The delicate seeds are produced in cones that take two years to develop. Although the size and shape of a chicken's egg, each cone contains some 200 to 300 seeds. Giant sequoias often retain the green, seedbearing cones alive on the tree for up to 20 to 30 years. Outside forces such as fire, insect larvae, and the Douglas squirrel or chickaree, are required to help the tree disperse its seeds. Contact with the ground does not assure the seeds will germinate.
Seeds contain little energy, producing a tap root only about one inch long.
The Maturing Sequoia Sequoia saplings grow to their maximum height within several hundred years. At this time they are conical, like an upside-down ice cream cone. The limbs often grow the entire length of the trunk. After reaching their maximum height, the trunks begin to spread outward. The bark thickens, the lower limbs fall off, and the trunk expands to form the shape of a huge column.