Green | April 08, 2011 | 3 comments

The World's Tallest Tree Is Hiding Somewhere In California

source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/04/08/135206497/the-worlds-tallest-tree-is-hiding-som...

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benjaminV
Woah, this is one very tall tree. Nine years ago, it was the tallest known plant in the world.

It's 369 feet high. That's about twice the size of the Statue of Liberty (minus the foundation). I like this tree. The people who discovered it have never revealed its true location, which is somewhere in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. And though it's got a nickname, "Stratosphere Giant," it is no longer the giant. It's been trumped.

After its short four-year reign as World's Tallest, two hikers, Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, were deep in another section of another park, Redwood National Park (purchased in 1978 during the Carter administration) when they came across a new stand of trees, taller than anyone had ever seen before. The tallest of the tall is 379 feet 4 inches, 10 feet taller than the Giant. It's now called "Hyperion."

We have the precise measurements because after Chris and Michael announced their discovery, a team of scientists, led by Humboldt State University ecologist Steve Sillett, climbed to the top of the tree and dropped a tape down to the ground. Some things are still that simple. Steve's colleague, Jim Spickler (check out his biceps! scary), repeated the climb and brought a camera, so we can go with him. This video, which comes with dramatic music in all the right places, is, to use a much overused word, but I'll use it anyway..."awesome":

Once again, no one is telling where the new champ is located. People will want to see it, photograph it, climb it, carve little souvenirs out of it. Trees, says Steve Sillett, are not like people. They "cannot run away from paparazzi." He asked us not to even mention the nickname, "Hyperion," but I figure the nickname gives away nothing. Anyway, the Who's Biggest title keeps changing.
  1. groups:
    Green
  2. tags:
    California,  Trees,  World Record,  Redwoods,  1 more
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3 comments // The World's Tallest Tree Is Hiding Somewhere In California

  • aaron1972
  • royulery
    • 0
      royulery  

    • 20 years ago it was "general sherman" at sequoia national park. i took pictures of it and when i got back far enough to get the whole tree in the frame, i couldn't see the people at the base.

    • 1 year ago
  • coolplanet
    • -1
      coolplanet  
    • royulery:

      The General Sherman Sequoia is still the largest living thing on Earth by sheer girth although the Montezuma Cypress "Tule Tree" in Oaxaca, Mexico, is a close second (both trees are in the taxodium family). The first century Mesoamerican deity Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl identified the Tule Tree as the very Tree of Life at the center of his 2012 calender prophecy. He said "You will know me by the tree."

    • 1 year ago
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