"California redwood" has been the official California state tree since 1937. It's not a very specific name because there are two kinds: coastal redwoods or sequoia sempervirens (sempervirens means evergreen) and giant sequoias or sequoiadendron giganteum. They're a good choice for the California state tree(s) because they only grow on the Pacific coast and mostly in California.
Coastal redwoods grow tall - almost 400 feet - and giant sequoias are massive. General Sherman Tree in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park is more than 274 feet high and over 102 feet around its base. Find out where to see the California state tree and learn more about California's redwood forests.
Not only is the giant sequoia the California state tree, but General Grant Tree in Sequoia National Park is one of several trees that are called our Nation's Christmas tree.
The specimen of the California state tree shown in the picture is the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park.
