Do you have any idea what the largest coastal city is between San Francisco and Portland? How about the place that supplies two-thirds of
California’s oysters? Or that’s home to the tallest trees on the planet?
The tallest tree in the world is Hyperion; a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) found in the Redwood National Park, California.
Hyperion stands 115.54 m (379.1ft) above the ground and is estimated to be between 700 and 800 years old. The exact location of
Hyperion is not accessible to the public because of the fear that tourists might disrupt the ecosystem of the tree.
Hyperion – The Tallest Tree On Earth
Michael Taylor and Chris Atkins discovered the redwood on August 25, 2006. The initial height of the tree was marked as 378.1 feet, but it
was measured again by researchers who obtained the height of 379.1 feet which became the official height recognized by the Guinness
World Record. Remarkably, Hyperion stands on a hillside where 96% of the original coast redwoods have been logged. Two months
before, Taylor and Atkins had discovered two other redwoods in the park that were taller than the previous record-holder: Stratosphere
Giant. Hyperion is estimated to hold 18,600 cu ft. of wood.
Other Tall Trees
Helios
Helios was the tallest in the world between June 1 and August 25, 2006, until Hyperion was discovered. The tree stands 376.6 ft. above the
ground and is located in the same park as Hyperion. The redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is protected from damage by tourists and
loggers.
Icarus
Icarus is the third tallest tree in the world with a height of 371.2 feet. It is also located in the Redwood National and State Parks. The
redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) was discovered in July 2006. Icarus has a diameter of 12.4ft.
Stratosphere Giant
Stratosphere Giant was the tallest tree until the discovery of Hyperion, Helios, and Icarus. The Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) was
discovered in 2000 and stands 371 ft. above the ground. Stratosphere Giant is located at the Humboldt National Park. The tree is located
in a region of the forest-covered by trees of almost equal length.
Centurion
The Centurion is the tallest Eucalyptus tree with a height of 327.5 ft as at 2014. It is located in Tasmania, Australia. The Centurion was
discovered in 2008 by forest rangers while analyzing data collected by mapping equipment. The diameter of the tree is 13.28 ft, its girth
is 39.4 ft, and is estimated to hold 268 cubic meters of wood.
Coast Douglas-Fir
The Coast Douglas-fir in Brummit Creek, Oregon, is the tallest conifer in the world with a height of 327 ft. Coast Douglas-firs (Pseudotsuga
menziesii var. menziesii) are not the tallest trees in the world but can grow to a significant height. The life-span of these trees range
between 500 and 1,000 years but logging is reducing the number of these trees in the wild.
The Tallest Trees In The World
Rank Tree Name Tree Type Height (ft)
1 Hyperion Redwood 379.1
2 Helios Redwood 376.6
3 Icarus Redwood 371.2
4 Stratosphere Giant Redwood 371.0
5 Centurion Eucalyptus 327.5
6 Coast Douglas-fir Coast Douglas-fir 327.0
Terrible