Both brilliant in their size and power to live for centuries , sequoia and sequoia trees contain some of northern California ’s most majestic forests and national parking area acreages . These two Tree are very near relatives , but physical characteristics and their natural growing image take issue . mix-up is common , and the scientific names used may leave multitude to wrongly believe these two tree diagram species are one and the same .

Nomenclature

Both trees are fellow member of the same plant category , Taxodiaceae , or bald cypress tree family . However , they are each categorize into a separate radical , or genus : the California sequoia or coastal redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) and the giant redwood or jumbo redwood ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) .

Nativity

Although both coinage are find in California , coastal redwood is found growing in the damp coastal wood of westerly California and southwestern - most Oregon . The giant sequoia grows naturally in California ’s Sierra Nevada Mountain stove farther east .

Size

Coastal sequoia ( Sequoia sempervirens ) grow to very tall heights , upwards of 300 to 360 feet , with branches that produce a canopy breadth of 20 to 28 base . More ordinarily the coastal redwood is seen at a more youthful height of 70 to 100 foot .

The giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) is much shorter , but with a much stouter , massive trunk . It strain heights of 80 to 260 feet and a canopy breadth of 22 to 30 feet .

Age

The gargantuan redwood is extremely long - last . Scientists in the nineteenth and 20th hundred had dated large specimens to be 3,000 and 3,300 twelvemonth of age . The coastal sequoia also potentially arrive at ancient status , but dating of this coinage finds a lifespan of 2,000 to 2,200 years , as listed by " The Gymnosperm Database . "

Foliage

Coastal redwood foliage has hard , linear , sharply steer needles on its branches , held outward in two ranks or angle . The needle undersides are silvery white . In dividing line , the needles of the jumbo sequoia are arranged all around the twigs and are on an individual basis shaped like awl . They are grayish greenish .

Cones

The cones on these two trees endure and ripen differently , too . Coastal sequoia ’s rounded cone mature in autumn after first make in spring . Giant sequoia ’s ellipse cone take two years to fully mature , and then run on the branches for at least six month longer .

Bark

The hard bark of the giant sequoia is much thicker than that of the coastal redwood ; both are ruby brownish . This fissured barque protect the living wood of the giant sequoia from woods fires that of course come in this forest ecosystem . Giant redwood grows in a timberland that is less humid and has less annual rainfal than the ice chest , bed wetter forest inhabited by the coastal sequoia . Thus , coastal redwood ’s bark is not nearly as thick and is much softer in density .

References

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