The giant sequoia (
Sequoiadendron giganteum), the world's largest tree, lives along 200 miles of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in central California. The bark contains tannin, which prevents it from burning and makes it resistant to fungi and wood-boring pests. Although the tree's root system is shallow, the base of the tree is large enough to hold it secure in high winds. Thus sequoias live as long as 3,200 years.
Measured in volume of wood. the world's largest living tree—indeed, the largest living thing in the world—is a sequoia named the General Sherman Tree, located in Sequoia National Park. This tree is 272 feet high, 36.5 feet in diameter above the base, and 103 feet in circumference at the base; it is approximately 2,500 years old. Its weight has been estimated at 2,150 tons.
