Six-Way 54 Ancient Trees

1. Six-Way 54 Ancient Trees What is the oldest living thing on earth? If you said “the sequoia tree加州紅杉樹”, you are very right. If you said “the redwood tree,” you would be right too. But let’s take it from the botanists植物學家. The redwood is in Sequoia family. So sequoia is more correct. The tree is named被命名to honor a Cherokee Indian who invented a system of writing.

2. There are two kinds of sequoia trees. First is the redwood. Second is the giant巨大的sequoia. The redwoods are the tallest. The giant sequoia is the biggest. Redwoods grow to more than 300 feet. The trunks樹幹of many are more than 10 feet across. Giant sequoias are not so tall as redwoods. But their trunks are much larger. The world’s largest tree overall全部is the General Sherman tree.

3. It is about 275 feet tall. The trunk’s diameter直徑is 36.5 feet. But its seeds種子are only ¼ inch long.

4. About 50000 seeds weigh one pound. So big from so small! The redwood and the giant sequoia live long. They have no known enemies敵人. None has died from old age. Disease疾病and insect昆蟲have no effect. Thoughlightning 閃電has hit most tops, the tree just keep on growing. The General Sherman is about 3500 years old. It dates back to追溯回1500 B.C.The tree started to grow at the time of thepyramid of Egypt.

5. Numerous許多的fires have swept橫掃 through forests where redwoods and sequoias grow.Why weren’t these trees burnedlike the rest燒成灰燼? This is probably the answer. Their back is from 6 to 12 inches thick厚. The fires have charred燒焦the bark樹皮over and over again 不斷地. But the flames cannot reach deep enough to burn the live wood. What a coat大衣of armor盔 甲! Nature thought of考慮everything.