Garden Tool Set

Trunk of the Month: January 2015: Sequoiadendron giganteum

In this series, I'll be posting one or two photos of tree trunks that I really like along with a paragraph or two about why it's special.

In this first post I've chosen the trunk of Sequoiadendron giganteum. In Britain this tree is often know by the common name of Wellingtonia after the Duke of Wellington who had died just before the tree was introduced in 1853.

Although the Giant Redwood is not the tallest tree in the world (this accolade goes to the Coast Redwood), it can grow to around 100 metres tall and can survive for over 3000 years and mature specimens are certainly very impressive to look at. I found this trunk special because when you knock on the red-brown bark there is a real dull thudding sound. This is not surprising considering that the bark can be 2-3 foot deep in places; which not only makes the bark soft and fibrous, but also of no interest for forestry usage.

As you can see, this specimen is providing a habitant for other organisms, with lichen, moss and algae growing in various places around this