Sequoia sempervirens

Sequoia sempervirens is the only living variety tree that belongs to the genus Sequoia of the Cupressaceae family. The common names of the tree comprise coastal redwood, coast redwood, and California redwood. This is the evergreen, long-surviving and it is one of the oldest trees in the world. Prior to commercial logging and clearing commenced by the 1850s, this gigantic tree has grown naturally in a projected area of 8,500 square kilometers (22,100,000 acres) all along much of coastal line of California and the southwestern bend of coastal Oregon in the United States. More than 95% of the original old-developed trees have been chopped down, owing to their outstanding features for use as encumber in construction.

Features

The Sequoia sempervirens tree is the tallest tree in the world that grows to a maximum height of 379 feet (115.5 m), with the maximum diameter of 26 feet (7.9 m). The bark of the tree is extremely thick, with the maximum diameter of one foot (30 cm), and fairly flexible and fibrous, with a vivid red-tan color when newly exposed, enduring darker.

The top of the Sequoia sempervirens looks like a cone when the tree is fully grown. The tree has horizontal, to somewhat sagging branches. The root organization of the tree is composed of low, wide-extending cross roots.

The leaves of the Sequoia sempervirens tree are variable, with the length, ranging from 0.59 inches to 0.98 inches (15 mm to 25 mm) and even on immature trees and sheltered shoots in the lower top of old trees. Alternatively, the leaves of the tree resemble a scale, with the scale length ranges from 0.20 inches to 0.39 inches (5 mm to 10 mm) on shoots in complete sun in the upper top of older trees, with a complete range of change between the two boundaries. They look dark green in color above and contain two blue-white color stomata bands underneath. The leaf configuration of the tree is spiral, but the superior shade leaves are coiled at the foot to lie in an even plane for utmost light capture.

The Sequoia sempervirens tree is monoecious, with pollen and kernel cones on the identical plant. The oval-shaped seed cones have a length ranging from 0.59 inches to 1.26 inches (15 mm to 32 mm), with 15 to 25 scales that are arranged spirally.

The pollination will take place during the late winter with the maturation period of about 8 to 9 months after. There are three to seven seeds contained in every cone scale, each seed with the length between 0.12 inches and 0.16 inches (3 mm and 4 mm) and with the maximum breadth of 0.020 inches (0.5 mm), with two wings of breadth 0.039 inches (1 mm). The seeds of the tree are released while the cone scales dry off and open at ripeness. The pollen cones of the tree are ovulating, with the length between 0.16 inches and 0.24 inches (4 mm to 6 mm).

Uses

The wood of the Sequoia sempervirens tree is one among the most precious wood variety in the lumbering business. Due to the remarkable opposition to decay, the wood of the tree was widely used for trestles and railroad ties. Several of the old ties have been reprocessed for use in backyards as borders, house beams, steps, etc. Redwood burls are employed in the manufacture of veneers, table tops, and turned goods.

The average lifespan of the Sequoia sempervirens tree ranges from 1,200 years to 1,800 years.