The tallest tree species on Earth, an evergreen conifer of the cool fog belt of coastal northern California and southern Oregon.
Where it grows
Coast redwood is confined to a 750-kilometre strip of foggy coastline from southern Oregon to the Santa Lucia Mountains south of Big Sur. It depends on summer fog drip to compensate for the dry Mediterranean climate, and is rarely found more than 50 kilometres inland.
How to recognise it
The reddish, fibrous, fire-resistant bark can be 30 centimetres thick. Foliage is feathery and flat on shaded lower branches, scale-like on sun-exposed upper branches. The tiny cones are barely 2.5 centimetres long. The world record-holder, Hyperion, stands at 115.9 metres.
Uses
Heartwood is straight-grained, light, and high in tannins that resist rot and insects, which made it the timber of choice for outdoor decks, shingles, and the redwood water tanks once perched on San Francisco rooftops. The species also sprouts vigorously from cut stumps, a rare trait among conifers.
Conservation
Logging in the late 19th and 20th centuries cleared 95 percent of the old growth. Redwood National and State Parks now protect the largest remaining ancient groves.