Giant sequoia

The biggest tree by volume

The giant sequoia isn't the tallest, but it's the fattest and heaviest tree! The 'General Sherman' tree weighs 2,000 tonnes — as much as 10 blue whales. It takes 20 people to hug its trunk. It's 2,500 years old — it sprouted in the time of Alexander the Great!

The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) grows in California's Sierra Nevada at 1,400–2,100 m, in just 75 natural groves. General Sherman is the largest tree on Earth by volume: 84 m tall, 11 m trunk diameter, 1,487 m³ of wood. It lives up to 3,000 years. Its cones need fire to open — fire clears competitors and creates ash-enriched soil for the seeds. The bark is up to 60 cm thick and fire-resistant. Severe wildfires in 2020–2021 killed 20% of all giant sequoias — linked to climate change.

Fun facts

• You could build 40 houses from the General Sherman tree — but nobody will cut it down!
• Giant sequoia seeds need a forest fire to open.
• Its bark is 60 cm thick — fire can't hurt it.