Largest Tree In The World Is 275 ft High General Sherman

Largest tree in the world is General Sherman tree of 275 ft height and 25 ft diameter. Estimated age of this largest tree in the world is 2300-2700 years. It is a sequoia tree located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California.

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Though General Sherman tree is neither the largest tree known to humans, nor the widest tree, nor the oldest tree on Earth, but it is the single stem largest tree currently living on Earth. According to some records, Crannell Creek Giant, a coast redwood in California is estimated 15 to 25% larger than General Sherman tree, but it was cut down in mid-1940s.

James Wolverton was a naturalist served as a lieutenant under an American Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman in the 9th Indiana Cavalry. He gave this name to the giant tree in 1879. General Sherman tree was identified as the largest tree in the world in 1931.

See statistics of General Sherman tree in the following table:

Height above base	274.9 ft	83.8 m
Circumference at ground	102.6 ft	31.3 m
Maximum diameter at base	36.5 ft	11.1 m
Diameter 4.5 ft (1.4 m) above height point on ground	25.1 ft	7.7 m
Diameter 60 ft (18 m) above base	17.5 ft	5.3 m
Diameter 180 ft (55 m) above base	14.0 ft	4.3 m
Diameter of largest branch	6.8 ft	2.1 m
Height of first large branch above the base	130.0 ft	39.6 m
Average crown spread	106.5 ft	32.5 m
Estimated bole volume	52,508 cu ft	1,487 m3
Estimated mass (wet) (1938)	2,105 short tons	1,910 t
Estimated bole mass (1938)	2,472,000 lb	1,121 t

One of its largest branches was collapsed in February 1978 which was 140 ft (43 m) long with 4 ft diameter. In January 2006, another branch of this tree (the then longest branch) was also collapsed which was 98 ft (30 m) long with 7 ft diameter. These losses didn’t affect the status as the largest tree in the world because the size of General Sherman tree has been calculated on the basis of trunk volume, excluding branches.

Author: Sonia Goyal
Photo Source: Wikimedia

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