Sequoiadendron giganteum
Giant Sequoias are the most massive trees ever to inhabit the earth, and are among the oldest. Heights of 90 metres (300 feet) and diameters of 9 m (30 feet) are common. Their ages usually range from 2,000 to 3,000 years ... only Bristlecone Pines are older. Giant Sequoias now grow only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. Since 1890, they have been protected in various National Parks. These trees have reddish-brown, stringy bark that can be as much as 1.2 metres (4 feet) thick, and the branches usually begin about 30 metres off the ground. Sequoias are the fastest growing trees in the world, and the thickest.  The tallest standing Giant Sequoia has a height of about 94.8 metres (311 feet). This tree, named General Sherman, is shown in the photo at the left. While not quite as tall as the highest Coast Redwoods, General Sherman, whose age is about 2000 years, is considered to be the world's biggest tree because it is so massive; far thicker than most Redwoods. It is the most massive living thing; its total mass has been estimated at 10 times that of a blue whale!Although General Sherman is the biggest Sequoia, it isn't the oldest. Some Sequoias are as old as 3200 years. But the General is still growing like a teenager; it adds enough wood to its total mass each year to make a brand new 30 metre tall, 30 cm wide tree! 
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