Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) aren’t native to the Pacific Northwest. But with changing climate and hotter summers, they are well-suited to thrive in our urban neighborhoods. They provide numerous benefits to human and other creatures:
- Their massive size and potential to live thousands of years mean they can store huge amounts of carbon.
- Sequoia trees provide habitat for dozens of species.
- The shade they provide reduces summertime surface temperatures. They can reduce the need for air conditioning by up to 50%
Average Annual Environmental Benefits:
| Carbon Sequestered (pounds) | CO2 equivalent (pounds) | Run Off Avoided (gallons) | Rainfall intercepted (gallons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | 5.5 | 3,863 | 8,553 |
iTree annual figures (based on USDA Forest Service research; https://mytree.itreetools.org/ )
Fun facts
- Sequoias can live up to 3,000 years
- Their bark can be 3 feet thick
- The largest living tree in the world is a sequoia. Name: General Sherman in Sequoia National Park.
Diameter at base: 36 feet; height: 274 feet; 2,100 years old! It weighs 2.7 million pounds. - The tallest sequoias are the height of the Statue of Liberty and the weight of 400 elephants
- The second largest tree is General Grant
- The third largest is The President, which is 3,240 years old!
- There are 12 Giant Sequoias in Green Lake Park
- The largest branches of a sequoia can be up to 8 feet in diameter
- Sequoias never stop growing until they die
- The Macy’s Christmas tree in downtown Seattle is a Giant Sequoia. Height: 80 feet. It was ~100 feet but a storm shortened it.
- Sequoias are climate workhorses: they store a lot of carbon, provide habitat and food for several animals, and are generally fire resistant.
- Each tree started as a tiny seed. Only a few seeds germinate
- There are only 81 groves of sequoias left in the country. They are an endangered species
- Sequoia wood is brittle and fibrous, and therefore unsuitable for construction
- The oldest known redwood fossils date back more than 200 million years
- Sequoias produce serotenous cones, meaning they need fire in many cases to reproduce.
