Sequoia bud

Latin: Sequoiadendron giganteum

Botanical Family : Cupressaceae

Plant part: Bud

Origin: France

The giant Sequoia exceeds all records, the most imposing measure 83 m in height or 25 m in circumference, weigh on average 1200 tonnes, are over 3000 years old and the species has existed for 200 million years.

Fossils attest to its presence throughout the northern hemisphere, but the only survivors of the last ice age are grouped on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California which offer it altitude, humidity and light.

The specimens visible in Europe were all planted after 1850. Displayed in the parks of castles and manors, they ostentatiously displayed the social status or success of their owners during the Industrial Revolution.

Their trunk is widened at the base, their reddish bark is fibrous and the crown is rounded. The needles arranged in spirals are shaped like awls, moving away from the stem.

The discreet yellowish male flowers are located at the end of the branches, the females, ovoid, are carried by a small scaly stem. The fruit is a cone which matures in 2 years then patiently waits for the heat of summer or a fire to release its 200 winged seeds.

As an adult, a giant Sequoia has a powerful reproductive force; it can produce 10,000 cones per year, which represents more than 300,000 seeds to be dispersed over a radius of 2 km. 

Impressive, like everything else about him!

With all his attributes, he carries within him the symbolism of virility and evokes strength, energy and perseverance.

For Native Americans, it is the center of the world under which all breeds of animals are grouped.