There are two related native species of redwood trees, the Coast Redwood and giant Sequoia, which share the designation of State Tree. Both date back to the dinosaur era and are known for their impressive statistics.

The Coast Redwood is the tallest tree in the world. They are 400 feet high, 100 feet wide and grow 2-10 feet a year. Weighing 1.4 million pounds, they live 2,000 years. Needing plenty of winter rain and summer coastal fog, they live best within 50 miles of the Pacific Ocean, from Oregon to Monterey, California.

The giant Sequoia are the largest trees by volume (52,508 cubic feet) in the world. They grow 300 feet high, weigh 2.7 million pounds and have a 40 foot trunk diameter and 31 inch thick bark. Sequoias need fire for their seeds to grow and live 3,000 years. They are found along a 250-mile stretch of the central western Sierra Nevada at 4,000-8,000 feet elevation.

(Added by Statutes of 1943, Chapter 134; Amended by Statutes, Chapter 1140, 1953)