ZAP’S FACTS!
TREES

Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth.

One redwood named Hyperion is taller than a 35-storey building - and its exact location is a secret.

2 min read
Coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth.
THE FULL STORY

Coast redwoods are the skyscrapers of the plant kingdom. The tallest known tree, called Hyperion, stands 116.22 metres tall - taller than the Statue of Liberty including the pedestal. Park rangers keep its exact location secret, and the trail to it has been closed off since 2022 because earlier tourist traffic was crushing the soil around its roots.

Getting water that high is a serious engineering problem. Redwoods solve it by letting tiny columns of water inside their trunks pull each other upward, like beads on a string. As leaves at the top breathe out water vapour, more water gets sucked up from the roots.

There’s a clever bonus. Coast redwoods live in foggy parts of California, and the upper leaves can drink water straight from fog drifting through them. So the tallest trees on Earth literally sip clouds for breakfast.

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