Growing To Greatness

While humans build super tall skyscrapers, nature has been quietly growing its own giants for centuries. Here are nature's record-breakers that almost touch clouds while keeping their roots firmly in ancient soil.

Hyperion

This is the tallest living tree on the planet, which reaches about 116.07 meters high. It’s a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) that is found in California's Redwood National Park. Reportedly, the tree’s volume is around 530 cubic meters.

Fährtenleser (Collage), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Hyperion (Cont.)

On August 25, 2006, Hyperion was discovered by nature lovers Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor. This giant tree is believed to be around 600 to 800 years old. Its height was measured using a tape-drop technique, which accounts for the slope on which it grows.

National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Wikimedia Commons

Doerner Fir

Here comes the loftiest Douglas fir across the globe. The trunk of this tree has an estimated volume of 230 cubic meters, while its height is around 99.7 meters. Doerner Fir is said to be between 450 to 500 years old.

Doerner Fir, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Doerner Fir (Cont.)

As per reports, the tree was previously 100.3 meters in 1991 but has since lost some height due to the death of its upper crown. The tree supports various wildlife species, including rare amphibians like the clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus).

Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Flickr

Centurion

The Centurion grows extraordinarily fast, with young trees achieving heights of up to 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) per year for the first two decades under optimal conditions. It belongs to the Eucalyptus regnans species, which does not form a lignotuber.

Centurion - Second tallest tree in the world- Drone footage-3DR SOLO -GOPRO by KRAJCINGER

Centurion (Cont.)

Located in Tasmania's Arve Valley, this one is seen as the tallest flowering plant. It is said to be approximately 100.5 meters tall. It holds the status of the 100th tree uncovered by Forestry Tasmania using advanced LiDAR technology.

Contactcat, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Raven's Tower

Raven's Tower was founded and evaluated back in 2001 by researchers Ron Hildebrandt and Michael Taylor. Since then, it's been measured a few more times, including a check by Steve Sillett in 2007. Right now, it stands at 96.7 meters.

JF Sebastian, Flickr

Raven's Tower (Cont.)

As the tallest Sitka spruce, it is seen within the protected area of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which was established to safeguard its redwood forests. The bark of Sitka spruce is thin and scaly, serving as a habitat for mosses and lichens.

Silver Tusk, Flickr

General Sherman Tree

This is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), which contains an estimated trunk volume of 1,487 cubic meters. The 83.8-meter-high General Sherman Tree could be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old, which is quite remarkable.

m01229, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

General Sherman Tree (Cont.)

Looking at its history, the tree was originally named the Karl Marx Tree by the Kaweah Colony. This was a utopian group that lived nearby. Later, it was renamed in honor of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Today, it is protected within the Sequoia National Park.

Jim Bahn, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Yellow Meranti

Yellow Meranti trees can go up to 60 meters, with some exceptional individuals reaching even greater heights. A notable specimen in Malaysian Borneo was lately recorded at 89.5 meters, which renders it the highest tree in the tropics.

Sam Calma, Flickr

Yellow Meranti (Cont.)

Similarly, the trunk can grow around 145 cm in diameter, often featuring short, stout buttresses that are 1.5 meters high. Plus, the heartwood of Yellow Meranti is light yellowish-brown in color, with a greenish tinge that darkens due to exposure.

Annette Teng, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cheewhat Giant

Based in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island, Canada, the Cheewhat Giant is a famous western red cedar (Thuja plicata). It is sometimes called the Cheewhat Lake Cedar. It holds the title of the largest living western red cedar.

abdallahh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cheewhat Giant (Cont.)

In 1988, devoted tree hunter Maywell Wickheim made the discovery of the Cheewhat Giant. Apparently, this tree was named after the nearby Cheewhat Lake, measuring 56 meters in height. It also has a trunk diameter of over 6 meters.

Graham of the Wheels, Flickr

Helios

Standing approximately 114.58 meters tall, this tree was found in Redwood National Park, California. Based on sources, Helios was the tallest tree in the world for a short time, from July 1 to August 25, 2006, until Hyperion was officially discovered.

Helios - Even Today by Ghostly International

Southern Blue Gum 

Scientifically called Eucalyptus globulus, in ideal circumstances, the Southern Blue Gum can attain heights of up to 70 meters. However, it is most frequently found in open woodlands at 20 to 30 meters. Southeast Australia is the tree's native range.

Geekstreet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Southern Blue Gum (Cont.)

Its bark is generally smooth and can be white, cream, or grey, shedding in long strips to reveal a mottled underbark. Similarly, the tree’s juvenile leaves are ovate and dark green, while adult leaves are long, narrow, and lance-shaped. 

Tallest Blue Gum in the world Eucalyptus globulus preview by Lawrence Byron

Stratosphere Giant

As the fourth tallest tree in the world, the Stratosphere Giant, which is a coast redwood, is around 113.52 meters high. Naturalist Chris K. Atkins identified this plant for the first time on July 30, 2000, at Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. 

Forestgiant1990, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Stratosphere Giant (Cont.)

Believed to be around 1,280 years old, it has a volume of 625 cubic meters and a diameter of 5.18 meters. The Stratosphere Giant is characterized by three prominent burls on its trunk and is surrounded by other tall trees in the Calf Creek Flat area.

Michael Kwok, Flickr

Manna Gum

Manna gums usually grow 20 to 30 meters tall, while some rare specimens can even reach 40 meters. This tree's fruit is wineglass-shaped, found in clusters of three on short stalks with protruding valves.

Murray Fagg, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Manna Gum (Cont.)

Its leaves are 15 cm long, dark green and aromatic, and contain essential oils. The Manna Gum also has rough, persistent bark at the base of the trunk, while the upper trunk features smooth white to yellowish bark that peels in ribbons. 

Neb.st, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Fourth Kin 

Fourth Kin was measured at a whopping 83.7 meters on November 8, 2021, by a team of arborists led by Leon Visser. As an Eucalyptus saligna (Sydney blue gum), this is located in the Magoebaskloof State Forest in Limpopo Province, South Africa. 

Geekstreet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The President Tree

Estimated to be about 3,240 years old, the total volume of the tree is around 1,500 cubic meters, with an additional 250 cubic meters from its branches. The President Tree stands at a height of approximately 75.3 meters.

Marty Aligata, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The President Tree (Cont.)

David Fulmer, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons