The Largest Tree in the World: [Height, Location and Characteristics]

What is the tallest tree in the world?

In the planet’s biodiversity, there are plants and trees of multiple species, designs and characteristics that allow them to adapt to different ecosystems.

Experts in the field point out that collectively, as a group, the tallest trees in the world are Eucalyptus regnans, but which is the tallest tree, the one that has broken the altitude record?

The name given to the tallest tree on the globe is Hyperion, a Sequoia sempervirens, 115.55 meters or 379.1 feet tall, located in the Rededor National Park, north of San Francisco, in the state of California.

To which species belongs the tallest tree in the world?

This wonderful specimen belongs to the Sequoia family, whose species Sequoia sempervirens (better known as Red Sequoia) and Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia) are the tallest and largest trees in the world.

How tall is the tallest tree in the world?

It measures about 115.55 meters, which is 379.1 feet tall. It has also been calculated that it has about 526.69 meters of wood.

Currently, Hyperion is No 1, the King of the largest trees in the world, with its almost 116 meters high.

To get an idea of ​​what we are talking about, this specimen boasts 21 meters more than the entire Statue of Liberty, the famous monument that France gave to the United States of America. Amazing, right?

But it is estimated that this specimen still has the capacity to rise much higher and reach up to 130 meters in height, with an annual growth of 1.80 meters.

The Hyperion tree has a trunk diameter of around 5 meters and although it is between 700 and 800 years old, it is not even remotely close to the age of what is considered the oldest tree in the world today.

Did you know…?Before its famous discovery, it was believed that the tallest specimen in the world was the so-called «Giant of the stratosphere», another illustrious inhabitant of the same Redwood National Park that already in 2010 reached 113.3 meters and that by the time of the The eruption of the Hyperion was 112.83 meters high in 2014, being until then the largest tree on the planet

Where is the world’s largest located?

It is protected from onlookers and tourists in the Redwood National Park north of San Francisco, California, United States.

We personally strongly recommend a visit to said park. Seeing the sequoias live is something spectacular.

When was the tallest tree in the world discovered?

It was discovered on September 8, 2006, when two hikers, Chris Atinks and Michael Taylor, on a hike through the Californian national park discovered a tree that reached a height never before seen by humans.

This is how he received the name of Hyperion, mainly due to the perfect analogy he had with the titan of Greek mythology and son of the god Uranus (of Heaven) and the goddess Gea (Earth), a nickname that means «the one who lives above or the one who looks from above”.

What features does it have?

The key to the high growth of Sequoias is that they have super special needle-shaped leaves, capable of generating very little stress for this species . But the best thing about them is that they require very few nutrients, they actually require very little from the tree.

These characteristics, together with the excellent weather conditions and the richness of the soil where the Sequoias are found, make them grow very fast and very tall, making them the largest trees in the world.

Currently, there are only about 135 specimens of Sequoias that exceed 100 meters in height. Let’s see what are the other 9 specimens that follow the Hyperion in height.

Helios

It is another tree of the same species discovered in 2006 and about 114.51 meters, which was listed as the tallest on the planet for about a month, until Hyperion dethroned it.

Icarus

It is also a 113.14 meter Giant Sequoia that lives with its siblings in Redwood National Park.

Stratosphere Giant

It is, as you know, the first tree or living being listed as the tallest in the world, until it was superseded by his brothers. He lives in Humboldt Redwoods State Park and is still growing. It is 113.1 meters long and has a diameter of 5.12 meters.

Fusion Giant

From the same family, it is another giant Sequoia of 112.71 meters and 4.40 meters in diameter. Until 1995 it was the highest on the planet -. He also lives in the Redwood National and State Park.

Orion

It is 112 meters high and with this Sequoia the parade of giants of the planet ends, who together with their only competitors, the eucalyptus trees, show that nature has a lot of magic and fascination in each gift it offers to the planet and its inhabitants.

Lauralyn

He is 112.62 meters tall and also lives in Humboldt Park, in California, United States.

Rockefeller

This specimen reaches about 112.60 meters and was recently added to the list of famous Sequoias.

paradox

Measuring 112.56 meters and 3.90 meters in diameter, it is considered one of the narrowest among this range of giant trees.

Mendoza

It is 112.20 meters. This Sequoia remains in another park in the United States, the Montgomery Woods State Reserve.

O Avo

Outside America, the tree called O Avó, with 90 meters, is the tallest in all of Spain and in all of Europe. He lives in Galia, municipality of Viveiro, in a reserve where there are beautiful specimens of eucalyptus trees that reach up to 80 meters in height.

eucalyptus

In Africa, eucalyptus trees take the lead as the tallest on this untamed continent, more specifically in South Africa, Woodbush State.

At the beginning of the 19th century, specimens up to 80 meters high were found.

But more recently, about eight years ago, a 83.5 meter tall specimen was found which is still the King of the Africans tree.

Kapok

And in South America, in the ancient forests of Peru, the Kapoq, 80 meters high, resists the ravages of time.

General Sherman

Finally, the tree with the largest biomass on the entire planet: General Sherman, also an illustrious inhabitant of the Sequoia National Park, in Giant Forest, in the United States.

Although it is 80 meters tall, its trunk boasts an unheard of 30 meters in diameter, with around 11 meters at its base alone. Its trunk is y-so per so strong, which is one meter thick and its total weight is estimated at about 2,000 tons, equivalent to the weight of 400 adult African elephants.

In recent studies, a life span of 2,000 years has been calculated, and every year it receives thousands of visitors who want to take pictures at the foot of this wonderful natural relic that once again gives us the magic of nature.