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The tallest tree in the world

According to the observations of scientists, representatives of evergreen sequoias are considered the tallest trees in the world. These trees grow mainly in the US state of California. Many tall trees also exist among representatives of eucalyptus and some other even deciduous species. Until 2006, the sequoia called Helios held the world championship in height. Helios is the so-called red tree. Representatives of this breed of sequoia grow in California, in the Redwood National Park or simply Redwood. Hence the name - red trees. This giant was discovered in early June 2006 by local naturalist Chris Atkins. The height of the tree was 114.58 m. It should be noted that all giant trees in this park are officially registered and included in the Guinness Book of Records. But the naturalist did not rest on this, and already in August of the same year, he went with a group of comrades, consisting of his colleague Michael Taylor, biologist of the Humboldt University Steve Saylett and ecologist Robert van Pelt to a remote part of the park in search of new giants. What was their surprise when they discovered not one, but three giant trees at once. The highest of them had a height equal to 115 meters and 61 centimeters. The name of this giant was given Hyperion - in honor of the titan from the mythology of ancient Greece.

This name in translation means very high. The method of measuring the height of a tree is also interesting. When red giants were discovered, scientists first used a tripod with a laser. But later they used a method called "tape drop", the essence of which is that one of the participants climbs a tree and lowers the tape down. According to its length, the height of the tree was determined. The diameter of the record holder tree is more than 4 meters 84 centimeters. This is at the level of the human chest - approximately 1.41 m. The volume of wood of this tree is approximately 502 cubic meters. m. Experts agree that the Hyperion tree has been growing on planet Earth for about 800 years. However, as it turned out, in fact, giant sequoias grow on steep slopes. And this is a big plus. Such a surface allows the trees to receive the necessary amount of sunlight. At the same time, the mountain range is an excellent shelter from sultry and harmful winds. In addition, in the immediate vicinity - a sufficient amount of water. And the most important thing is the constant presence of fog at the bottom of the slopes, which rise and provide constant moisture in the air. As a result, a moderately damp and temperate microclimate is formed on the slopes, which is the most favorable for tree growth.