Giant sequoias and coast redwoods are members of the cypress family of plants. It's an extraordinary family, with species living on every continent except Antarctica. Its members include the world's thickest tree (the Montezuma Cypress), the second-oldest tree (Patagonian cypress), the world's tallest tree (coast redwood), and the world's largest tree overall (giant sequoia). Some might call it the royal family of trees, but it's often referred to as the 'redwood family' (although not all are red! )!