A tree releases as much as 160 gallons of water in a day through its leaves and, by necessity, moves that water up from its roots.
Redwoods have a system of interconnected wood cells for carrying water.
The hollow, short, thin cells are stacked intricately to form an incredibly tall column, extending from the roots through the branches and stems to the leaves. The cells are dead wood that function as pipes with pitted openings along the sides of the pipe for water to pass between adjacent cells. Redwoods must form a continuous column of water within this pipe in order to move water through the pipe. We believe redwoods form the column when the tree is a newly germinated seedling. The tree maintains the water column intact throughout its life time.