Ranking of the tallest trees in the world. The largest tree in the world (photo, video)

The state of California in the United States of America has the most a big tree Globe... The sequoia tree grows in the sequoia park of the same name, the total area of ​​which is one thousand six hundred and thirty-five square meters. There are many giant sequoias growing in the park. The plants were named after the Indian chief of the tribe, whose name was Sequoia. The park is interesting not only because it grows giant sequoias but also caves. There are two hundred and fifty caves in total. But they are all closed to tourists. Tourists will be able to visit only one Crystal cave - the second largest. The largest cave in the park is up to thirty-two kilometers long. The park is famous for its attractive mountain landscapes, alpine meadows and beautiful waterfalls... Another unique feature of this park is a small tunnel that is cut through a giant sequoia tree that fell on the road.

Sequoias reach a height of up to one hundred meters and a diameter of up to ten meters. Besides the fact that these trees are famous large size they are also known for being centenarians. The average age of their life is about four thousand years. The only plants to which they are inferior in terms of life are the bristlecone pine trees growing in the Sierra Nevada mountains. On this unique properties sequoias do not end there, as they are one of the few plants adapted to fires.

The most popular tree in the park is the giant sequoia General Sherman. It was named after the brave General Sherman who bravely fought his enemies in the Civil War. This name was given to the tree on the initiative of a naturalist who served as a lieutenant during the war under the command of Sherman. You can find a sequoia in the Forest of the Giants. The popularity of the sequoia is due to the fact that it bears the title of the largest coniferous tree in the world. It should be noted that the tree is the largest not in terms of height, but in terms of the volume of wood. The height of the sequoia is eighty-one meters, the diameter at the base is thirty-two meters, the crown span is forty meters. The weight of the trunk is one ton one hundred twenty one kilograms, the total weight of the tree is one ton nine hundred and ten kilograms. For a long time it was believed that the age of the tree is about three thousand years. But after the research it was found that the age of the plant is exactly two thousand years. This means that General Sherman has average age... In addition, there are four more large sequoias in the park, which in the future can claim the title of the largest.

The title of the largest tree on earth General Sherman received after Giant Crannell Creek was felled. The tree grew in the suburbs of Trinidad, and was felled in the mid-forties of the last century. The volume of the felled tree is twenty-five percent greater than that of General Sherman. Scientists carried out comparative analysis, who established that General Sherman is the largest coniferous tree in the world. In 2006, the largest branch, about eleven meters long and two meters in diameter, fell from a tree. During the fall, the branch left a dent in the path and damaged the fence. Fortunately, there were no people near the tree during the incident and no one was injured. According to scientists, this happened not because of the poor state of the tree, but as a result of the plant's protective reaction to unfavorable weather... This incident did not deprive General Sherman of the title of the largest tree in the world. Every year the diameter of the tree increases by one and a half centimeters and adds wood, which is enough for the construction of a six-room house. Interestingly, such a tree produces about one hundred and twenty kilograms of oxygen per year.

Various studies show that today the highest are coniferous trees... The record holders usually come from the genus of eucalyptus, redwoods or other members of the Cypress family. Until all corners of the world are thoroughly studied, it is likely that new technologies will help make new botanical discoveries.

For example, the plants that are now considered the tallest in the world were discovered between 2006 and 2008. For a long time, the location of the giants was classified so that the flow of curious naturalists would not harm the ecosystem of the place where the giants grow.

Tallest tree in the world

Today, the tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion sequoia, which grows in California. The trunk of this plant has a diameter of 4.85 meters. The tree has grown to 115.5 meters in height and covers an area of ​​502 square meters. Researchers believe that Hyperion took root in the 13th century, and estimate it to be seven to eight centuries old. The tree got its name in honor of one of the titan gods in ancient Greek mythology. The exact coordinates of the giant, which could have been entered into GPS, have not been released to the public. The tree is known to be in a remote area. state reserve Redwood in the USA.

In the park, where the giant tree is located, there are several very tall specimens of sequoias. These include Helios, whose height is 114.5 meters. He held the title of absolute giant among fellows until a taller specimen was found. By the way, it happened just a few months later in the same area. Interestingly, in ancient Greek mythology, Hyperion is the father of Helios. Trees grow close to each other. The barrel of Helios is thicker than that of Hyperion and is equal to 4.96 meters. Given the available data, it turns out that the two tallest trees in the world are in the United States.

Record holders in Russia

Siberian fir is recognized as the record holder for height in Russia. But in the country with the largest forest area, there is no official holder of the title of botanical giant. There are many giant fir specimens in Siberian forests. The height of representatives of this family can reach 100 meters. There is no doubt that somewhere in the depths Siberian taiga rises a giant, not inferior to the American Hyperion. By the way, speaking of sequoias, an impressive representative of this species grows in the Crimea. There is a tree in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Yalta, the height of which is 38 meters. The age of the Crimean giant does not exceed two hundred years.

Some of the oldest trees in Russia also grow on the peninsula. Yews and some types of junipers, according to preliminary estimates of researchers, took root in the mountainous areas of Crimea no earlier than 2-3 thousand years ago. It is noteworthy that yews and junipers do not differ in height and large trunk diameter. They fit compactly into rocky crevices without fear of precipices and steep mountain slopes. The height of 20-25 meters for such trees is evidence of an age of several thousand years. At least a dozen of such trees have already been registered by volunteers in Crimea.

The widest tree

The baobab is a tree whose width exceeds that of all competitors. The trunk diameter of representatives of this species can reach ten meters. The most powerful fat man today is a tree, which is called nothing other than the "Big Baobab". The girth of its base is 47 meters. The "Big Baobab" is located on the ranch of the Van Heerden couple in Limpopo province.

While ennobling the territory, the owners noticed a cavity in the trunk of a huge tree, they cleaned it and set up a bar in the resulting space. The Van Heerdens named their establishment the Baobab Bar. The diameter of the tree trunk is 10.6 meters. Studies have shown that the age of this baobab is more than 6 thousand years, but the most interesting thing is that it continues to grow and bloom every spring.

Tallest tree in Africa

Speaking of baobabs, one cannot fail to mention that there are also many giant trees in their homeland. The tallest tree in Africa is located on Mount Kilimanjaro. It comes from the genus entandrophragms. The family of these plants settled in Tropical Africa and are not found anywhere else, this species is endangered. The highest entandrophragm on Mount Kilimanjaro reached 81.5 meters.

According to researchers, the tree is about 500 years old. Several other worthy representatives of their species are located near the giant. The group of trees on Mount Kilimanjaro was measured for four years, and in 2016, information finally appeared that the average height of entandrophragms in this area is 70-80 meters.

Record holders of the past

Speaking of the tallest trees in the world, one cannot fail to mention the famous giants of the past. The most famous of the measured trees is the regal eucalyptus found in Australia by forester William Fergusson. The man measured the tree and left notes of his find in 1872. According to Fergusson, the eucalyptus at the time of its discovery had a height of 132.5 meters, but by indirect indications the forester concluded that earlier the crown of the tree was 20 meters higher. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to verify these data. The eucalyptus was cut down and sawn into pieces for later use as building material.

Another famous giant of the past is the Douglas Yew-leaved from the Lynn Valley in British Columbia. The tree was reported to have grown 126.5 meters in height in 1902. They also cut him down and put him on firewood. The third dead tree, the record of which has already been broken by representatives of the same genus, is another California sequoia. In 1873, foresters reported the height of this tree, which was equal to 112 meters.

The tallest tree in Australia at the beginning of the last decade was destroyed by fire. Eucalyptus, which received the name El Grande, was one of the most worthy inhabitants of the forest in the south of the island of Tasmania. At the time of its death, the tree was over 79 meters high. In 2008, a tree was found in the same area, which is now considered the main giant of Australia. The regal eucalyptus with a height of 99.6 meters received the Roman name Centurion.

Urban giants

It is unlikely that anyone would be surprised by the fact that the tallest and oldest trees are hidden from people in the thicket of a forest, a nature reserve or in the mountains. In cities, plants - giants simply cannot survive. In each locality there is a giant, but the parameters of such plants are usually more modest than those of their wild-growing counterparts.

The Moscow champion in height among trees is the most beautiful magnolia kobus, which grows on the territory of the Botanical Garden next to the Moscow City complex. According to gardeners, this particular plant is the tallest in the capital of Russia. There are many relict trees on the territory of the botanical garden, which are listed in the Red Book. Most of the vegetation that is presented in this interesting place, in Moscow you will not see anywhere else.

America's metropolitan area also has a champion, a 32-meter white oak growing on Northampton Street. It is interesting that the giant is protected by the forces of local residents, as a city treasure. Volunteers take care of the crown of the tree, prevent vandalism and even celebrate the giant. Oak has a rival in Georgetown, namely the 29-meter lyran or tulip tree. The plant from the magnolia family got one of its names due to the shape of the flowers that appear on the branches at the end of May. In the USA, the tree is also called the "yellow poplar".

To the west of Canada's main city, in the tiny town of Arnprior, grows a 47-meter Weymouth pine, which is considered Ontario's record holder. This tree is at least two hundred years old and is a local landmark.

In Japan, trees are not judged by height, but there is a champion there too. A huge wisteria, which is about 150 years old, grows in the Ashikaga Flower Park. During the flowering period, the plant attracts crowds of curious spectators who take photos and videos of the crown of the tree, which stretches over an area of ​​two thousand square meters.

Oldest tree

Speaking of records, it is worth mentioning trees that have survived world wars, drought, climate change and even some states. The tree with the oldest root system is today recognized as the spruce, nicknamed Old Tikko. Researchers suggest that this plant has been living for nine and a half thousand years. Its trunk can be seen on Mount Fulufjellet in Sweden.

Another representative of antiquity is the bristlecone intermountain pine Methuselah. Its age is estimated to be between 4500-5000 years. Despite his advanced age and rather shabby appearance, the tree is considered alive. It grows in National forest Inio in America.

Trees surround us everywhere. Some, due to their peculiarities, make them admire, others remain "in the shadows." But there are plants of extraordinary size that support the sky. There are plant giants, the size of which is many times greater than most of the brethren. The largest trees in the world are not just long-livers, some specimens have adorned the world for many centuries. These representatives of the flora grow in different parts of the world.

What are trees and their importance for the environment

More than three trillion tree species grow in the territory green planet... They are divided into coniferous and deciduous species. Each one performs a very important function for living organisms, fills the Earth with oxygen.

Mankind cannot do without this vegetation either in everyday life or in industry, since in many industries it is difficult to replace wood with anything.

They amaze with their bizarre shapes and growth. Researchers from all over the world collect and record data on the most unique samples... To measure the gigantic height of plant giants, a laser rangefinder is used, which gives the most accurate result. There is another way, which also indicates the real dimension of the tree - this is a falling measuring tape.

Plants-record holders

Trees differ from their botanical counterparts not only in that they have a branching axis covered with bark, lush crown, but also in their growth, age, volume. So diverse vegetable world that all the features cannot be enumerated. The rating of the champion trees was compiled in order to show the greatness of the creations of mother nature.

Sequoia is a plant of the cypress family, popularly called the redwood. Geographic location concentrated on the Pacific coast. Sequoia is number one in the list of trees that have reached record growth. It is this specimen that deserves the title of the highest representative of the plant kingdom.

Today she tops the rating of giant trees. Has its own name - Hyperion. Instance is in National park Redwood, in the northern California region. A more precise location has not been disclosed due to the fact that frequent visits by people may somehow affect the health of the old-timer.

The age of this giant is almostVIII centuries.

Its size is so impressive that the figures speak for themselves: the volume of the trunk is 502 m3, and the height is 11,561 cm.

In vertical dimensions, no plant species can compete with sequoia. Only her fellow giants can rise so proudly above everyone. Helios, reaching 11458 cm, Icarus, 11314 cm high and several of the tallest trees grow in the United States.

Bengali ficus is his middle name. Belongs to the Mulberry family. Ranked second in the leaderboard, which lists the largest trees. This giant is located in the territory of the botanical garden located in India. Its life span is hundreds of years.

It grows from many aerial roots that resemble trunks, so it seems that it is not one, but many trees. But the most remarkable thing about it is its crown, which is so thick and spreading, and its circumference reaches almost 600 m. With its green dome, the Great Banyan tree is able to protect enough from the sun's rays. a large number of people. The most common in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Baobabs are also the largest trees on the planet, but their maximum size is measured not in growth, but in volume. The diameter of the thick stem of the plant can reach 10 m, the crown grows up to 40 m, with a height of about 20 m. The homeland of the baobabs is the hot African continent.

It is because of the climatic conditions that it has such a bizarre shape. The wood of these giants, the largest in thickness, differs from their relatives growing in the northern latitudes.

Due to its porosity, during rare rains, the trunk is filled with life-giving moisture, which is then consumed in a dry period.

The largest trees in Russia are in the Siberian woodlands... The fir is named Siberian, belongs to the pine family. It can reach vertical dimensions of almost 60 meters, and the average plant height varies between 40-50 m.

The life span is several hundred years. As proved in the course of research, the life span, and even the size of the plant, directly depends on the growing region. Gigantic-sized specimens have been recorded growing on the territory Krasnodar Territory... The growth of the fir reached 80 m, the trunk diameter was 2 m. Such giants live for almost 5 centuries. Fir Nordman, got its name in honor of the scientist, head of the botanical garden in Odessa, at the end of the nineteenth century.

A striking representative of the pine family, growing in the mountains, at an altitude of 1000-2000 meters above sea level. It seems that this giant is trying to hide from prying eyes at the height of the mountains. And it was not in vain, people massively cut down plantings, only six groves were saved. The life span of this species reaches several hundred years. The cedar grows to a height of 40-50 m, the diameter of its trunk is 2.5 m. It rightfully occupies a place in the list of the greatest plants on earth.

It also has a name - Portuguese cypress, the most common in South America, in the territory of Mexico. It amazes with its grandeur and article, it is considered the most beautiful tree on the planet.

Cypress is the leader among large species precisely by the thickness of the trunk.

Naturalists have recorded a tree that lives for about four centuries, the thickness of the trunk is almost 17 m. The cypress grows 30-40 m high. The life of a Mexican plant species can last up to 2 millennia.

Deciduous woody plant, beech family, which is most often found in North America, Asia and Europe. The climate of these latitudes is the most favorable for these trees. Beech reach up to 30 meters. The axis of the tree is about two meters in diameter.

Fixed middle period the life of these trees is about 400 years. Scientists call the beech the oldest resident of the planet, the fossils of the plant's trunks date back to a period of about 65 million years ago.

An amazing specimen called Thule has a record axle diameter of 3620 cm. The gigantic height of this botanical perfection reaches 3500 centimeters. The giant adorns the central church square of the Mexican city. There was a hypothesis that the tree consists of several, fused together. However, after a DNA analysis was carried out, the unity of this tree was confirmed. As for the time of his stay on the planet, the date of birth is presumably 15 centuries ago, although some researchers assume that the real life cycle may be several thousand years old.

It is difficult to call this outlandish plant the greatest in size, but it has the most extraordinary record - the date of its germination.

The appearance of this miracle dates back to 2831 BC.

The plant life form belongs to the species Intermountain Spinous Pine, located in the state of California. A new specimen was found in the White Mountains, in the east of the state. He is older than his brother by several centuries.

At the end of the list of plant species with record sizes in height, width or age, eucalyptus, its record is that it grows very quickly. It grows 1000 cm in the first three years from the moment of germination. In ten years of its life, it rises by more than 2000 cm. Tropical climate is his favorable environment... It is most commonly found in Australia and New Zealand. Due to their ability to rapidly grow into a powerful tree, eucalyptus trees grow into forests that occupy vast areas.

We have presented not the entire list of trees worthy of being called wonderful incarnations of nature. Each type of plant life, of all the above, is very worthy in its own way and delights in its beauty, growth, volume and longevity.

General Sherman's tree is located in the Sequoia National Park in the USA, in the Sierra Nevada, California.
This tree is still the largest living thing on the planet.
Height giant tree General Sherman is more than 83 meters, its trunk circumference is more than 24 meters, the crown circumference is as much as 33 meters.

In the nineteenth century, the area where the famous tree grows was called "Giant Forest" by explorer John Muir when he discovered giant sequoias. The name of this part of the park, "Giant Forest", has been preserved to this day. Many tourists describe General Sherman's tree, striking in its size, as a red-orange "stone", the top of which cannot be seen.
Tourists specially come to the park to see the General Sherman tree, named after the hero. civil war General William Sherman, and take a picture. Next to the sequoia, they seem so fragile and small.

For a long time, it was believed that General Sherman's tree is over three thousand years old, but recent studies have determined its exact age - it is exactly two thousand years. So this is not the oldest tree in the world.

The oldest tree in the world special kind The California pine was 4,484 years old when it was felled in 1965. Sequoias were also cut down, the age of which reached about 3000 years. It is believed that 5000th trees still exist on Earth.
In the winter of 2006, General Sherman's tree lost part of its crown, the largest branch of the tree fell off, the diameter of which was about two meters, and the length was about 30 meters

When the branches fell to the ground, the fence around the tree and the road leading to it were destroyed. Even after that, General Sherman's tree did not lose its status as the largest tree on the planet.

A special path leads to General Sherman's tree, and even people with disabilities can see this miracle. At the end of the path, brick tiles are laid out, which show how far the roots of the tree reach.

Each year, the giant's trunk grows nearly 1.5 cm in diameter. The General Sherman tree is still growing and, according to the California National Park website, adds lumber every year to make a five or six-room home.

Today on Earth grows about 3.04 trillion. trees. Among them, there are both ordinary medium-sized specimens and real giants with spreading crowns and powerful branches. So what are the tallest trees on the planet, and where exactly are they?

This majestic plant, reaching 112.20 m in height and 4.19 m in diameter, belongs to the species Sequoia sempervirens, or Sequoia Evergreen (Red). Mendocino is located in Montgomery Woods, California, one of the nature reserves United States of America. Previously, from 1996 to 2000, the tree was considered the tallest in the world, although conservationists did not deliberately award it this title.

It is important! All plants on this list represent the same species - Sequoia sempervirens (redwoods evergreen, or red).

Specialists who discovered unique woody specimens, in principle, tried not to talk about their findings to the general public, so as not to endanger them due to a sharp influx of tourists. Because Mendocino's whereabouts are currently known to the members of environmental organizations you have to protect the plant in order to provide it normal conditions for life, growth and development.

The paradox already reaches 112.56 m in height and 3.90 m in diameter. One of the tallest trees on the planet also grows in the United States of America, or rather, in the John Rockefeller Forest, Humboldt, Kitson County, Minnesota.

From 1995 to 1996, Paradox was considered the main green "giant" on Earth. It is important to understand here that the scientific community evaluates not only the height, but also the diameter of the trunk. in 1996, Mendocino was discovered, which surpassed Paradox in this indicator, then the title of "the tallest and largest tree in the world" passed to him.

Despite the fact that one title has been lost, this sequoia still continues to be considered the most beautiful specimen among other woody giants.

This is followed by another large and majestic tree native to America, which reaches a height of 112.6 m. The diameter of the plant has not been precisely determined. Rockefeller is located not far from Paradox - all in the same Humboldt Redwoods National Park, in the Rockefeller forest.

John Rockefeller (1839-1937) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the first official dollar billionaire in history, and today the largest in the world is named after him virgin forest sequoias, where a person is forbidden to conduct any destructive activity.

As is the case with many of the most big trees in the world, the exact coordinates of Rockefeller's location have not been disclosed, so finding him is a real success for a tourist!

This evergreen sequoia reaches a height of 112.62 m and also grows in the park "Humboldt-Redwoods". The trunk diameter is 4.54 m. Lauralin has become the center of a completely independent ecological system... Birds flutter around the plant tirelessly, creating their own nests on branches and in recesses. On the ground around there are many insects, and the presence of lichen, parmelia, moss is noted on the trunk.

Interestingly, conservationists decided not to classify information about where exactly this tallest tree in the world is located - Lauralin can be found near the South Fork Eel River.

Orion's height is already 112.63 m, and its diameter is 4.33 m. To accurately determine the size of this giant, scientists had to turn to the help of the latest laser equipment!

If a person by some miracle stumbles upon Orion, the location of which is kept secret, he will hardly realize that he is seeing the longest tree in the world with his own eyes. The giant is surrounded by other sequoias, so when looking upwards, its majesty is almost impossible to appreciate. But from a bird's eye view, it becomes clear that Orion rises above everything that surrounds it in Redwood Park, about 2 times. The plant is 1500 years old.

It is interesting! Research and measurements of evergreen sequoias are allowed only at the beginning of autumn. At any other time of the year they nest rare birds, which are protected by the Red Data Books. It is not permitted to disturb animals during such periods.

National Geographic Society

A tree that has an interesting and unusual name, reaches 112.71 m in height and 4.39 m in diameter and is located next to the Redwood Creek River in the already famous American Park "Redwood", California.

The National Geographic Society, discovered back in 1994, has a very advantageous location - right next to the water in an inaccessible area. Even if some curious traveler finds out exactly where this largest tree in the world is, he will hardly be able to get to it.

At the time of its discovery in 2000, this giant reached a height of 112.34 m, and at the time of measurements in 2010, it was already 113.11 m, and the tree continued to grow actively. It was not enough for him to enter the honorable three of this rating.

The giant of the Stratosphere is located in the Rockefeller Forest of Humboldt Redwoods Park. It owes its preservation to other trees that grow nearby and block the unique specimen, thereby preventing to an ordinary person evaluate from the ground its majesty and scale.

Crohn's one more high sequoia sways at a distance of 113.14 m from the ground. The diameter of the plant is 3.78 m. Icarus topped the list of green giants from 2005 to 2006, until other specimens, Helios and Hyperion, were discovered.

Icarus was so named because of its sun-bleached top. Yet even this characteristic feature will not help tourists and travelers find a giant, because, firstly, it grows surrounded by other trees with similar "dead" tops, and, secondly, it is located where people almost never wandered, which ensured its stable growth and preservation up to the present moment.

Icarus continues to grow, which is particularly favored by the climate of Redwood Park. There is plenty of light, warmth and damp fog, while there are no winds due to the presence of mountain ranges and hills. All of this has a positive effect on sequoias and explains why so many giant plants are found in California.

In the period from June 1, 2005 to August 25, 2006, the world did not know of a single plant that could compare with the size of Helios. However, soon on opposite side The Redwood Creek River was found by Hyperion.

The ten tallest trees on the planet are headed by Hyperion, located in Redwood. Its height reaches 115.61 m, and the trunk diameter is 4.84 m.The thickness of the bark is 30 cm.

The plant was discovered by resourceful biologists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor. It is believed that Hyperion has existed on Earth for about 800 years, therefore, in order to protect such an ancient and unique specimen, it was decided not to publish the exact coordinates of its location.

Scientists do not risk establishing the exact age, because afraid to damage the plant. Botanists have to wait until it dies on its own - only after that it will be possible to calculate the annual rings and say how long the giant actually lived.

It is unknown if the plant will retain its gold medal title. The fact is that the top of Hyperion was significantly damaged by woodpeckers, so in the future it can be overtaken by Helios, growing faster and more actively. The first one stretches only 3-4 cm in a year, while the second one - 4-5 cm.

And what about Russia

Despite the fact that in Russia there is no official botanical register of the tallest trees, even here individual noteworthy specimens can be distinguished.

In particular, it comes about the type of Nordman Fir, the genus of Fir, the Pine family. The trees owe their name to Alexander von Nordmann (1803-1866), a Finnish and Russian paleontologist, zoologist, and botanist. Found on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory, these giants, with favorable climatic conditions can reach up to 80 m in height, while usually they grow up to 50-60 m. The lifespan is up to 500 years.