The planet's tallest trees sustain entire ecosystems.
Standing more than 350 feet tall along California’s rugged northern coastline, coast redwoods are surreal in scale. These remarkable trees are ecosystem champions, storing vast amounts of carbon and supporting vibrant communities of plants and animals. Though human activity has reshaped these forests, they remain full of life. And possibility.
Mature sequoias are so big, it can take 30 seconds just to walk around one. Yet these giants face unprecedented threats.
Giant sequoias reach enormous sizes because they grow quickly and can live thousands of years. These resilient icons of the Sierra Nevada anchor entire landscapes, but they aren’t immortal. An increasingly extreme climate is bringing new threats, and recent wildfires alone have killed nearly one-fifth of the world’s giant sequoias. Even so, there’s real opportunity to restore the balance these spectacular trees need to thrive.
There’s more to redwoods than size. Explore the latest discoveries about these miraculous trees, from their complex canopies to their unique genomes.
Know your giants: Here's how to identify coast redwoods, giant sequoias, and their conifer kin.
