List of largest giant sequoias

The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the world's most massive tree,[1][2] and arguably the largest living organism on Earth.

They grow at such a rate as to produce roughly 1.1 cubic meters (40 cu ft) of wood each year, approximately equal to the volume of a 50-foot-tall tree one foot in diameter.

Giant sequoias occur naturally in only one place on Earth—the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, on moist, unglaciated ridges and valleys[8] at an altitude of 820 to 2,100 meters (2,700 to 6,900 ft) above mean sea level.

Larger giant sequoias are more resistant to fire damage, due to their thick protective layer of nonresinous bark and elevated crowns.

The most common cause of death in mature giant sequoias is toppling, due to weakening of the roots and lower trunk by fire and decay.

Other causative factors include wind, water-softened soils, undercutting by streams, and heavy snow loads in the crowns.

[13] The Washington tree, located in the Giant Forest Grove in Sequoia National Park provides a good example of the aforementioned phenomenon.

The structurally weakened tree partially collapsed in January 2005, as the result of a heavy snow load in the remaining portion of its crown; it is now approximately 35 meters (115 ft) tall.