The largest tree species. The very best among the trees

This is a world of incredible contrasts. In this world, there are almost invisible dwarfs and real giants, it's incredible dangerous plants and vice versa, incredibly useful. The most contrasting representatives of the flora will be discussed below.

The largest tree in the world

It is also the largest and heaviest living organism on Earth. This title belongs sequoiadendron by the name "General Sherman", which has been growing for 2500 years in the United States. The dimensions of this one are simply impressive: height 84 meters, diameter 11 meters, base circumference 31.3 meters. Even more serious indicators fall on weight - 1910 tons and volume - 1490 cubic meters.

The tallest tree

This nomination should be divided into 2 categories: - currently growing trees, - champions of all time. Of the currently growing trees, the tallest is sequoiadendron(aka mammoth tree and giant sequoia), which the Americans also gave the nickname - "Hyperion". On the this moment its height is 116.2 meters.

The absolute record holder is regal eucalyptus, which was cut down in 1872 in Australia, the length of this eucalyptus exceeded 150 meters.

They also grow very tall and, among them you can find many plants whose length reaches more than 100 meters.

The longest tree

Palm rattan, which looks more like a vine, grows up to 300 meters. Interestingly, the diameter of the trunk at the very roots is only a few centimeters. In terms of growth, the rattan palm is also more like a liana, it twists around other trees and clings to them with the help of thorns located on the leaves.

The largest crown

Many types of ficus have interesting feature form aerial roots (layering) and due to this grow horizontally. This ficus life form is named banyan. The largest banyan tree today is "Great Banyan" from the Indian Botanical Gardens, its area is 1.5 hectares.

The oldest tree

spiny pine intermontane - apparently is the longest-lived tree on Earth. Pine by name "Methuselah", which grows in the highlands in North America in 19 years it will be 4863 years, and if this happens, it will beat the record of another pine of the same species "Prometheus". Today, the age of "Methuselah" is 4844 years!

The thickest tree (the thickest trunk)

Taxodium mexican(cypress) growing in the city of Santa Maria del Tule has a diameter of 11.62 meters and almost 36.5 meters in girth.

Baobabs and European chestnuts also achieve impressive results in this category.

fastest growing plant

This record belongs to plants from the bamboo family. Almost all types of bamboo grow at a rate of up to 20-30 cm per day, but the fastest growth rates are observed in edible leaf grate. This plant grows up to 40 cm per day.

The tallest grass

Fun fact, but the tallest grass in the world is banana(banana palm). This is not a joke, bananas are real herbaceous plants. The record belongs to the variety Musa itinerans- 12 meters high.

largest aquatic plant

Kelp macrocystis can grow up to 300 meters in length, however the average size ranges from 70 to 200 meters.

The largest water lily

Water lily victoria regal(Victoria Regia) is the largest in the world, its diameter is more than 2 meters. It grows in the Amazon basin.

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Nature can surprise even the most skeptical observers: sometimes its quirks are hard to imagine, but, nevertheless, it does not stop creating. The thickest trees on the planet are proof of this, because the majesty and longevity of kings flora constantly proves who is the boss on this planet.

Australia: baobab prison

Traditionally African baobabs by default, they are among the thickest trees on the planet, this is due to the special structure of the trunk and the aging features of these giants. They do not stretch very high and over time, as it were, fall apart, forming voids and labyrinths inside themselves and continuing to live.

However, the most thick tree in the world grew up not in Africa, but in Australia. The record was recorded in the 19th century. The trunk of the record-breaking tree reached 54.5 meters in girth. The core of the record holder baobab was destroyed by time long ago, which is why it began to resemble an empty room, but for many hundreds of years the absence of the core did not affect the well-being of the tree. An Australian baobab was used as a temporary prison cell.

Africa: baobabs as utility rooms

In Africa, there are hundreds of huge baobabs, the kings of the savannah, and local residents are not touched by their uniqueness: interesting natural monuments that would fit to be protected are quietly used as toilets, prisons, sheds, storerooms.

So, in Kenya there is a baobab hotel for tourists who want to spend time closer to wild nature. In Zimbabwe, a bus station is located in a baobab, where 40 people can wait for their departure. And in the center of Africa, a small bar is open inside an old baobab. According to various legends, the age of such a baobab exceeds 6 thousand years.

Toilet in the baobab. Africa

Chestnut "Hundreds of horses"

The Guinness Book of Records as the thickest tree on earth has hundreds of horse chestnuts. The girth of its trunk, according to legend, reached almost 58 meters in the 18th century, it grows on the island of Sicily.

It is said that in the 18th century the ruler of the island, Giovanna I of Aragon, with a small army, was caught by a thunderstorm in a field. The sprawling tree was able to protect not only the ruler, but also all the horsemen accompanying her, and there were at least a hundred of them.

Now the chestnut has split and consists of three trunks united by common roots. What it was like in the 18th century and how they were not afraid to stand under it remains a mystery. The girth of the largest trunk is 21.5 meters.

The approximate age of the chestnut is about 4 thousand years, during which time its crown has grown to a volume of 64 meters.

Today, the giant chestnut tree is fenced and looks like this, but you can still catch its former appearance on old images.

Sequoia - Mexican fat tree general

Another world record holders are sequoiadendrons growing in the countries Latin America and USA. Many of them are protected by the state, whereas before the general felling of trees on American territory, forests consisted of such giants. Traditionally, sequoias are considered the tallest (up to 80 meters), but rather slender trees, but there are exceptions.

The most famous giant sequoia was named "General Sherman". Its girth at the base is 11 meters, the volume of the crown exceeds 31 meters. The general holds the record, as the average girth of a sequoia is 8 meters.

Sequoia general

In the chronicle and the press there are documented materials about American sequoias, which, when cut down, could serve as dance floors and cafes.

One such giant tree fell on Cressen Meadow in a hurricane in 1937. The authorities considered that it was more expensive and more problematic to remove it than to cut a through tunnel right in the collapsed trunk. The tunnel became a California National Park attraction and is still in use today.

Californian national park

Sometimes tunnels were cut through sequoias that had not yet fallen to provide passage or passage. Today, this practice is not used, since there are no more than 500 specimens of giant trees left in the world. The last standing tree with a passage in the middle collapsed at the end of 2016. Its age was about 1000 years.

It still looked like this living tree, it was the main attraction of Calaveras Big Tree Park in California.
The attraction was called the "pioneer hut"

In addition to the "General Sherman" there was another giant tree, the girth of which reached 36 meters, but in this case the trunk was split and was divided into several divergent trunks.

Mexican taxodium - when DNA analysis is needed

In Mexico, in the city of Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, there is a tree called the Tule Tree. By affiliation, this is a Mexican taxodium, the girth of the giant is 11.6 meters. It was previously believed that the Thule Tree was formed by the plexus of several trunks. And the specialists had to do a DNA analysis of the giant to determine whose roots and trunks are here. It turned out that this is a single organism, its age is more than 1500 years. The locals call Thule the tree of life, as outgrowths of a bizarre bark formed a pattern in the form of various animals on its trunk.

Giant trees are impressive not only for their size, but for their age. If you think about it, these giants were witnesses to events that took place thousands of years ago.

The flora of the planet Earth is striking in its diversity. The "lungs" of the Earth - forests and groves - have attracted the attention of people for a long time. A huge number of species and forms of trees made them objects of study.

There are many ratings of the largest trees, the oldest, the most cold-resistant ... We present the rating of the tallest trees in the world. Historically, the most remarkable specimens grow on the American and Australian continents.

The tallest trees in Australia: legends and reality

Back in the 19th century, there were no measuring instruments that would allow us to name the exact height of a tree - up to a centimeter. Therefore, people who met giant eucalyptus trees in the Australian forests had to take their word for it. In 1872, an Australian resident reported that he had found a eucalyptus 150 meters high in the forest. But, alas, there was no documentary evidence of this.

The tallest tree in Australia, which was measured already in the middle of the 20th century, is a copy of the royal eucalyptus, and its height is significantly inferior to 150 meters. It grows on Mount Bau Bau in Queensland and reaches a height of 99.4 meters. The second tree of the same species comparable in height is located in the valley of the river Styx, which flows in Tasmania. Its height is 98.1 meters, and its name is Centurion.

America's Tallest Trees: Sequoia

Sequoias claim to be the absolute leader - these coniferous giants grow mainly on West Coast USA, off the coast Pacific Ocean. Sequoias received a generic name in honor of one of the legendary Indian leaders of the Cherokee tribe.

Moreover, many trees, recognized as unique for their large size, have personal names.

About 150 million years ago, forests made entirely of these giants covered almost the entire American continent. Now their habitat is limited to thirty relatively small groves on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The ten tallest trees in the world grow in one region of the world - California, USA. The exact location of some of them is kept secret, and it is difficult to find their photos on the Web. This was done on purpose - so that curious tourists would not make pilgrimages to the sequoias and let them grow quietly.

Interestingly, at the end of the 19th century, when sequoia groves were given the status of national parks, rangers began to monitor forest fires and prevent their spread. It would seem that this is a good and right thing to do. However, a few years later it turned out that during this time not a single young sequoia tree appeared in the groves.

The solution looked paradoxical, but it turned out to be correct. It turned out that Forest fires needed in life cycle sequoias. This is one of the few trees in the world that has managed to adapt to fire.

Under the influence high temperature the sequoia cone opens, the seed falls into the ground and gets a chance to germinate. And a forest fire at this time burns out fallen needles and foliage and allows the earth to “breathe”.

Top 10 tallest trees in the world: sequoias

10. Now the tenth tallest tree in the world is the Mendocino tree, which grows in Montgomery Woods, California, USA. Height - 112.20 meters. The barrel volume is 4.19 meters.

9. In ninth place is a sequoia called Paradox, which grows in Rockefeller Forest. Height - 112.56 meters, trunk volume - 3.90 meters.

7. Sequoia named Lauraline grows in the same county of Humboldt. Its height is estimated at 112.62 meters, diameter - 4.54 meters.

6. The sixth place in the world in height is occupied by a sequoia called Orion. It grows in Redwood National Park in San Mateo County. Height - 112, 63 meters, trunk volume - 4.33 meters.

Five tallest trees in the world

5. Sequoia, named after the National Geographic Society (NGS), is considered to be the property of the surroundings of the Redwood Creek. Height - 112.71 meters. The barrel volume is 4.39 meters.

The editors of the site clarifies: it is easy to see that these trees do not differ much in height and are quite densely adjacent in the rating. The unofficial title of the first among the giants passed from one instance to another several times. For a whole year - from 1994 to 1995 - the NGS sequoia was considered the tallest in the world.

4. The giant of the Stratosphere - a sequoia 113.11 meters high - was discovered in the summer of 2000. Then its size was slightly smaller, but the tree still continues to grow. From 2000 to 2010, the size of the Stratospheric Giant grew by seventy centimeters - from 112.34 meters.

3. The top three tallest trees in the world are closed by a sequoia named Icarus. Height - 113.14 meters, trunk volume - 3.78 meters. Icarus got its name for the sun-scorched, reddened dead top.

2. The second tallest tree in the world is called Helios and grows along one of the tributaries of the Redwood Creek. Its height reaches 114.58 meters. For literally two and a half months - from June to August 2006 - Helios was considered the highest in the world. However, an even more imposing tree was soon discovered on the other side of the river.

The tallest tree in the world: Hyperion

1. Now officially the tallest tree in the world is a tree called Hyperion. This is a sequoia that grows on the opposite bank from its fellow, Helios. Hyperion has held the championship in size since August 25, 2006, when it was discovered by two naturalists. The height of Hyperion is 115.61 meters, the girth is 4.84 meters.

The total volume of this tree is 502 cubic meters. It is also known that its age by the standards of the species is quite small - 700-800 years. Sequoias live for four thousand years.

However, Hyperion will no longer grow upwards. The top of Hyperion was damaged by motley woodpeckers, who dug several hollows in the very top of the trunk. The top of the trunk has lost its nourishment, and now Hyperion has to grow only in width.

And the sequoia Helios, which now ranks second in the world ranking, according to environmentalists, grows two inches a year, and in a few years Hyperion may give her the title of the most tall tree in the world.

There are only 30 groves left in the world where sequoias grow. it rare view, and environmentalists are trying to support it - grow it specially in British Columbia (Canada) and carefully protect nature reserves with sequoias. We invite you to read about endangered species of animals - the populations of the rarest are up to several dozen individuals.
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All trees are magnificent plants, you just have to look closely, but some of them stand out in particular. There are the highest in the world, there are the lowest. It does not matter which record the trees from this list broke, they all deserve special attention.

10. The oldest tree in the world, USA

This forest is home to trees that are 5,066 years old, which means they have watched over almost all of history. human civilization. If only trees could talk, these trees would have amazing stories for us!

9. The tallest tree in the world, USA

Nicknamed Hyperion, this sequoia has grown to 115.5m, which is taller than Britain's famous Big Ben and America's Statue of Liberty.

8. The widest tree in the world, Mexico

It was once believed that this photo shows a lot woven together, but a DNA test proved that we actually have one trunk with a diameter of 9.38 m! It's not easy to get around it.

7. The most voluminous tree in the world, USA

This is General Sherman and he is a sequoia and the proud holder of the world record for the largest tree in the world. The General received this title for occupying a perimeter of 31 m and rising 83 m above the ground. There are a lot of this tree, so to speak.

6. The most cheerful tree in the world, Bahrain

Nicknamed the Tree of Life for a good reason, this tree is known for having provided water for all life in the midst of a barren desert for 400 years.

5. World's smallest tree, Momiji Maple, Osaka

Here is a real tree that is still alive and growing in its tiny pot. Its height is 2.54 cm! Of course, Momiji did not grow by himself, but was bred by the chief gardener of Bonsai, the famous imperial garden.

4. The most colorful tree in the world, Hawaii

This iridescent eucalyptus gets its coloration from layers of bark that change frequently, revealing a new color palette each time.

3. The most poisonous tree in the world, North America

The manchineel tree is not a tree to hug. Both its fruit and bark can cause you a very unpleasant reaction, so be careful when meeting.

2. The most fruitful tree, India

Today, people are able to collect maximum yields through selection and genetic modification, but this indian tree has grown so generous with bananas on its own and gives them to others in the amount of 477 pieces per year!

1. The fastest growing trees, USA

Before you is Paulownia felt or the Imperial tree. It is famous for its incredibly fast growth - 4.57 m per year. The height of a mature tree is 12-15 m, which means that it grows to such a height in just 3 years!

Incredible Facts

If you have watched the movie Avatar, then you must have been impressed by the forests of Pandora. But to see the most fantastic trees, you do not have to go on an intergalactic journey.

Trees are part of our lives, supplying us with oxygen, food, homes, warmth and building materials. There are about 100,000 different types of trees, including a quarter of all living plant species on Earth.

Among the billions of trees around the world, there are completely unique amazing representatives.

1. giant sequoia"General Sherman"

Giant sequoias that grow in Sierra Nevada in California are considered the largest trees in terms of volume. The largest tree is General Sherman" in national park Sequoia, whose height reaches 83 m, the volume is about 1.486 cubic meters. m, and weight more than 6000 tons. The tree is thought to be somewhere between 2300 and 2700 years old, and every year the tree gains as much wood as a normal 18 meter tree contains. It is a true natural masterpiece and the greatest living organism on earth.

2. Aspen poplar: Pando

pando or Trembling Giant, located in Utah, USA, is an amazing massive colony of wasp trees spread over 100 acres of Utah. Almost all of the trees in this colony are genetically identical, that is, they are clones of each other. Every tree in this area comes from a single organism., being part of a giant underground root system.

Pando consists of 47,000 trunks, and its collective weight is 6,600 tons, making it the heaviest organism in the world. Although average age individual trunks is about 130 years old, the whole body is already about 80,000 years old.

3. Mexican Taxodium: Thule Tree

The Tule tree is a particularly large tree of the species Taxodium mexican which is near the city Oaxaca in Mexico. At this tree the largest girth of the trunk(58 m) and a diameter of the trunk, which is 11.5 m. They say that Tule tree so fat that you don't hug it, it hugs you.

It is believed that the tree is already about 2000 years old. For a while, detractors claimed that in fact there were three trees disguised here, but a thorough DNA analysis confirmed that this is actually one beautiful tree.

In 1994, the tree was under threat: the leaves became painfully yellow and there were dead branches everywhere. The tree was dying. When the "healers" of the trees were called, it turned out that the problem that caused the Tule tree to suffer was ordinary thirst and it needed to be treated with water. Naturally, after careful water procedures, the tree came to life.

4. Tree of life

Tree of Life in Bahrain it the loneliest tree in the world. The mesquite tree is located on the very high point the barren desert of Bahrain, hundreds of kilometers from other natural trees. It is believed that its roots stretch for several tens of meters to the aquifers. The exact age of the tree is unknown, but it is believed to be over 400 years old.

However, the secret tree of life does not consist in its size, age or shape, although it is quite large and very beautiful. The most amazing thing is that it stands alone in the barren desert at the highest point in Bahrain, in an area where there is absolutely no water. In a place where nothing seemed to survive, this tree seems to radiate life itself. People come here in droves locals It is believed that the tree stands on the site of the Garden of Eden.

5. Wollemia

Despite its uniqueness and beauty, interesting qualities Wollemia hiding not in appearance but in its history.

Wollemia, growing in Australia, is a real living dinosaur. oldest fossil tree Wollemia dated to 200 million years ago. When, in 1994, scientists suddenly discovered a living tree Wollemia they were just dumbfounded.

The exact location of these coniferous trees carefully hidden, in order to protect those remaining trees, of which there are less than 100 in nature. To save these trees from extinction, a program began in 2006 that allowed the general public to buy seedlings Wollemia and now they can be seen in various botanical gardens.

6. Cashew Tree Piranji

This famous tree near the city of Natal in Brazil is a 177 year old cashew tree that covers almost 2 hectares of land. It was planted in 1888 by a fisherman who did not know that the tree had a genetic mutation that allowed it to take up so much space. Unlike a normal cashew tree, when the branches of the tree piranji touch the ground, it takes root and continues to grow.

Today this tree serves as a tourist attraction. If you get close to this largest cashew tree in the world, you will feel like you are entering a forest. In fact, all this is one tree, the size of which reaches 8400 square meters. m. Tree 80 times the size of an average cashew tree and covers an area larger than a football field, bringing about 80,000 fruits a year.

7. Tenere Tree

The Tenere tree is mentioned in this list because it no longer exists. A lone acacia growing in the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa, which was over 300 years old, was the only tree within a radius of about 400 km. It was the only tree left of the vast forest that had been swallowed up by the merciless desert. When the scientists dug a hole next to the tree, they found that its roots descended up to 36m below the water table.

In 1973, the Tenere tree was hit by a drunk truck driver, and today a metal monument has been erected on the site in honor of Lonely Tree Tenere.

8. Banyan: Mahabodhi tree

The banyan tree is named after the banyans or Hindu traders who sold their goods while sitting under the tree. Even if you have never heard of the banyan tree, you will surely recognize it. The shape of this giant tree you will not confuse with anything: the majestic dome with aerial roots that descend from the branches to the ground.

One of the most famous types of banyan tree called ficus sacred or bo tree is mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka. It is said that the tree was grown from a cutting of a real tree, under which Buddha attained enlightenment in the 6th century BC

Being planted in 288 BC, it is the oldest tree in the world, planted by a person with the exact planting date.

9. Baobab

Baobab is considered to be the birthplace of Madagascar, it is also common in Africa and Australia. Baobab trees are the oldest forms of life on the African mainland, and many of those still standing today date back to Roman times.

Amazing baobab or " monkey breadfruit" can grow up to 30 m high and 11 m wide. Most of the year they remain without leaves . characteristic feature baobab is their pot-bellied trunk, which serves as a reservoir of water. baobab tree can hold up to 120,000 liters of water to survive severe drought conditions. Some trunks are so big that people live inside the tree.

One of the most beautiful clusters of baobab species Adansonia Grandidier located on baobab avenue Morondava in Madagascar. Some baobabs take on the shape of a bottle, a skull, and even a teapot.

10. Dragon Tree

Dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, is a unique representative. It is believed that it is between 650 and 1500 years old, but experts find it difficult to draw accurate conclusions, since it does not have one trunk. He rather consists of many small trunks, which hold on to each other as they grow upwards.

It has a dense canopy of leaves and gets its name from the resin that is released when its bark and leaves are cut away. Residents believe that this is the dried blood of a dragon and have been using it since ancient times to treat various ailments.