Key facts about the tree
- Located in Sequoia National Park
- It is the biggest sequoia tree on planet Earth (not to be confused with the tallest or widest tree!)
- The crown width is 33 metres
- General Sherman is 83.8 metres tall
- Mr Sherman is 2,000 years old
Sequoia trees are famous for their height and mass, they are also considered to be the oldest living organisms on earth. “General Sherman” tree is located in the Sequoia National Park, in the US state of California.
The tree was discovered in 1879 by naturalist James Wolverton and was named after William Tecumseh Sherman who served as a general during the American Civil War.
Biggest tree – what does it mean?
So just to be clear, when we are talking about the tallest tree we are measuring its height, if it is the widest tree then we are measuring the width of its girth. When it comes down to how big is the tree we have to measure the bole volume. In a nutshell it means how many logs the tree can provide. General Sherman’s bole volume is a staggering 52,500 cubic feet (1,487 m3). This is equal to 3088 logs that are 16 feet long!
A branch that can kill anyone
In 2006 the largest branch on the tree broke off probably due to its size and weather conditions. The branch length was over 30 metres with the diameter of 2 metres. If it fell on a car it would most likely smash it to bits! Luckily no one was around when the incident happened.
Sequoia National Park is definitely a destination worth visiting The park is full of grand trees that make you feel like an insect! There is also a good chance to encounter amazing wildlife such as black bears, deer, mountain lions and much more.
Size calculation ref: nrs.fed.us