Redwood

Redwoods are very large conifers

Image - Wikimedia / Allie_Caulfield

All the redwoods They are impressive conifers, not only for their size but also for their life expectancy. In fact, they can live for more than 3000 years as long as the conditions are right. Its growth rate is quite slow if we compare it with that of other trees, but that works in its favor, since winter is so cold and hard that it forces them to suspend all their activities, except the essential ones such as the to breathe. Later, in spring, their awakening is slow, so that after a year they will have been able to grow about five, perhaps six months with luck.

And it is that the climate that exists in the habitat of these giants is the typical one of mountain, with mild summers and very cold winters. Snowfalls are very frequent in the last season of the year, so in cultivation they can only grow in certain areas. Even so, it is worth knowing them in depth.

What is the sequoia tree?

'Secuoya' is the term we use to refer to a series of trees, more specifically conifers, which can reach heights of up to 115 meters. Develop a straight trunk, as if it were a pillar, which thickens as time goes by, to the point that it can measure around 8 meters at its base.

They are plants with leaves of variable size, long and green in color. The cones are ovoid in shape, and mature within eight to nine months after pollination has occurred in late winter or early spring.

Types of redwood

There are three types of sequoia, but as we are going to see, there is only one that belongs to the genus Secuoia. The other two are distant relatives of this one, but they belong to different genera. Let's see what they are:

Redwood (sequoia sempervirens)

View of the Sequoia sempervirens

Image - Flickr / brewbooks

This is the 'true redwood' so to speak. It is popularly known as redwood or California redwood, and belongs as we have advanced to the genus Sequoia. It is found along the Pacific Coast of North America, at an altitude of between 30 and 920 meters above sea level. It reaches a height of 115 meters, is evergreen and its life expectancy is about 3200 years.

Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendrum giganteum)

View of the Sequoiadendron giganteum

Image - Wikimedia / ErikvanB

La giant sequoia is an evergreen conifer known as velintonia, Sierra sequoia or large tree native to the western part of the Sierra Nevada, in California, specifically at altitudes ranging from 1400 to 2150 meters above sea level. It can reach 105 meters in height, although the normal thing is that they stay 'only' in the 50-85 meters. Their life expectancy is around 3000-3200 years.

Metasequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

The Metasecuoya is a deciduous conifer

Image - Wikimedia / Crusier

The metasequoia or metasequoia is the conifer that is least related to the Sequoia. In fact, there are several details that differentiate it:

  • Es deciduous.
  • Its growth rate is, in general, fast.
  • Its size once it reaches adulthood is about Meters 45, with a trunk up to 2 meters in diameter.

In addition, it is originally from China, specifically from Sichuan and Hubei. But as a curiosity you should know that during the Paleocene-Eocene, it also lived in what is now western North Dakota in the United States, and Durango in Mexico.

As if that were not enough, it is a less demanding species, which is why it is increasingly found in gardens in temperate and even warm-temperate regions.

How long does Sequoia take to grow?

Redwoods are trees that grow in forests

Image - Flickr / James St. John

There is much talk that these trees are slow, but ... in reality, whether a plant is more or less slow to grow will depend on the climate, the soil, its genetics and the challenges it faces. face throughout his life (pests, diseases, drastic changes in temperature, ...).

But if the redwood is doing well and you don't have too many problems, the normal thing is that it takes about 20 years to form a trunk; On the other hand, the metasecoya will take a little less time, between 10-15 years.

How much does a redwood grow per year?

Again, it will depend on many factors, but generally grows to about 2-5 centimeters per year. You can get a little more growth if you fertilize it regularly from spring to late summer with fertilizers such as guano or compost. But yes, do not expect it to grow 20 centimeters per year 😉.

Where is the largest sequoia in the world found?

Redwoods are very large and long-lived living things

Image - Wikimedia / Allie_Caulfield

The largest tree in the world is a giant sequoia, belonging to the species sequoia sempervirens. It is known as Hyperion, and it is found in Redwood National Park, north of San Francisco in California. It measures 115,9 meters, and is today the tallest specimen that has been discovered.

However, there is another that also deserves a mention. The species belongs Sequoiadendron giganteum. They named him General Sherman, and he lives in Sequoia National Park, California. It is considered the living being with the highest amount of biomass on the planet, since although it is shorter than Hyperion at 83,8 meters, its trunk is much thicker, with a diameter of about 11 meters. In addition, the length of its branches is about 40 meters.

What are the care that must be provided to them?

Redwoods are evergreen or deciduous trees

Image - Wikimedia / Spacebirdy / Myndir

If you dare to have a redwood specimen, we recommend taking care of it as follows:

  • Location: it must be outside, in semi-shade.
  • Earth:
    • Garden: rich in organic matter, with good drainage.
    • Pot: substrate mix for acidic plants (on sale here) with 30% perlite.
  • Irrigation: moderate to frequent. Water 3-4 times a week in summer, and somewhat less the rest of the year using rainwater or lime-free.
  • Subscriber: from early spring to late summer with organic fertilizers, such as guano, compost, mulch or manure from herbivorous animals for example.
  • Multiplication: it is multiplied by seeds in winter, which have to be stratified in the refrigerator for three months. Slow germination. They can take 2-3 more months to sprout.
  • Rusticity: ideal for areas where the climate is temperate and humid, with temperatures between -18ºC and 30ºC.

What do you think of these conifers?


4 comments, leave yours

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  1.   kamilo said

    I was amazed to know that there are such giant trees !!!!!

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Kamilo.

      Yes, there are very, very tall trees 🙂

      regards

  2.   Manuel said

    Hello everyone, I have just planted 6500 sequoias, an experiment that, if it goes well, could be an important source of income for the price of this conifer, although the 20 years that they say they already have wood seems little to me (rather 30 years). greetings

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Manuel.
      The truth is that I couldn't tell you, since where I live they don't do well because of the heat in summer.
      I do know that they are very slow, and that the transplant is complicated 🙂
      Greetings.