Redwood

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), world's tallest living tree. Growing primarily in a narrow, mountainous strip along the Pacific Ocean from northern California into southern Oregon, redwoods thrive in the region's cool, foggy climate. They are closely related to the giant sequoias that grow further inland along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas. Coast redwoods average 200–275 ft (61–84 m) high; the tallest measured tree in the world is a redwood standing 368 ft (112 m) along Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, Calif. Redwood trunks average 8–12 ft (2.4–3.7 m) in diameter, and the wood, resistant to decay and insects, is valued by the lumbering industry for its durability. Redwoods are also among the world's oldest living things, some trees being an estimated 3,500 years old.