Giant Sequoia Facts

Interesting facts about the Giant Sequoia

• 90,000 sequoia seeds = 1 lb.
• Cones may stay on the tree for up to 21 years
• The sequoia seeds are almost pure tannin
• Chickarees (Douglas squirrels) eat the cone—not the seeds. This is one way the seeds are dispersed.
• A mature sequoia’s roots extend out from the trunk in every direction for a hundred feet or more
• The sequoia tree is protected by the tannin it produces
• The sequoias can be susceptible to high winds, moist soil, heavy snow loads, root rot, fungi, carpenter ants, and other insects
• The sequoia tree produces 60 million seeds in its lifetime, but only 3 or 4 of those seeds will grow to be 100 year old trees
• The giant sequoia and the coast redwood are in the same family but are in separate genus
• The oldest known sequoia is 3,200+ years old. Mature sequoias can be anywhere from 800-3000 years old. The exact age can only be determined by counting the rings
• The average growth is about two feet a year until they mature; however, this can vary greatly depending on environmental factors
• The limbs of a giant sequoia can have a diameter of six feet and beover 100 feet long. Visit the Granddad Tree in Nelder Grove to view its impressive branch