giant Redwood or Big Tree

Mature Size: 90 metres
Height: 12 metres
Width: 8.6 metres
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH@1.4m): 89cm

Age of Tree: Maturing; growing in compacted soil, exposed to hot drying wind in summer. This has slowed its growth and will limit its potential height.

Place of Origin: Siera Nevada Range (western slopes), 1,500-3,000 metres above sea level California USA.

Plant Habit: Tall growing evergreen conifer, single trunked, tapering from a broad base. Conical when young, less than 100years, becoming oblong shape with age.

Growth Habit: Regarded as moderate, can reach 25 metres in fist 50 years.



Story

These trees were donated by Mrs. J. Gascard and planted by the school children on the 28th of July 1904 (Arbor Day).

At that time the common name of this species was known as ‘Wellingtonia’. This type of tree was commonly planted from the Mid 1800’s, often as seed from Baron Von Mueller, then director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

It is thought that these four trees were later dedicated to soldiers (G.A. Yung / H. Campbell / W.K. Wallace, and P. Cantwell) who died in WW1, three were teachers at the school and one an ex-student.



Learn More

Horticultural Information

Preferred Conditions: Soil Moisture Medium, struggles in our hot dry summers and poor soil of low nutrients.

Soil Type: Friable and well drained with good levels of organic matter present, preferring acid soils types.

Tolerances: Prone to Armillaria a root killing fungus that can result in severe die back and premature death.

Useful Life Expectancy (ULE): Medium, this tree is growing in conditions that are restricting its growth, this is limiting its response to stress.

Significance: Important to School and local area.

Flowering Characteristics: Monecious, it carries both male and female structures. Males pollen sacks at branch tips, female cones are solitary, 4-6cm long, 2-3cm wide and are held on its canopy throughout the year, near branch ends.

Features: Needles are linear needle like with free tips up to 1cm long and arranged spirally and overlapping. Bark is brown, spongy and often thick, acting as insulation against wild fires to protect it.

Points of Interest: Closely related to Sequoia and Metasquoia; its history extends back to the Cretaceous period, 145-66 million years before present, mostly in northern hemisphere and restricted to North America and Europe.

Bark: thick and soft or spongy; it acts as insulation against wild fire in its home range; protecting the cambial tissue below.

Interest: This type of tree is considered one of the tallest trees in the world in its home range. The ‘General Grant’ grown in California, is considered the third largest tree in the world by volume at 83.8m tall x 32.6m wide (1999).

Additional Notes

The soil compaction caused by the children playing around these trees is restricting their health.

This type of tree is not tolerant of shade, it depends on major disturbance (fire, major tree collapse) for its seed to thrive in its natural habitat and successful reproduction. This type of tree can live to be 3,500 years in age in its home range, under good conditions.

Wood is decay resistant, though brittle in branches. Weighs 450kg per m3.

