We are in the middle of a very hot summer. As I was mowing the yard this weekend, I stopped to take a break in the shade of the swamp chestnut oak tree in my front yard. I started thinking about the topic for this Saturday’s article. Immediately, my mind went from one tree topic to another, not being able to pick one over the other. Then the lightbulb came on. Let’s combine them into some intriguing facts that showcase the remarkable adaptations and features of trees.
What is the largest tree? The largest tree in the world is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in California’s Sequoia National Park. The tree is called General Sherman. It is about 275 feet tall with a diameter at its base of at least 36 feet. The tree is about 630,000 board feet in volume. That’s enough to build 120 average-sized houses.
The largest tree in Florida, according to the Florida Forest Service Champion Tree database, is a live oak growing on private property in Alachua County. It has a height of 78 feet with a trunk diameter of almost 13 feet. The average spread of the branches is almost 160 feet across. That equals a little more than ½ an acre…