General Sherman - largest tree in the world


General Sherman, originally uploaded by blueph0enix.

The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree by volume in the world and one of the fastest growing. It belongs to the species Sequoiadendron giganteum.


This sign reads…

GENERAL SHERMAN TREE
LARGEST LIVING THING ON EARTH

“The General Sherman Tree stands as the ultimate example of the growth potential of a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Other types of trees are taller, or thicker at the base, but not other living thing on this planet exceeds the volume of this giant sequoia. The General Sherman Tree owes its immense size not to great age (many other sequoias are older) but rather to its very rapid growth rate. For over two thousand years this tree has survived numerous fires, climatic change and even the coming of modern man. Today it remains not only the world’s largest living thing, but also one of the fastest growing.”

Estimated Age 2,300 – 2,700 years
Estimated Wight of trunk 1385 t. (1256 m.t. )
Height Above Base 274.9 ft (83.8 meters)
Circumference as Ground 102.6 ft. (31.3 meters)
Maximum diameter at base 36.5 ft. (11.1 meters)
Diameter 60 ft. above ground 17.5 ft (5.3 meters)
Diameter 180 ft. above ground 14.0 ft. (4.3 meters)
Diameter of largest branch 6.8 ft. (2.1 meters)
Height of First large branch 130 ft. (39.6 meters)
Volume of trunk 52,500 cu. ft. (1,486.6 cu.m.)


General Sherman Tree, originally uploaded by justinm.

1 comment:

M. D. Vaden of Oregon said...

One Coast Redwood found in 2014, has some chance to tie General Sherman on the national Big Tree registry. So far, about 1300 points and rising. If not presently, it's virtually inevitable after a few years growth.

http://www.mdvaden.com/redwood_year_discovery.shtml