What is there to know about trees?
Often the question is asked of us “What is there to know about trees?” That’s a difficult question to answer not because there isn’t much to say but because there is so much to know!
The largest living organism by volume on the planet is a tree – it is called the General Sherman, it is a Giant Sequoia sometimes called a Wellingtonia (named after the Duke of Wellington apparently) or scientifically called a Sequioadendron giganteum and lives in California. One of us has been lucky enough to visit the tree in person and admire its stature – it isn’t the tallest in the world; that record belongs to another Giant Redwood Coastal living in the Redwood National Park. The Redwood found deep in a remote northern Californian forest has been declared the tallest tree in the world.
Confirmation of the new record-breaker came only after a tree-climbing scientist reached its top to confirm a height of nearly 380ft (114m) — a foot taller than previously thought. Hyperion, which stands 379.1ft tall, is nearly nine feet taller than the previous record holder, Stratosphere Giant.
The tallest tree ever reliably recorded was a Douglas fir in Lynn Valley, British Columbia, Canada, which was measured in the late 19th century at 414ft. It is no longer standing.
Scientists have yet to come up with an absolute limit on how high a tree may be able to grow but believe the Lynn Valley fir must be close. They also doubt whether any tree taller than Hyperion will be found — even though it is 25ft shorter than the fir in Canada.
Four decades ago there were thousands of trees comparable in size to Hyperion, but they were logged, along with 90 per cent of the ancient redwood forests in California. Hyperion was saved by the expansion of Redwood National Park in 1978.
World's 2nd tallest specie of tree discovered in Tasmania in October 2008
A 400 year-old eucalyptus tree has been discovered in Tasmania, measuring 101 metres tall.
The earliest planting in the UK of a Giant Sequioa in 1852 can be visited at Killerton gardens in Devon now a National Trust property.
News flash....
(8th April 2010)
There has been much competition to boast the title of Britain's tallest tree - but now that honour goes to the Ardkinglas Estate on the banks of Loch Fyne in Aygyllshire.
Their champion grand fir has just been measured at a whopping 64.24 metres.
The Dowson family with the General Sherman – a few years ago - Just admire the tree!
Arkinglas - Our Champion Tree is the Tallest Tree in Britain! http://www.ardkinglas.com
On Thursday April 8th 2010 intrepid tree surgeons climbed the Grand Fir, 'Abies Grandis' at Ardkinglas Woodland Garden to accurately measure the height of the tree to find out if it was the tallest tree in Britain. The climb was also to raise money for Erskine Hospital and the Scottish Air Ambulance.
We are delighted to report that Iain Campbell Duncan of ICD Tree Services, Alistair Cameron and Chris Betts, ably supported by Dougie Cameron announced that the Grand Fir is 64.24 metres in height, which makes it the tallest tree in Britain, but also that so far they have raised over £500 (with more to come) for the two charities. On top of that, they performed some minor surgery while at the top of the tree, to ensure it keeps growing well for many years to come.
A visit to Ardkinglas Woodland Garden to view Britain’s Tallest Tree is now a must-see experience! The tree was planted as a sapling 135 years ago, around 1875; other events around that time include the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Montana; Alexander Graham Bell demonstrating his telephone to Queen Victoria who made a call from Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight and Tchaikovsky completing the music for Swan Lake.
The Douglas Fir is only one of over 200 plant species introduced to Britain by the famous plant hunter David Douglas (1799 – 1834), who was born in Perthshire. The Douglas Fir was introduced here in 1827 following Douglas’ intrepid exploration of America’s Pacific Northwest three years earlier.
Pseudotsuga menziesii is named after Archibald Menzies (1754 – 1842), a contemporary of Douglas.
David Douglas