Sequoias in Deidesheim!

The sequoia tree is one of the largest living organisms on earth. In terms of height, it is second only to the Eucalyptus amygdaline, which can be up to 155 meters tall. Due to their imposing appearance, sequoias are visible from great distances and lend a very monumental character to their surroundings. Here in Deidesheim, the tree reaches a height of 30-50 meters and grows about 80 cm in each year of its youth. Its straight trunk with low branches is clothed in pale reddish-brown bark, which is very cracked and spongy. As the bark is between 30 and 60 cm thick, it also provides very good fire protection for the tree. The sequoia has scale-like, bluish-green leaves and cones of a reddish-brown color, 5-8 cm in length.

The sequoia tree prefers sunny and open locations. As the tree develops a taproot in its youth, it is best to grow it as a container plant when it is still small. Later, the roots grow more laterally, fixing the tall tree in the upper layer of soil and thus protecting it from strong winds. The best soils for a sequoia tree are usually deep, fresh, humid and nutritious. The pH-value should range from slightly acidic to alkaline.
There are very famous sequoia trees such as “General Sherman” in the Sequoia National Park, which has a height of 84 meters and a trunk girth of 31 meters. That is 15000 cubic meters of wood! The tree is between 2500 and 3000 years old.
3500-year-old “General Grant” is 89 meters tall and 12.5 meters in diameter. It is also called the “Christmas Tree of the American Nation”.
The “Hausmann” sequoia tree is 92 meters tall and 8 meters in diameter. A summer apartment has been set up in the tree.
The tallest tree in the Calaveras National Park had a height of 135 meters at a diameter of 12 meters. It was called “Father of the Forest”.

Here, in the Palatinate, you will come across beautiful sequoias again and again, whether in the castle grounds of Deidesheim, in Gleisweiler or on the village boundary of Wachenheim. The sequoia is native to Central California and the western parts of the Sierra Nevada. In the groves of the ice-free valleys, the trees can be found at heights of up to 2500 m. The sequoias were first discovered by John Bidwill, an Englishman, who was at that time on a trip from the Sutter Forest to the Sacramento River. Dowd, a hunter, confirmed the existence of the imposing trees when he came into the wild area to shoot a wounded bear. The first seeds were brought to England and Scotland by biologists in 1853. By 1872, three hectares of exotic forest had been laid out near Weinheim and about 150 trees (between 40 and 50 meters tall) from this time are still living there.