The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) once flourished from southern Oregon to central California, in protected stream valleys where heavy winter rains and dense summer fog provide plentiful moisture. Many mature redwoods—400 to 2,000 years old—grow higher than 300 feet.
Redwood is a favorite for logging. In 1850 there were 2 million acres of old-growth redwood forest. Only 120,000 acres remain, 45 percent of that protected in Redwood National Park and three California state parks. Within Redwood National Park, the top of the tallest tree in the world (367.8 feet) wilted and died, then in 1989 broke off during a storm. At Montgomery Woods State Reserve, a coast redwood 367.5 feet high is considered the tallest tree in the world. Survival of redwood groves outside the park system is the source of an ongoing debate between the redwood industry and conservationists.
