World's Largest Tree

The General Sherman ( Tree)

This article is about General Sherman, the Largest  living tree,,,,

The General Sherman is a giant sequoia tree located in the Giant forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare- Country, California. By volume, it is the largest known living single stem on Earth. The General Sherman Tree is neither the tallest known living tree on Earth (that distinction belongs to the Hyperion Tree, a Coast redwood), nor is it the widest (both the largest cypress and largest baobab have a greater diameter), nor is it the oldest known living tree on Earth (that distinction belongs to the Methuselah tree a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine). With a height of 83.8 metres (275 ft), a diameter of 7.7 metres (25 ft), an estimated bole volume of 1,487 cubic metres (52,513 cu ft), and an estimated age of 2,300 – 2,700 years, it is however among the tallest, widest and longest -lived of all trees on the planet.

In January 2006 the largest branch on the tree broke off. There were no witnesses to the incident, and the branch with a bigger circumference than the trunks of most trees, a diameter of over 2 metres (7 ft) and a length of over 30 metres (98 ft)—smashed part of its enclosing fence and cratered the pavement of the walkway surrounding the sequoia. The breakage, however, is not believed to be indicative of any abnormalities in the tree's health, and may even be a natural defense mechanism against a dverse weather conditions. The branch loss did not change the General Sherman's status as the largest tree, as its size has been calculated using measurements of trunk volume, excluding branches.

                                                                 
                                                        Dimension

Height above base                                                           274.9 ft        83.8 m

Circumference at ground                                                102.6 ft         31.3 m

Maximum diameter at base                                            36.5 ft           11.1 m

Diameter 4.5 ft (1.4 m) above height point on ground     25.1 ft           7.7 m

Diameter 60 ft (18 m) above base                                   17.5 ft           5.3 m

Diameter 180 ft (55 m) above base                                 14.0 ft           4.3 m

Diameter of largest branch                                            6.8 ft             2.1 m

Height of first large branch above the base                    130.0 ft          39.6 m

Average crown spread                                                   106.5 ft         32.5 m

Estimated bole volume                                                  52,508 cu ft   1,487 m3

Estimated mass (wet)                                                    2,105 short tons      1,910 t

Estimated bole mass                                                     2,472,000 lb            1,121 t