About the California Redwood
The redwood tree became California's official state tree in 1937. There are two species of the California redwood: the coast redwood and the giant sequoia. These evergreen trees are the tallest trees in the world and can live for more than 2,200 years. Does this Spark an idea?
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Location History
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Redwood trees existed before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The redwoods used to grow all over the northern hemisphere, including the Arctic, but now grow naturally on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Many of these trees are now found in protected areas, such as parks and forests. The foggy, humid conditions coupled with moderate temperatures is what allows the California redwood trees to flourish in the area. The trees grow tall and straight and thrive in the mountainous regions of the coast.
Species Difference
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Although the coast redwood and the giant sequoia are in the same family, the trees have several differences. The coast redwoods grow much taller than the sequoia trees, but the sequoias are much larger in diameter. The coast redwoods live considerably longer; some remain standing after more than 2,000 years. The average life of sequoias is 600 years.
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Size
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The California redwoods, which can reach 350 feet, are the tallest trees in the world. The tallest known redwood, named Hyperion, stands 378 feet tall and was found in 2008. Hyperion is in Redwood National Park, near Eureka, California.
Description
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The redwood trees are evergreen trees with long, straight needles. At the canopy of the tree, the needles are about 1 inch in length and green. The trees are both male and female because they produce both cones. The male cones are oblong shaped and the females are egg shaped. The trees reproduce sexually and asexually. Redwoods reproduce asexually by sprouting on tree stumps. The bark can be up to 1-foot thick and appears gray in color as it ages. The reddish brown color appears on newly exposed bark.
Uses
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The California redwood trees lumber is resistant to decay, mold and fire. This makes the beautiful redwood lumber valuable timber to be used for railroad ties, decking and furniture. The redwood trees are successfully cultivated for lumber in other sections of the world, such as Texas, New Zealand and Italy.
Preservation
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A forest activist, Julia "Butterfly" Hill, lived 180 feet up in a redwood tree for 738 days to raise awareness about destroying the redwood habitat. The redwood was 1,000 years old and was dubbed Luna by the activist group that Hill belonged to. Hill came down only after she and other organizations negotiated a pact with the Pacific Lumber Company. Luna, and 3 acres surrounding the tree, continue to be protected from destruction because of the pact.
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