Sequoia is the birthplace of the plant. Sequoia: description, care and planting, propagation, use in the garden, photo. Botanical description of sequoia

home Some of the most amazing trees our planet - redwoods. These majestic giants have been growing tall and wide for thousands of years and today are tallest plants

peace

Giant sequoias are a subspecies of cypress. The sight of these huge trees, whose trunks and crowns go tens of meters into the air, involuntarily evokes admiration...

The oldest currently known sequoias are more than 3.5 thousand years old.

The average height of trees is about 60 meters, but there are also entire groves over 90 meters high. Today, about fifty sequoias are known whose height exceeds the 105-meter mark

The tallest currently known tree on our planet is the Hyperion sequoia, which grows in Redwood National Park near San Francisco. The height of this giant is 115.5 meters Exists interesting subspecies

sequoias - sequoiadendrons, characterized by a smaller height but a larger diameter of trunks. The most voluminous sequoia in the world belongs to this subspecies, the 83.8-meter General Sherman, whose base diameter is 11.1 meters and trunk girth is 31.3 meters. The volume of the tree is 1487 m3

Thanks to the colossal area of ​​trunks, even small cafes and dance floors were set up on the logs of fallen trees.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

Sequoia Evergreen Sequoia Evergreen, or Red sequoia )

(Sequoia sempervirens

Monotypic genus of woody plants of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). The generic name was proposed by the Austrian botanist Stefan Endlicher in 1847 for the tree formerly known as Taxodium sempervivens D.Don; Endlicher did not indicate its origin. In 1854, Asa Gray, who recognized the need to distinguish the genus, wrote about the new name as “meaningless and discordant.” In 1858, George Gordon published the etymology of the generic names of a number of genera coniferous plants

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

In its natural distribution area, sequoia is better known as “redwood” (English: Redwood, or Coastal Redwood, or California Redwood).

An amazing, unusual, to some extent even a fairy-tale tree. Sequoia is a real giant flora and is recognized as the largest living organism on planet Earth.

Tree - up to 100 meters high. The average trunk diameter can reach 7 m.

The crown begins above the lower third of the trunk, narrow, conical in shape. The branches grow horizontally. The root system, despite the size of the tree, is not deep - it consists of widely spread lateral roots.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

Young shoots grow slightly to the sides and upwards. The branches are thin, dark green.

The leaves are biseriate, they are flat, strongly appressed, linear or linear-lanceolate, with obvious annual growth constrictions. The leaves are 15-25 mm long, elongated in young trees in the shady lower part of the crown, or scale-like 5-10 mm long in the upper crown of old trees.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

Sequoia and especially sequoiadendron love humidity and can grow in areas with high humidity and mild winters (withstands short-term frosts down to -20). The breed has an increased ability to absorb moisture from the air.

In Russia, you should not try to grow sequoia north of Rostov-on-Don - it will freeze. For middle zone It is worth paying attention to Metasequoia, or at least Sequoiadendron.

The breed is suitable only for large parks and Botanical Gardens in warm temperate climates. humid climate. An excellent accent of the first order, planted singly or in small groups at the end of an alley or as a silhouette dominant in the background.

Prefers well-drained, fresh alluvial soils. Sequoia has the amazing ability to adapt to different environments a habitat. During seed propagation, plants adapt to external factors range and can grow safely under open air in temperate and warm climates.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

Sequoia bark has the amazing property of fire resistance - when it comes into contact with fire, it chars and turns into thermal protection. This principle of thermal protection is used for spacecraft.

Wood is resistant to rot. The sapwood is pale yellow or white, and the heartwood is various shades of red. Redwood wood is poisonous to termites and is used for exterior trim. From the 1930s to the early 1960s, sequoia slabs were used as partitions between the plates of electrolytic batteries for cars and airplanes - the wood can withstand an acidic environment without losing its shape.

Sequoia is also great for Bonsai. The bravest bonsai lovers have harnessed this giant and are successfully growing miniature Sequoia. Sequoia bonsai is one of the rarest and most valuable specimens.

Care and maintenance at home:

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

The temperature is moderate, cool in winter - at least 0°C, optimal wintering is at +8-10°C. From the end of May to the end of August, it is better to keep Sequoia on fresh air, shaded during the midday hours and protected from drafts. Hot air from central heating radiators is destructive for Sequoia.

Sequoia needs bright diffused light, shading from direct sunlight, especially in summer. In winter, the plant needs a bright room.

If in summer it is not permissible to keep Sequoia on an open windowsill (except for northern windows), then in winter you will have to move it as close to the light as possible, even to the southern window, but only until it is hot spring sun. With a lack of light, Sequoia stretches out and loses its shape; on the contrary, with too much light, the leaves turn yellow and crumble.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

Watering abundantly from spring to autumn. Moderate in winter. Sequoia does not tolerate excess water and does not tolerate drying out of the soil.

More precisely, drying out the earthen coma is simply destructive for the conifer. Watering in winter depends on the room temperature, for example, when kept at a temperature of +8°C, watering will be approximately once every 10 days, and at a temperature of +12-14°C once every about 5-7 days.

From May to August, potted plants are fed with liquid mineral fertilizer to indoor plants, fertilizer is taken in half the recommended dose. Feeding is carried out once a month.

Air humidity - regular spraying in spring and summer. If in winter it is not possible to provide Sequoia with a cool room, then it should also be sprayed warm water in the morning and in the evening.

Transplantation annually in spring, in April - May. Sequoia does not tolerate injury to the root system very well, so complete replanting with replacement of soil is only necessary, but usually transshipment is used, with partial replacement of the top layer of soil.

It is usually difficult to imagine the real scale from a photograph, so I specifically found several photographs in which there are people - to make it easier to compare sizes)

For potted plants, replace only the soil that is easily separated from the roots itself if the conifer is removed from the pot.

Soil for Sequoia - 1 part turf soil, 2 parts leaf soil, 1 part peat soil, 1 part sand. As an option, ready-made soil “For conifers and bonsai” is suitable.

Sequoia loves loose soil; when replanting, make sure that the root collar is not buried in the ground, otherwise the plant may die. Good drainage is a must.

Landing.

Open ground: Sequoia seeds are planted in a nutrient substrate from April to May; young seedlings need to be covered for the winter. The soil and air must be moist.

At home: Soak the seeds for a day in warm water with the addition of stimulants to accelerate germination (Epin, Zircon, etc.).

Sow in nutritious soil with the addition of river sand (3:1) at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other, having previously moistened the substrate, sprinkled with soil 1-2 mm, and it is important that they get sunlight, cover with film and leave to germinate in diffused light at room temperature.

The crops need to be ventilated and sprayed a couple of times a day. It is very important to keep the soil moist, but not wet, since sprouts often die from waterlogging. To avoid this, they should be sprayed with a spray bottle rather than watered with a watering can.

Shoots appear from 2 months to 2 years, be patient.

As soon as sprouts appear, the film or cap must be removed immediately. Without free air circulation, they quickly die. A couple of days after pipping, the sprout sheds the dry skin of the seeds. If he has difficulty with this, you can gently help him.

The only species of the genus is the red or evergreen sequoia. Is a symbol American state California. Known throughout the world for its gigantic in size and rot-resistant wood.

Sequoia is considered the tallest tree on the planet. It belongs to the genus of coniferous plants, which means it is also one of the most ancient plants.

During excavations, it was found that the first sequoias appeared on earth approximately 208 million years ago. years ago and occupied vast territories in the northern hemisphere.

Nowadays, sequoia grows freely throughout the state of California. This tree is not widespread because it needs a lot of water for normal growth, so it does not go far from the ocean coast.

On this moment The current record for the tallest tree is 115.5 meters.

This plant was first discovered in coastal zone Pacific Ocean. For the color of its wood, sequoia received the first name “mahogany”, which is still known today. A little later, this plant was bred into a separate species.

Due to the excellent qualities of its wood, sequoia gained wide popularity and began to be used for the manufacture of various products.

Sequoia has a conical crown, the branches are located horizontally or slightly inclined downwards. The thickness of the bark is very large and can reach 30 cm, fibrous, relatively soft, immediately after removal the color is red-brown, and fades over time.

The root system is shallow and consists of lateral roots. The leaf size does not exceed 20-30 mm in length. They have a flat and elongated shape in young trees.

Sequoia care

Decorative sequoia is very demanding on the amount of moisture in the soil; it is necessary to constantly monitor its level. Dry soil is very harmful to the plant.

Throughout its entire life, decorative sequoia needs mineral fertilizers. You need to monitor the lighting level; on a hot day, the plant can absorb a large number of water, so it needs to be watered regularly.

Sequoia propagation

Initially, sequoia did not grow in our climate, but thanks to the efforts of landscapers and dendrologists, species resistant to cool climate. Sequoia can be propagated by sprouting very small seeds.

These seeds are stored in cones. One cone can contain from 150 to 200 seeds. After lengthy experiments, an adult sequoia began to withstand frosts from 18 to 20 degrees.

It is also possible vegetative propagation: graftings and cuttings. The viability of the redwood tree has been improved over thousands of years.

This tree can easily sprout shoots from an old stump or send out hundreds of shoots from a fallen trunk. Such a rapid renewal became possible thanks to the awakening of dormant buds.

Sequoia planting

Sequoias should be planted in a nutrient substrate; it is advisable to use growth stimulants. It is possible, but not necessary, to lay a layer of coarse sand at the bottom of the planting hole. Young specimens need to be covered for the winter or grown in greenhouses.

Sequoia planting can be done in the spring, from April to May. The plant is very sensitive to transplants, so it is advisable to keep the earth ball on the roots and perform all actions in a short period of time.

Use of sequoia in the garden

Because the sequoia is large, it is often used as a tapeworm in parks. It is not recommended to plant in small areas. Decorative forms of sequoia are often used for bonsai gardens.

Video “Sequoia – the largest tree in the world”

SEQUOIA– evergreen coniferous pine (monoecious gymnosperm) tree, Cypress family, subfamily – Sequoiaceae, genus – Sequoia.

The name of the genus was given in honor Redwoods (George Hess) (Sequoyah, OK. 1770 - approx. 1843)- Indian tribal leader Cherokee, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary (1826), founder of the Cherokee language newspaper.

Currently genus Sequoia presented in two types:

1.Sequoia evergreen (lat. Sequoia sempervirens), or Red Sequoia, Also - Red tree.

2. Sequoia giant , or Giant Sequoiadendron(lat. Sequoiadendron giganteum), or mammoth tree, Also - Wellingtonia.

Both of these species are relict, preserved WITHOUT CHANGES since ancient times, and were once distributed throughout the globe.

Fossil samples indicate that these giant trees existed already in Jurassic period, between 208 and 144 million years ago, and then occupied vast territories. Now they are growing in small regions along the western edge of the North American continent.

Previously there were other related species of redwoods, but they all completely disappeared from the physical plane of the Earth, and at present they are known only from fossilized remains.

A brief description of the two extant species of the genus Sequoia.

grows in the states California And Washington in the USA and in the south of the Canadian province British Columbia along the Pacific coast on a strip about 750 km long and 8 to 75 km wide. Average altitudes - 30-750 m above sea level, sometimes the trees grow close to the shore, sometimes they climb to a height of up to 920 m. Sequoia loves the humidity that the sea air brings with it. It has an increased ability to absorb moisture from the air. The highest and oldest trees grow in gorges and deep ravines, where all year round currents of moist air can reach and where fogs occur regularly. Trees growing above the fog layer (above 700 m) grow shorter and smaller in size due to drier, windier and cooler growing conditions.

A height of 90 or more meters for Sequoia evergreen is common; there are also trees 110-113 m high. A record height of 117 m was noted (scientists believe that the absolute limit of growth is a height of 125-130 m, since due to gravity and friction, the sap they still won’t be able to rise higher from the roots). The thickness of the trunks at the base often reaches 6-7 m or more.

They are by far the tallest trees on Earth and the longest living, along with the Giant Sequoia. Maturity Redwood evergreen occurs in 400-500 years, and specimens aged more than 1500 years(the oldest known - OK. 2200 years).

The size of these forests has now been greatly reduced as a result of active exploitation. Apparently, trees originally covered an area of ​​6,131 square meters. km, but currently there are much fewer of them, and their logging is prohibited in only two protected areas.

The trunk of the Sequoia evergreen is enclosed in a thick, fibrous, low-flammable bark. Young trees branch along their entire length, but with age the lower branches fall off and a closed canopy forms at the top. It practically does not allow light to reach the ground; as a result, the undergrowth is quite poorly developed, since only ferns and other shade-loving plants can grow here along with rare young sequoias. A mature tree produces many seeds, but only a small portion of them germinate successfully, and those that do germinate must struggle with low light. Under natural conditions, such slow reproduction would be quite sufficient, since trees can survive 3000 years, But With more active exploitation of the forest, young trees do not appear quickly enough to compensate for the felling.

Evergreen sequoia is resistant to fires, fungi and other diseases, it is not eaten by bugs and other insects, the wood is very beautiful and resistant to rotting, is in demand and is expensive, so these trees in many unprotected areas are cut down by commercial companies.

As a result artificial plantings of the 19th and 20th centuries., there are small groves of Sequoia evergreen (Mahogany) and its single specimens in Europe and Asia, usually in special botanical gardens and arboretums (Belgium, Crimea, Transcaucasia).

Currently Sequoia evergreen (Mahogany) is protected from deforestation and sabotage in only two small areas in the USA: in the National Park Redwood(Red Forest) and in National Nature Reserve Muir Forest.

National reserve (forest park) Muir Woods is located 19 km north of San Francisco and is part of the park (rest areas)"Golden Gate".

Muir Woods occupies 226 hectares, on 97 hectares of them grows Coast Redwood, literally - coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens- lat.), referred to in Russian simply as “ Sequoia«.

Tallest tree in Muir Woods 258 feet ( 79 m). Average age trees in Muir Woods from 500 to 800 years, the oldest - 1200 years.

One hundred and fifty million years ago, these trees grew throughout the continent. When the loggers arrived in the 19th century, they occupied an area of ​​8,000 sq. km. By the early 20th century, most of these forests had been cleared.

To save the remains of the trees, a local businessman William Kent and his wife Elizabeth bought 247 hectares of land, which had to be flooded during the construction of the dam. The hydraulic engineering company sued him, and then Kent found a way out - he donated 119 hectares of land to the federal government.

January 9, 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt declared these lands a national monument. According to Kent's agreement, the monument was named in honor of the naturalist John Muir, who did a lot to create the system national parks. In 1937, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge was completed, and park attendance tripled, reaching more than 180 thousand people. Now Muir Woods is one of the main tourist attractions in San Francisco, Bay Area (776 thousand visitors in 2005).

Redwood National Park - national park in California, USA.

Created October 2, 1968 when the president Lyndon Johnson signed a decree creating the Redwood National Park with total area 23,500 ha. It included three existing state-level redwood parks - Jededee Smith, Del Norte and Prairie Creek. In 1978, Congress decided to expand the national park area by 19,400 hectares.

The park is covered in ancient redwood forests.

Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron, Mammoth tree) It is protected in only one place - Sequoia National Park.

Sequoia National Park(English) Sequoia National Park) - national park United States, located in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the city of Visalia in California. The park was founded in 1890 year, the third after Yellowstone and Mackinac National Parks, later abolished. Park area 1,635 km². The park has mountainous terrain, rising from an altitude of about 400 meters above sea level in the foothills to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest in the contiguous 48 states, at 4,421.1 meters. The park borders Kings Canyon National Park. Both parks are managed US National Park Service as a single unit - Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.

The park is best known for its giant sequoias, including an instance named General Sherman is the most a big tree on the ground, if you count by the volume of its wood. In 2009, the volume of wood from this tree was just under 1,500 cubic meters. General Sherman tree growing in Giant forest Giant Forest) , which contains five of the ten largest trees in the world by wood volume. Giant forest connected dear Generals(English) Generals Highway), With Grant's Grove(English) Grant Grove) in the national park Kings Canyon, where, among other sequoias, grows General Grant tree . Both species of Sequoia grow in this park - Red and Giant, but Giant Sequoia of large ages grow practically only here, with the exception of a few in neighboring National parks and nature reserves (Yosemite and others).

Sequoia National Park in California

The park is famous throughout the world for its giant sequoias. One of them - Tree General Sherman- the largest tree on Earth. This tree grows in Giant Forest, which also contains five of the ten largest trees in the world by timber volume.

General Sherman

D General Sherman tree (General Sherman tree) in the Forest of Giants - the most popular tree in the park. It really is largest tree in the world by volume, although not the highest, but one of the highest. Its height 81 meters, the diameter at the base is about 32 meters, and the age is about 3 thousand years.

In addition, the Park has a number of other attractions. The most popular of them is Tunnel Log- a small road tunnel cut right in the middle of the fallen road giant sequoia.

Besides unique trees, The park is also famous for its caves. There are about 250 of them, one of which extends 32 kilometers in length. Only one cave is open to tourists - Crystal, the second largest in the Park.

The fossil specimens found give us an idea that giant sequoias existed back in the Jurassic period and occupied vast areas in the Northern Hemisphere. Now they can only be found in California and Southern Oregon. Typically, giant sequoias reach a height of 100 m , in diameter. up to 11 m Average duration life this huge living organism 2- 4 thousand years. The bark of trees is thick, fibrous, non-flammable

. When you touch it, your palm seems to sink into the wood, creating unusual sensations. The park was established in 1890 for the purpose of protection forest areas formed by redwoods. They grow here two types of sequoias: sequoiadendron giant (mammoth tree) And. sequoia evergreen (mahogany) Both of them are trees of enormous size -

90-100 or more m in height and up to 10-11 m in girth, their age reaches 4 thousand years. The unique combination of age, size and weight of these trees makes them the largest trees and longest living creatures present on planet Earth today. And this is one of the few trees that has adapted to forest fires

. The giant sequoia is second in life expectancy only to bristlecone pines, which are found in the arid Sierra Nevada mountains.

The Forest of Giants contains five of the ten largest trees in the world by timber volume. The forest is connected by the Generals Road to Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, where another attraction of the park is located - the General Grant tree.

Sequoia National Park is attractive with mountain landscapes, beautiful waterfalls and alpine meadows. The park is home to many species of animals, including moose, black bear, white-tailed deer, coyote, and bobcat. Sequoia is a monotypic genus of woody plants of the Cypress family. The natural range of the genus is the Pacific coast North America . Individual specimens of sequoia reach a height of more than 110 m - these are some of the most tall trees

on the ground.

The only species is Sequoia evergreen, or Red Sequoia.

History of origin Today, scientists have concluded that sequoia appeared on Earth 140 million years ago. This is proven by the found and studied fossils and other geological deposits, on the basis of which it is possible to calculate the approximate period of the appearance of the huge tall trees

In ancient times, sequoia spread to territories that are today known as France, Japan and even the New Siberian Islands. giant tree existed already in the Jurassic period, when the planet was inhabited by dinosaurs, and even then forests occupied vast areas in the northern hemisphere. According to experts, 50 million years ago, due to the fact that the temperature on Earth dropped significantly, the Ice Age began. The giant sequoia has stopped spreading across the planet and its range has greatly decreased. After warming, these trees remained at the same stage of development and remained growing in only one region.

The first to discover giant sequoias were the Spaniards, who in 1769 sent an expedition to the area of ​​present-day San Francisco. Its name is sequoia, mammoth trees received from the linguist and botanist S. Endlifer, who was the first to call them “red trees”. Initially, no one knew what to do with these huge centenarians. They were practically not used, this is due to the fact that strong trunks were almost impossible to fell, since neither an ax nor a saw could take them. On top of that, the wood turned out to be absolutely unsuitable for construction, such as pine or other conifers. The giant sequoia forests were even destroyed in 1848. By the time more than half of the trees had already been destroyed, the US authorities decided to begin protecting the amazing creatures of nature.

Description of sequoia

Sequoia - evergreen conifer tree from the cypress family. It grows in height 90 meters (35-story building) and higher, and in width (measured as the diameter of the trunk at the base) up to 7 meters, weighing more than 1000 tons. To transport one such felled tree you will need a train of 60 cars. Sequoias live 2-2.5 thousand years or longer.

The trunk is straight and even, rising like a giant column. The crown has the shape of a wide cone, the branches grow horizontally to the ground or with a slight downward slope. The red rust-colored bark (for this reason, sequoia is sometimes called mahogany) is very thick - up to 30 cm, but light, fibrous, porous, so it absorbs moisture well. The needles grow in bunches, are up to 2.5-3 cm long, and can be of different colors - dark green, with a blue or silver tint. The cones are small, up to 3 cm long, oval shape. Sequoia is a monoecious plant, which means that male and female cones grow on the same tree.

Sequoia only tolerates cold poorly; at -20°C it can die, although it once survived the ice age...

Sequoia propagation

A mature sequoia tree produces great amount seeds, but only a tiny fraction of them germinate successfully, and even those that make it through the ground are forced to fight for their lives. The fact is that young shoots branch along their entire length, but the older they become, the more lower branches they lose. Thus, the tree forms a strong dome that absolutely does not allow daylight to pass through. The giant sequoia forests do not allow anything to grow under this green canopy. Therefore, young shoots have to struggle with low light.

Use of sequoia

High performance and beautiful appearance make it possible to use this wood anywhere: for external and internal work, in construction, furniture, turning industry, for the manufacture of facing and decorative cladding. In the USA, it is used to make poles and sleepers, various supporting parts, street benches, stairs, finishing panels, window frames, jambs, doors, interior lining of trailers, carriages, yacht cabins, wooden shingles, and paper.