• Sequoias are the tallest trees in the world. What is the tallest tree on the planet? Paradox is ninth on the list

    A tree is a perennial plant that consists of roots that feed it, a solid trunk wrapped in bark and a crown (branches and leaves, different in shape and in their properties). They are divided into two types - coniferous and deciduous. Both those and other people have learned to process and receive benefits from them for themselves.

    But there are trees on which the human hand should never climb. These are the best of best trees: the highest, the largest, the heaviest and others.

    sequoias


    Not one tree, but a whole family can be safely attributed to the highest plants with a solid trunk. Four examples stand out in particular. All of them belong to the same tree species - these are sequoias. These species are conifers and mainly grow in North America on the run of the ocean, as they need moisture in large quantities.

    Structure


    In appearance, the breed is similar to others coniferous trees: branches grow horizontally, needles (needle-shaped leaves) are evergreen, have cones, from which, when dried, seeds fall out and begin the life of new trees. The roots are not deep, but they are very powerful. After all, they have to keep upright and feed trees, the mass of which reaches 1000 tons. The bark is very thick, compared to other rocks, the thickness reaches 30 centimeters. Inside the tree is red, so it is used in the furniture industry. Although others necessary qualities sequoia does not have mahogany (beautiful wood texture, ductility to processing).

    The length of the trees listed above is more than 110 meters and differs only by a few meters. Work on measuring their growth was carried out by scientists who, using a laser, were able to determine the desired parameter only in 2006.

    The tallest tree in the world


    Up to this point, the book of records recorded the best representative called the giant of the stratosphere. Its length is 112 meters and 70 centimeters. And after laser measurements, it turned out that there are three more trees that are superior to those described above. The tallest tree is recognized as a specimen over 115 meters long called Hyperion. The second place was taken by a tree 114 meters 69 centimeters long called Helios. And the third was Icarus, he grew to 113 meters 14 centimeters. But in order to be given official status by the book of records, all trees must be measured with a special rope lowered from the top of the tree.


    All these giants are located in the state of California. They are alive and continue to grow a year, adding an average of 25 centimeters. According to scientists, their opportunities for growth have not exhausted themselves. The critical length of the trees is located at around 130 meters above the ground. Then there will be problems with feeding the cells with water due to gravity. Although there are cases when trees were described, the dimensions of which reached 155 meters.

    Information about such a tree came from the shores of the Australian continent back in the 19th century. It was a representative of marvelous trees - eucalyptus. But what happened to him later, and why the current representatives of this tree species do not reach such sizes, is not known now. That gives ground for further reflection and scientific research.

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    Various studies show that coniferous trees are the tallest today. Record holders usually come from the genus of eucalyptus, sequoia or other members of the Cypress family. While not all corners of the world have been thoroughly studied, it is likely that new technologies will help make new botanical discoveries.

    For example, the plant, which is now considered the tallest in the world, was discovered between 2006 and 2008. For a long time, the location of the giants was kept secret so that the flow of curious naturalists would not harm the ecosystem of the place where the giants grow.

    The tallest tree in the world

    Today, the tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion sequoia, which grows in California. The trunk of this plant has a diameter of 4.85 meters. The tree has grown to 115.5 meters in height and covers an area of ​​502 square meters. Researchers believe that Hyperion took root in the 13th century, and estimate his age at seven to eight centuries. The tree got its name in honor of one of the titan gods in ancient Greek mythology. The exact coordinates of the giant, which could be entered into the GPS, were not released to the public. It is known that the tree is located in one of the remote areas state reserve Redwood in the USA.


    In the park where the giant tree is located, there are also several very tall sequoia specimens. These include Helios, whose height is 114.5 meters. He held the title of absolute giant among his brethren until a taller specimen was found. By the way, this happened just a few months later in the same area. Interestingly, in ancient Greek mythology, Hyperion is the father of Helios. Trees grow close to each other. The trunk of Helios is thicker than that of Hyperion and is equal to 4.96 meters. Given the available data, it turns out that the two tallest trees in the world are in the USA.

    Record holders in Russia

    Siberian fir is recognized as the record holder for height in Russia. But in the country with the largest forest area, there is no official bearer of the title of botanical giant. There are many giant specimens of firs in the Siberian forests. The height of representatives of this family can reach 100 meters. There is no doubt that somewhere in the depths of the Siberian taiga a giant rises, not inferior to the American Hyperion. Speaking of sequoias, an impressive representative of this species grows in the Crimea. In the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Yalta there is a tree whose height is 38 meters. The age of the Crimean giant does not exceed two hundred years.

    The peninsula also has some of the oldest trees in Russia. Yews and some types of junipers, according to preliminary estimates of researchers, took root in the highlands of the Crimea no earlier than 2-3 thousand years ago. It is noteworthy that yews and junipers do not differ in height and large trunk diameter. They compactly fit into rocky crevices, not being afraid of cliffs and steep mountain slopes. A height equal to 20 - 25 meters for such trees is evidence of an age of several thousand years. Volunteers have already registered at least a dozen such trees in Crimea.

    The widest tree

    Baobab is a tree whose width exceeds that of all competitors. The diameter of the trunk in representatives of this species can reach ten meters. The most powerful fat man today is a tree, which is called nothing more than the "Big Baobab". The girth of its base is 47 meters. The "Big Baobab" is located at the Van Heerden ranch in the province of Limpopo.


    Ennobling the territory, the owners noticed a cavity in the trunk of a huge tree, they cleaned it and arranged a bar in the resulting space. The Van Heerdens named their establishment The Baobab Bar. The diameter of the tree trunk is 10.6 meters. Studies have shown that the age of this baobab is more than 6 thousand years, but the most interesting thing is that it continues to grow and bloom every spring.

    The tallest tree in Africa

    Speaking of baobabs, it is impossible not to mention that in their homeland there are also many trees - giants. The tallest tree in Africa is on Mount Kilimanjaro. It comes from the genus entandrophragms. The family of these plants settled in Tropical Africa and is not found anywhere else, this species is endangered. The highest entandrophragma on Mount Kilimanjaro reached 81.5 meters.


    According to researchers, the tree is about 500 years old. Near the giant there are several more worthy representatives of its kind. A group of trees on Mount Kilimanjaro was measured for four years, and in 2016, finally, information appeared that the average height of entandrophragms in this area is 70-80 meters.

    Record holders of the past

    Speaking of the tallest trees in the world, one cannot fail to mention the famous giants of the past. The most famous tree measured is the regal eucalyptus, found in Australia by forester William Fergusson. The man measured the tree and left notes about his find in 1872. According to Fergusson, at the time of its discovery, the eucalyptus had a height of 132.5 meters, but according to indirect evidence, the forester concluded that earlier the crown of the tree was 20 meters higher. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to verify this data. Eucalyptus was cut down and sawn into pieces for later use as building material.


    Another famous giant of the past is the Douglas yew from the Lynn Valley in British Columbia. According to reports in 1902, the tree grew to 126.5 meters in height. It was also cut down and used for firewood. The third dead tree, the record of which has already been broken by representatives of the same genus, is another California sequoia. In 1873, foresters reported the height of this tree, which was 112 meters.

    The tallest tree in Australia at the beginning of the last decade was destroyed by fire. Eucalyptus, which received the name El Grande, was one of the most worthy inhabitants of the forest in the south of Tasmania. At the time of death, the tree had a height of more than 79 meters. In 2008, a tree was found in the same area, which is now considered the main giant of Australia. The royal eucalyptus, 99.6 meters high, received Roman name Centurion.

    urban giants

    It is unlikely that anyone will be surprised by the fact that the tallest and oldest trees are hidden from people in the thicket of a forest, a nature reserve or in the mountains. In cities, plants - giants simply cannot survive. Each settlement has its own giant, but the parameters of such plants are usually more modest than those of their wild counterparts.

    The Moscow champion in height among trees is the most beautiful magnolia kobus, which grows on the territory of the Botanical Garden next to the Moscow City complex. According to gardeners, it is this plant that is the tallest in the capital of Russia. There are many relict trees on the territory of the botanical garden, which are listed in the Red Book. Most of the vegetation that is represented in this interesting place, in Moscow you will not see anywhere else.


    The American metropolitan area also has a champion - a 32-meter white oak growing on Northampton Street. It is interesting that the giant is protected by the forces of local residents, as a city treasure. Volunteers take care of the crown of the tree, prevent acts of vandalism, and even celebrate the giant. The oak has a rival in Georgetown, namely the 29-meter lyran or tulip tree. A plant from the magnolia family received one of its names due to the shape of the flowers that appear on the branches at the end of May. In the US, the tree is also called "yellow poplar".


    To the west of Canada's main city, in the tiny town of Arnprior, grows a 47-meter Weymouth pine, which is considered the record holder of Ontario. This tree is at least two hundred years old and is a local landmark.

    In Japan, trees are not judged by height, but there is a champion there too. A huge wisteria, which is about 150 years old, grows in Ashikaga Flower Park. During the flowering period, the plant attracts crowds of curious spectators who take photos and videos of the crown of the tree, spread over an area of ​​​​2 thousand square meters.

    The oldest tree

    Speaking of records, it is worth mentioning the trees that have survived world wars, drought, climate change, and even some states. The tree with the oldest root system is today recognized as a spruce, nicknamed Old Tikko. Researchers suggest that this plant has been living for nine and a half thousand years. Its trunk can be seen on Mount Fulufjellet in Sweden.


    Spruce "Old Tikko" - the oldest tree in the world

    Another representative of antiquity is the spiny intermountain pine Methuselah. Its age is estimated to be between 4500-5000 years. Despite his advanced age and rather shabby appearance, the tree is considered alive. It grows in the Inyo National Forest in America.

    There are a very large number of tall trees on Earth. Trees grow in different parts of the world, which are called the highest on the planet. In some cases, the dimensions are exaggerated, but there are also trees that amaze the imagination with their dimensions. With the advent of the latest height measurement tools, there is more reliable information about the true size of the largest trees in the world.

    Thanks to modern technology people were able to measure the true height of these colossi flora. Laser-based rangefinders, falling tape meters, etc. were used for the measurement. The researchers managed to form the ten tallest trees in the world, which are so huge that you can only take a “full-length” photo of them by rising to a certain height. Many of these giants continue to grow.

    The tallest tree in the world

    The location of many trees remains a secret, therefore, it is very difficult to find their photo. Despite the fact that Hyperion is the tallest tree in the world, its mass is far from the most impressive. According to this indicator, the colossal sequoia General Sherman is out of competition. Despite the relatively small height (83.8 m), the General has a record mass of 1.9 thousand tons with a barrel volume of phenomenal 1.5 thousand square meters. Scientists are sure that the sequoia General Sherman is at least 2.7 thousand years old.

    Mendocino takes tenth position

    Mendocino is one of America's largest trees.

    A huge sequoia with a height of 112.2 m is located in the Montgomery Woods nature reserve in the United States. From 1996 to 2000 Mendocino was considered the tallest tree on the planet. Not far from the giant, a lot of sequoias grow, but, compared to Mendocino, they look like a teacher kindergarten surrounded by kids.

    Paradox is ninth on the list


    Paradox, height 112.5 meters

    Tree 112.5 m high, located in woodland owned by billionaire J. Rockefeller near the town of Humboldt (USA). The diameter of the Paradox trunk is 3.9 m, which is somewhat smaller than that of Mendocino (4.19 m). Sequoia was discovered by accident, the researchers who saw the tree for the first time were amazed by its beauty. Paradox rises majestically above the forest, under its dense crown a company of soldiers can hide in the shade.

    Rockefeller - occupies the eighth position in the ranking


    Rockefeller occupies the 8th position in the rating

    Another giant tree associated with the famous billionaire. Rockefeller is a 112.6 m tall sequoia located relatively close to Paradox in the Humbold Redwood National Forest. The name in honor of the billionaire is symbolic - the tree is very old, like an entrepreneur respected in the USA.

    Sequoia is distinguished by its height, slenderness and density of the crown. Those who were lucky enough to see Rockefeller remembered him for a lifetime. By the way, it is not so easy to see a tree - the coordinates of all the colossi of the plant world are classified: this is one of the most effective ways protect them from vandals. If a person walks through the park, he simply will not understand that there is a giant in front of him. The thickness of the trunk of the famous sequoia is not much different from the surrounding counterparts.

    Lauralyn - is in the seventh position of the top


    Southern Giant Lauralyn

    Sequoia with a romantic name and an impressive height of 112.62 m. This giant, like the previous one, "lives" in the American Humboldt National Park. The gigantic tree was found by biologists P. Zinke and E. Stragenburger. The researchers were amazed by the incredible beauty of the tree, which in fact is a complete ecological system. Starting from the roots and ending with the crown, Lauralin is the habitat of a wide variety of living creatures. Hares live at its foot, squirrels live in hollows on the middle floors, birds nest on the branches. In addition, the Lauralina ecosystem includes many varieties of lichens and insects.

    This giant sequoia is not hidden from the public: visiting Humboldt Park, be sure to come to see the amazing tree.

    Orion - a gigantic sequoia in sixth place


    Orion - the height of the tree is 112.63 meters

    In the heart of the Redwood National Reserve (California, USA) grows a giant sequoia called Orion. The height of this amazing creation of mother nature is 112.63 m. Orion carefully hid from prying eyes, it was very difficult to find him. The fact is that the giant is located next to two other huge sequoias: each of these trees is 2 times lower than Orion, but they are in no way inferior to it in thickness. You can see the huge difference between sequoias only from a considerable height. Orion is one of oldest trees on earth, its age is 1.5 thousand years.

    National Geographic Society - in fifth place


    NGO. The height of the tree is 112.71 m.

    A giant sequoia named after a United States NGO. The giant was discovered in the Redwood Creek valley in 1994. For a year, the tree was considered the tallest in the world. The exact coordinates of the gigantic plant are classified. The trunk diameter is 0.20 m larger than that of Mendocino.

    Stratospheric giant is fourth on the list

    The height of this giant was 113.11 m.

    An impressive tree that looks like a huge skyscraper. The scientists who discovered this sequoia were amazed at its height: it seemed to the researchers that the tree touches the clouds with its branches. Hence the name of the vegetable colossus.

    The stratospheric giant was found in 2000 in the Humboldt National Park - this nature reserve is famous for record-breaking sequoias.

    At the time of discovery, the tree had a height of 112.34 m, but its growth continued. In 2010, scientists re-measured the height of the sequoia. It turned out that the Stratospheric Giant added in growth: its height was 113.11 m. The tree is surrounded by large brothers and you can only understand how huge it is from a height. The coordinates of the Stratospheric giant are hidden: this is how scientists try to protect the sequoia from vandalism.

    Ikar took the third position in the ranking

    Icarus reaches 113.4 meters

    Finally, we got to the top three. The famous sequoia Icarus "rose" to the third step of the rating. The tree was found by researchers M. Taylor and K. Atkins, who wandered around California's Redwood Park for several days.

    Biologists have noticed that the top of the sequoia is dry, as if it had burned out in the sun. Atkins remembered the Greek myth of Icarus, a young man who decided to fly to the sun, but was burned along the way. This is how the tree got its name.

    However, almost any tree in Redwood Park can be called Icarus. Due to solar activity, many sequoias in the reserve have dead tops. Actually, from English "Redwood" is translated "Red Forest".

    Finding Icarus on your own is problematic, and its coordinates are carefully classified.

    Helios is the second in the rating list

    Helios reaches 114.58 m.

    In the summer of 2006, K. Atkins and M. Taylor undertook another research expedition in the Red Forest. Surprisingly, the researchers managed to find another giant sequoia. It was a tree with a height of 114.58 m. Taylor and Atkins, shocked, named the sequoia Helios in honor of ancient greek god Sun. This tree is only slightly inferior to the leader of our rating.

    Hyperion is the tallest tree in the world and is in the top number one

    Hyperion - the record holder among all the tallest trees on the planet

    So, we got to the tallest tree in the world. This is a unique Hyperion sequoia that grows in the same Redwood Park. Surprisingly, the restless K. Atkins and M. Taylor discovered Hyperion. After measuring the tree, it became clear - this incredible giant is the world record holder. Hyperion's parameters are amazing:

    • height - 115.61 m;
    • trunk diameter - 5 m.

    Scientists believe that the age of the colossus is 800 years.

    Chris and Michael are sure that the Hyperion sequoia could have reached even higher heights, but the tree was attacked by woodpeckers. A huge number of birds settled in the branches of a giant plant, damaging the trunk. Despite the titanic power of the tree, the woodpeckers turned out to be stronger - the growth of the sequoia slowed down.

    Video: the tallest sequoia tree from the cypress family

    Sensation: despite the gigantic size of the tree, its leaves reach only 2 cm in length, and the root in the ground reaches only half a meter!

    Sequoia is the tallest tree in the world

    Readers have already understood that the tallest tree in the world is the sequoia. This breed is also called "mahogany". Douglas fir (another name is “pretty fir”, as well as Australian eucalyptus trees) could compete with these colossi. Unfortunately, the tallest representatives of these two species were destroyed.

    Sequoia Hyperion could also go under the saw, but in the 70s. In the 20th century, the American authorities drew attention to the atrocities of lumberjacks in Redwood National Park and the felling of sequoias in this area was strictly prohibited. Black lumberjacks were subjected to harsh sanctions, fined and even put in jail.

    The measures worked: in our time, a lot of gigantic sequoias grow in the Red Forest. At the last count of scientists, 100 trees grow in Redwood with a height of more than 100 meters. All these are sequoias, representatives of other species, unfortunately, do not overcome the hundred-meter mark.

    Until the summer of 2006, the status of the tallest tree in the world was held by the Stratospheric Giant sequoia in Humboldt Park. This colossus is twice the size of the Statue of Liberty.

    It seemed that the tree simply could not be higher, but biologists K. Atkins and M. Taylor proved that this is far from the case. Wandering through California's Redwood Park, they discovered a group of giant trees, among which was an incredible colossus that looked like a skyscraper. After measurements with laser equipment, it turned out that the found tree was almost a meter higher than the Stratospheric Giant. Moreover, the nearby "comrades" of the giant also exceeded the size of the previous record holder of the plant world.

    The tallest tree in the world is called Hyperion. This colossus is almost 30 meters taller than London's Big Ben.

    Hyperion was measured by environmentalist Steve Sillett, who was posted to Redwood Park. national university them. Humboldt. Sillett, using climbing equipment, climbed to the top of the sequoia and lowered the tape from there. Television company NG recorded what was happening on film: the film can be viewed on the Internet. After measuring the tape, it turned out that the height of the tree is 115 meters.

    Hyperion can be called a lucky tree. In the seventies of the last century, Redwood was an ordinary forest in which lumberjacks were operating with might and main. Giant pines fell one after another, they were sawn into fragments and taken away on large trucks. Hyperion was scheduled to be cut down, but about 2 weeks before the colossus was to be brought down, the US government declared Redwood a park of national importance.

    The sawmills knew full well that Redwood was going to be recognized as a park, so they worked tirelessly with chainsaws. Sequoia wood is one of the most valuable in the woodworking industry, companies received hundreds of thousands of dollars for one sawn giant.

    Trees, many of which were hundreds of years old, were destroyed on an industrial scale. People could well destroy one of the undoubted treasures of mankind - the redwood forest.

    Unfortunately, hundreds and even thousands of trees were not so lucky as Hyperion. Currently, in the United States, redwood forests account for only 4% of all green areas.

    Hyperion is young enough for a plant of its kind: this tree has not yet completed its growth. According to Sillett, the giant is no more than 800 years old (for comparison, the Orion sequoia has been on our planet for 1.5 thousand years).

    Compared to human life, Hyperion is now 20 years old, in fact, this is a young tree. The rangers of Redwood Park kept the coordinates of the giant strictly classified. American scientists hope that the young tree will continue to grow, setting incredible new records.

    In addition, hiking to Hyperion will certainly lead to the disruption of the Redwood Sequoia forest ecosystem. The tree itself will also suffer: for sure, among tourists there will be lovers to put a “commemorative” inscription on the tree or break off a piece of bark.

    According to Sillett, redwoods are a kind of "movie stars", but they can't get away from the paparazzi like their human counterparts. History has already shown that the popularity of giant sequoias leads to sad consequences.

    History of Giant Tree Measurements

    It is impossible to tell if Hyperion is the tallest tree in the last 100-200 years. People began to be interested in this topic relatively recently and no data has been preserved. In addition, 96% of redwoods are destroyed by logging companies.

    In 1872, William Ferguson, an official with the Australian State Forestry Inspectorate, informed the authorities about the discovery of a fallen Eucalyptus regnans (the royal eucalyptus, the closest relative of the familiar mountain ash). The tree was enormous. Arriving scientists measured and reported that the length of the eucalyptus is 132 meters.

    After that, several more eucalyptus trees up to 140 meters high were found in Australia. Unfortunately, there is no way to confirm these data: gigantic trees were cut down by lumberjacks.

    Eucalyptus wood turned out to be almost the only building material for Australian settlers.

    Today, there are almost no eucalyptus trees left in Australia, but they are found in Tasmania. For example, the famous eucalyptus Centurion is 100 meters high. The uniqueness of the Centurion is that it is the highest deciduous tree our planet. Eucalyptus was found in the fall of 2008 by the laser of an aircraft searching for dominant heights in the area.

    Tree Height Limit

    In 2001, the English scientist D. Amos published an article in one of the authoritative scientific publications on the maximum growth of trees. The researcher conducted a series of experiments which, according to him, convincingly prove that the maximum height of a tree is 130 meters. After this mark, the plant will not be able to deliver the nutrient composition obtained from the soil to the crown, its growth will stop.

    Amos's theory has not yet found practical confirmation: there is not a single tree in the world 130 meters high.

    We, the inhabitants of Eurasia, are unlikely to have been able to see trees more than 40-50 meters high in our native spaces. And if you managed to see a 60-meter pine tree, then it simply took your breath away from the grandeur. Now imagine that the height of the tallest tree in the world is over 115 meters! This is the height of a 40-story building or the height of three ordinary pine trees!

    So, the topic of our article today is the most tall trees in the world.

    The tallest tree in the world: sequoia

    Oddly enough, the TOP 10 giant trees grow in one, relatively small area - along the Pacific coast in California. These are giant, belonging to the cypress family - Sequoia semprevirens.

    In addition to size, the age of the sequoia is also impressive. So, based on the results of excavations, these plants already existed 208-144 million years ago, that is, in the Jurassic period. But if then sequoias were widespread in the northern hemisphere, now they huddle in a small limited area with a length of 450 km - from the Klamath Mountains (Southern Oregon) to the end of the Californian Sierra Nevada. The places where sequoias grow are part of the reserves: the Sequoia Biosphere Reserve and National Park, as well as the Humboldt-Redvus National Park. The oldest sequoias in existence today are 3,500 years old.

    Before we know what is remarkable tallest tree in the world, let's dwell on the biological characteristics of the sequoia. The tallest trees on earth have a cone-shaped crown, and the bark on the trunks is extremely thick, up to 0.3 m. By the way, immediately after removal, the bark has a pleasant reddish color, darkening over time, from which another sequoia name comes from - “mahogany ". The root system of giants is not deep, but wide. In young trees, the leaves are flat, elongated, about 1.5-2.5 cm, and in old sequoias at the top, the crowns take the form of scales about 0.5-1 cm in length. Sequoia seeds are 1.5-3 cm long, ovoid, with two dozen spirally twisted scales. Seeds ripen 8-9 months, each fruit contains 3-7 seeds.

    Tallest tree: 1st, Hyperion

    Only one and a half dozen trees in the world managed to jump the bar of 110 meters, another fifty - the bar of 105 meters. Some giants succeeded others in the rank of record holder. On this moment, according to official data, The tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion sequoia.

    The leader of our rating was discovered in 2006 by amateur naturalists Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins (by the way, it was they who found the other two tallest trees on earth) in Redwoods Park (California), in a tributary of Redwood Creek. The height of the tallest tree at that time was 115.5 m. Measurements of the current year, 2015, showed that the tree had grown by 16 cm. However, its growth was slowed down - this was facilitated by woodpeckers that damaged the top of the tree. Since the closest competitor to the tallest tree on the planet is 114.58 cm tall and grows faster than Hyperion, over time, the tallest tree may give way to the palm.

    Hyperion's trunk diameter is 4.84 meters at a height of one and a half meters from the ground. It is located in the depths of the national park, and its exact location was not disclosed to the public - so that tourists do not disturb the giant's ecosystem. The tallest tree in the world is about 750 years old, and the area of ​​​​this sequoia is estimated at 502 "square".

    Tallest tree: 2nd place, Helios

    On the other side of the Redwood Creek tributary grows a tree, recognized in the summer of 2006 as the tallest tree on earth, but resting on the lava of the winners for a little more than two months. Now Helios - that's what they called this sequoia with a height of 114.58 m - is in second place in the ranking. Its trunk diameter is 4.96 m.

    Unlike the leader, the location of Helios was not hidden from tourists, and everyone has the opportunity to admire it.

    Tallest tree: 3rd place, Icarus

    In 2006, in the same Redwoods park, near the same tributary of Redwood Creek in California, a sequoia Icarus was discovered with a height of 113.14 m. The diameter of the trunk of this tree was 3.78 meters.

    Tallest Tree: 4th, Giant of the Stratosphere

    For six whole years - from the moment it was discovered in 2000 until 2006 - the giant of the Stratosphere was considered the tallest tree on earth. It was discovered in Humboldt National Park in Rockefeller Forest. The first measurements showed a height of 112.34 meters. After 10 years, the sequoia grew to 113.11 meters. The exact location of the giant of the Stratosphere has not been disclosed.

    Giant of the Stratosphere

    IN national parks Sequoia and Humboldt-Redvus there are still quite a few giant sequoia Sequoia semprevirens, which literally breathe down the back of the head of the leaders. Some of them have long been considered the tallest trees on the planet - for example, Mendocino, the sequoia of the National Geographic Society.

    However, not only sequoias can boast of large sizes. You have probably heard of the tall eucalyptus trees that grow in Australia. At the moment, the height of the highest eucalyptus is 101 meters. This is the regal Eucalyptus Centurion, discovered on the island of Tasmania in 2008. The diameter of the trunk of this tree is 40.5 cm, and the age is at least four hundred years. There are reports that these trees used to grow up to 155 m in height, but this has not been documented in any way.

    Eucalyptus Centurion

    In general, the height of the largest plants on the planet becomes smaller over time. The reason for this is human activity and the violation of ecosystems that are not able to "feed" the giants. Perhaps very soon, in the still not fully explored places of our planet, a new one will be found. Nevertheless, we have something to admire, something to keep and appreciate today.
    Tatyana Kuzmenko, member of the editorial board of the Sobcorrespondent of the online publication "AtmWood. Wood-industrial bulletin"