Trees are extraordinary organisms that can be classified as part of the plant kingdom. In this group, organisms are multicellular, have eukaryotic cells and produce their own food, that is, they are autotrophic.
Some trees stand out for their beauty, such as the cherry tree, which announces the spring in Japan, and of the ipe trees and their beautiful and colorful flowers, which brighten the Cerrado. Other trees stand out for reaching unbelievable marks of width, as in the case of the Mexican cypress, and in size, as in the case of the sequoia.
→ Largest tree in the world in height
The largest tree in the world is a giant sequoia that is in a forest in Northern California, United States. The tree is an incredible 115.55 meters tall, the equivalent of approximately a 40-story building. This tree was discovered in 2006, but its exact location has yet to be disclosed to prevent tourists from visiting the site and, consequently, degrading the area.
Prior to this discovery, the tallest tree in the world was a 112.92 meter redwood dubbed the Stratospheric Giant.
→ Largest tree in the world by volume
Nicknamed General Sherman, the largest tree in the world is also a sequoia and was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. It is 82.6 meters high, 25.9 meters in diameter and has 1,814 tons of mass. Researchers claim that the wood from this tree would be enough to produce about five billion matches. According to some analyses, this tree is approximately 2100 years old.
→ A little more about redwoods
Redwoods are giant trees that are included in the gymnosperm group. They are extremely tall and feature a large amount of wood. The leaves of sequoias are similar to those of pine trees and their seeds are bare, that is, they have no fruit surrounding them.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
