How fast do sequoia trees grow

Eventually, however, sexual maturity is achieved and thereafter the crown of the tree gradually loses its sharply spired appearance and takes on a more rounded, dome shape. The crown of a mature giant sequoia takes on a gracefully rounded look with great cloud like billows of greenery that stand in marked contrast to the more pointed tops of other conifers around it. The top of the crown becomes more and more rounded as great age and great height combine to inhibit further growth upward.

Massive branches are also typical of the old veterans. Natural pruning may eventually result in main trunks that are branchless for one hundred to one hundred fifty feet above the ground. Above that level the older trees may keep one or more branches that come horizontally out of the main trunk and then turn upward, reaching another one hundred to one hundred fifty feet into the sunlight.

Many old giant sequoias are snag-topped in appearance. That is, they have dead wood at the top of their crowns, indicating that they have been taller and then died back somewhat even though they otherwise appear to be healthy and robust. The largest single cause of snag-tops is fire damage. Eighty-five percent of sequoias that have snag-tops also have serious burn scars in their trunks.

Rate of Growth Coast redwoods may put on six, eight or even more feet of height in a single season whereas the giant sequoia is more likely to grow about two feet in height per year throughout its first fifty to one hundred years. On the other hand, the massive trunk of the giant sequoia continues to grow - increasing its overall volume - at a rate far surpassing that of any other tree. Growth rings one half inch in thickness are common in young giant sequoias under optimal conditions.

This amounts to an increase of one inch of diameter per year. And rapid growth is likely to continue even when the trunk has become one hundred or more feet in circumference. Vegetative Reproduction- Giant sequoias up to about 20 years of age may produce stump sprouts subsequent to injury Unlike redwood Sequoia sempervirens , older trees normally do not sprout from stumps or roots. A recent report 30 , however, noted sprouts on two small stumps from suppressed trees about 85 years old.

Giant sequoias of all ages may sprout from the bole when old branches are lost by fire or breakage 17, Cuttings from juvenile donors root quickly and in high percentages up to 94 percent 3,10, Limited success has been achieved in rooting cuttings from older or year-old trees 3, Differences in vegetative regeneration capacities between juvenile and older donors may be reduced if cuttings are taken at the time of budbreak, instead of during the dormant period Growth and Yield- One tree species has a greater diameter than giant sequoia, three grow taller, and one lives longer In terms of volume, however, the giant sequoia is undisputedly the world's largest tree.

The greatest known height for the species is The indicated mean d. Mature specimens commonly reach a diameter of to cm to in above the butt swell and average about 76 m ft in height A notable characteristic of mature giant sequoias that contributes substantially to their great volume is the slight taper of the bole-a feature more prominent in this species than in any other Sierra Nevada conifer In contrast, young open-grown giant sequoias taper markedly.

The greatest known age of a giant sequoia is 3, years, determined from a stump count of rings Calculations based on increment borings yield age estimates of 2, to 3, years for many living trees.

Beyond the seedling stage, giant sequoia unhindered by an overstory continues to grow at least as well as associated species of the same age. In both clearcuts and group selection cuts on a high site in the central Sierra Nevada, it has outgrown other conifers in plantations up to 18 years of age. Furthermore, giant sequoia appears less susceptible than associated conifers to growth reductions caused by shrub competition In a survey of California plantations up to 50 years of age in which giant sequoia had been planted, it outgrew other conifers mostly ponderosa pine in most instances in which species differed significantly in height or diameter growth.

In the best plantations, giant sequoia averaged 0. Yields of second-growth stands dominated by giant sequoia were found to equal or slightly exceed those of second-growth mixed-conifer stands on the same high sites site index 53 m [ ft] at base age years 6. Volumes at selected stand ages were as follows:. In contrast to the brittleness and low tensile strength of the wood of old-growth giant sequoia, young-growth trees have wood properties comparable to those of young-growth redwood 5, Because most groves have protected status, the potential of the species for fiber production within its natural range is limited.

It has been planted widely and often successfully in many parts of the world, however. As in California plantations, on the proper sites it outperforms most other species 7. Many foresters see considerable potential for giant sequoia as a major timber-producing species of the world. In old-growth groves, rapid height growth continues on the better sites for at least years, producing dense conical crowns. At years, trees range in height from about 34 to 73 m to ft.

The rate of height growth declines beyond years, and the typical tree levels off near 76 m ft at an age of to 1, years Analysis of a large old-growth population showed an average d.

Although radial growth gradually decreases with age, volume increment generally is sustained into old age. The General Sherman tree, at an approximate age of 2, years, has a current radial growth rate at breast height of about 1 mm 0.

Average volume increment for this tree since has been estimated by different methods at 1. Therefore, the world's largest tree also may be, in terms of volume increment, the world's fastest-growing tree. A related conclusion can be applied to the species: the enormous size attained by giant sequoia results not only from its longevity, but also- despite the apparent decadence of most veterans- from its continued rapid growth into old age Lower branches of giant sequoia die fairly readily from shading, but trees less than years old retain most of their dead branches.

Boles of mature trees generally are free of branches to a height of 30 to 45 m 98 to ft Rooting Habit- During the first few years, the root system of giant sequoia seedlings consists of a taproot with few laterals-a habit that facilitates survival during dry summers The ratio of root length to shoot height during this period is about 2 to 2. After 6 to 8 years, lateral root growth predominates, and elongation of the taproot practically stops Roots of a mature tree commonly extend 30 m ft or more from the bole in well-drained soils, and occupy an area of 0.

Along drainage bottoms or edges of meadows, the radial extent of the root system may be no more than 12 to 15 m 40 to 50 ft. The largest lateral roots are usually no more than 0. Few roots extend deeper than 1 m 3 ft , and even less in areas with a high water table. Most of the abundant feeder roots are within the upper 0. Concentrations of feeder roots often are high at the mineral soil surface Immature trees, both in the groves and in older plantings, are notably windfirm Considering the shallowness of the root system and the great aboveground mass of large giant sequoias, it is remarkable that so many of these giants, especially leaners, remain standing for so long Reaction to Competition- Giant sequoia is shade intolerant throughout its life.

Of its common coniferous associates, ponderosa pine is also intolerant, sugar pine is intermediate in tolerance, incense-cedar is intermediate to tolerant, and California white fir is tolerant Fires or other disturbances that bare mineral soil and open the canopy characteristically benefit intolerant species, including giant sequoia, and move plant communities to earlier successional stages.

In contrast, successful regeneration of giant sequoia in shade and in the absence of disturbance is less likely than that of any associated conifer Once established, and with adequate light, young giant sequoias maintain dominance over competitors through rapid growth. In dense thickets, however, trees stagnate and recover slowly if released At maturity, giant sequoias are the tallest trees in the forest. Although conspicuous in late successional communities dominated by California white fir, giant sequoia is not a true climax-stage species, because it fails to reproduce itself successfully in an undisturbed forest.

Instead, mature trees are successional relicts because they live for many centuries while continuing to meet their light requirements by virtue of their emergent crowns If various natural agents of disturbance-especially fire-operated freely, giant sequoia groves would consist of a roughly steady-state mosaic of even-aged groups of trees and shrubs in various stages of succession. The patchy nature of vegetational units would correspond to the pattern of disturbances.

In the absence of disturbance, however, successional pathways converge toward a multilayered climax forest of pure California white fir 4. In fact, since the advent of fire suppression, density of California white fir has increased markedly, while densities of early successional stage species have decreased Damaging Agents- Fire is the most universal and probably most serious damaging agent of giant sequoia in its natural range Seedlings and saplings of giant sequoia, like those of most other tree species, are highly susceptible to mortality or serious injury by fire.

However, in those locations most favorable for successful establishment and early growth-that is, mineral soil seedbeds and well-lighted openings-fuels tend to be sparser and to accumulate more slowly than in adjacent forested areas.

The more vigorous seedlings and saplings thus may be large enough to survive a light fire by the time one occurs. Larger giant sequoias, because of their thick nonresinous bark and elevated crowns, are more resistant to fire damage than associated species. Nevertheless, repeated fires over the centuries sear through the bark of a tree's base, kill the cambium, and produce an ever-enlarging scar. Almost all of the larger trees have fire scars, many of which encompass a large percentage of the basal circumference Few veterans have been killed by fire alone, but consequent reduction in supporting wood predisposes a tree to falling.

Furthermore, fire scars provide entry for fungi responsible for root disease and heart rot Decayed wood, in turn, is more easily consumed by subsequent fires. The net result is further structural weakening of the tree. In addition, fire scars have been cited as the main cause of dead tops, so common in older trees Lightning strikes, besides starting ground fires, sometimes knock out large portions of crowns or ignite dead tops.

Mature trees seldom are killed by lightning, however Old giant sequoias most commonly die by toppling. Weakening of the roots and lower bole by fire and decay is primarily responsible 16, The extreme weight of the trees, coupled with their shallow roots, increases the effects of this weakening, especially in leaning trees.

Other causative factors include wind, water-softened soils, undercutting by streams, and heavy snow loads Although diseases are less troublesome for giant sequoia in its natural range than for most other trees, the species is not as immune to disease as once assumed 1.

Heartwood of downed sequoia logs is extremely durable, sometimes remaining largely intact for thousands of years. The heartwood of living trees, however, is less resistant to decay 2. More fun to do as a home gardener, is to collect the seeds yourself. Bought seeds should originate from mature trees in the natural range of the trees, the Sierra Nevada range in California, and are the most likely ones to germinate.

The oldest ones are only now starting to make the transition from toddlers into teenagers and are only now starting to produce viable seeds. So when you collect them yourself, try to collect cones from trees that are as old as possible. The image above shows a cone of a Belgian redwood, the giant sequoia of Esneux , which is largely bigger than the cones of trees with a girth below 6 to 7 m about 20 feet. The giant sequoia is monoecious, which means that the male and female parts are located on the same tree.

So for pollinated, viable seeds you only need one tree, it's not necessary that there are other giant redwoods in the immediate neighborhood. It can take only a couple of years to a number of decades before a giant redwood starts producing cones. I have seen sequoias only 1. Probably they are forced to produce cones after a stress period, such as a long period of drought, as survival mechanism. Fallen green cones are also ideal to collect: when they open after a couple of weeks in a dry place, they are loaded with small, winged seeds.

The biggest cones also produce the biggest seeds. On the left you can see some seeds from the Belgian giant sequoias of Oostmalle , on the right those of the one of Esneux, mentioned above. There's a distinguishable difference in size scale in cm. Sowing Before sowing, it might be useful to place the seeds a couple of days to a couple of weeks in the fridge. When you sow them at last and place them in a warm place like on the radiator of your heating system , the seeds "think" winter's over and the time to germinate has come.

I have tried the seeds at different depths and had the most success when I did not put them in the ordinary compost, but on the soil, not to only very slighty covered. Probably they also need light to germinate. But be aware!