Trees can be astonishing. Here are a few famous record holders.
Tallest: Coast Redwoods
Coast redwoods in California are the tallest known trees. The record holder, Hyperion, stands at roughly 116 metres (380 feet), taller than the Statue of Liberty including its pedestal.
Oldest Individual Trees: Bristlecone Pines
Bristlecone pines growing in the mountains of the western United States are among the oldest known individual trees. Some are well over 4,000 years old.
Biggest by Volume: Giant Sequoias
Giant sequoias are the largest trees by volume. Their trunks can be enormous, and they can live for thousands of years.
A Whole Forest That Is One Tree?
A famous grove of quaking aspen in Utah, called Pando, is a single connected organism. Its trees share one root system and are genetically identical.
Why Do They Survive?
Many of these trees grow slowly, resist pests and fire, and live in places where few other things compete with them.
Challenge
Find the tallest tree near you. Can you guess its height by measuring its shadow?
