The Tallest, Fattest, Largest and Oldest Trees on the Planet
The forests, particularly the Amazon, are the lungs of the planet. They are ever changing with storms, fires, gaps and succession - some caused by humans and others a part of natural processes. Within the world’s diverse flora there are a few members of the tree family that stand out.
At left this image from the US Geological Survey shows a grove of non-native sequoia in Hawaii.
But even these giants aren’t in the heavyweight categories of tallest, fattest, largest or oldest trees on the planet.
Here are the big barks (from Smithsonian Magazine):
Tallest: A towering California redwood was recorded at 379.1 feet in 2006. (Photo Via Redwoods)
Fattest: Montezuma Cypress called “El Arbol del Tule” in Oaxaca, Mexico was measured at 37 feet in diameter. That definitely deserves a parade. (Photo Wikipedia)
Largest: The “General Sherman Tree”, a sequoia in California, is the largest with a volume of 52,500 cubic feet and a weight of 2.7 million pounds. (Photo Wikipedia)
Oldest: The oldest tree on the planet is more than 4,800 years old! The old timer is a bristlecone pine in California, also known as Methuselah, similar to the one pictured below. (Photo Wikipedia)
More tall treats: