Bark is reddish-brown, stringy, and very thick. Giant sequoias are the largest trees ever to inhabit the earth, and are among the oldest. Heights of 300 feet and diameters of 30 feet are not uncommon. Although once widespread, giant sequoias now occur only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. Since 1890, giant sequoias have been protected in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, as well as in smaller individual groves.
Needles are generally scale-like but have sharp tips.
Blue-green in color. Bark is thick, dark reddish-brown, and deeply furrowed. Trunks are greatly enlarged and buttressed at the base. Grow in isolated groves scattered throughout the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California. Trees are generally found at 4,900-8,200 ft.