Their impressive growth, the beautiful reddish bark and the fine needles make the sequoia tree unique in the plant world. As extravagant as the huge plant appears in contrast to other trees, the species in which it occurs are also very differentiated upon closer inspection.
What species of sequoia trees are there?
There are three species of sequoia: the primeval sequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), which grows up to 40 meters high, the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) with a maximum height of 115.55 meters and the mountain sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), which grows up to reached up to 90 meters.
The three sequoia species
Have you decided to have a sequoia tree in your garden? The choice is far from over, because the genus Sequoia comes in three different species:
- as a primeval sequoia tree
- as coast redwood
- as Bermamutbaum
The primeval sequoia tree
You may have already encountered the primeval sequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) in parks. In contrast to its counterparts, it “only” reaches a height of 40 meters and is often planted as an ornament in public gardens because of its easily shapeable branches. The primeval sequoia comes from China, where it probably existed before the dinosaurs were alive. It is now widespread around the globe and has adapted best to the German climate of all three species. You can plant it outdoors after the first wintering. Since it converts large amounts of carbon dioxide, it represents an interesting future object for the economy. The fact that Metasequoia glyptostroboides loses its needles in autumn is completely natural and should not worry you.
The Coast Redwood
In terms of height, the global record holder at 115.55 meters is currently a representative of the coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). You will certainly be tempted to impress your neighbors and visitors with such an astonishingly large plant. However, the evergreen giant with its extensive root system takes up space for other plants, so a coast redwood would probably be the only plant on your property.
The Mountain Sequoia
The mountain sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) has beautiful reddish wood (also called redwood) and dark green needles. In contrast to the coast redwood, heavy needle shedding is natural in this species. It also has lower growth but forms significantly thicker trunks. It is native to the snow-covered mountains of California, where it reaches a maximum height of 90 meters. However, this is rarely to be expected in these areas due to the climatic conditions. Young trees form a pyramidal crown, which later changes to a cone shape.
