18. Coast Redwood

Scientific Name – Sequoia sempervirens

These trees are native to a narrow coastal belt running from Oregon to south of Monterey Bay, California and included in this belt is the tallest tree in the world standing at 112.4m. They were introduced to the UK and Ireland via Russia in 1843 and are commonly found in parks and large gardens. Generally they form poor, thin specimens in the British Isles however in the north and south east of Ireland they grow to be huge trees.

The bark of these trees ranges from bright red to dark reddish brown on older trees usually on older trees which have deep fissures divided by thick, intertwined ridges. The bark is normally very thick but is soft and stringy. Trees normally have a broadly columnar growth pattern and is pointed when young becoming flat topped with age or in exposed sites. Trees grow rapidly in damp, sheltered sites, with growth of up to 1.3m recorded in some instances and trees commonly reach 30m after 30 years. Some may live as long as 2,600 years but normally survive for 700 to 1000 years.

 

The Trees

1.Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon)
2.Fagus sylvatica 'Heterophylla' (Cut leaf beech)
3.Larix decidua (European larch)
4.Cupressus Macrocarpa (Monterey cypress)
5.Thuja plicata (Western red cedar)
6.Luma apiculata (Chilean myrtle)
7.Chamaecyparis pisifera (Swara cypress)
8.Tsuga dumosa (Himalayan hemlock)* Champion
9.Cupressus macrocarpa 'Lutea'(Goldn monterey cypress)
10.Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine)
11.Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon)
12.Quercus ilex (Holm oak)
13.Cryptomeria Japonica 'Elegans' (Japanese cedar)
14.Thujopsis dolobrata (Hiba)
15.Pinus gordoniana (White pine)
16.Sequoia sempervirens (Coast redwood)*Champion
17.Thuja standishii(Japanses arbor-vitae)
18.Sequoi sempervirens(Coast redwood)*Champion
19.Pinus montezumae 'hartwegii' (Mexican pine)
20.Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant redwood)
21.Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant redwood)
22.Picea orientalis (Oriental spruce)
23.Fagus sylvatica 'pendula' (Weeping Irish Beech)
24.Cupressus lusitanica bethamii(Bentham cypress)

The trees listed *Champion are considered to be among the finest of their species to be found in Europe