Giant Sequoias Can Live for More Than 3,000 Years

Giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world, and they have time to get that way. The U.S. National Park Service states that, while not the world’s oldest trees, they are known to reach ages of up to 3,400 years. They grow at middle elevations along the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. Fire is part of their life, not just a threat to it. The Park Service describes giant sequoias as adapted to periodic fire. Their bark, at up to 18 inches thick and extremely fibrous, not only resists burning but also insulates the tree against fire’s heat. The evidence is written in the wood. Fire scars in tree rings dating back 2,000 years show that widespread fires occurred naturally at intervals ranging from 6 to 35 years in these forests.