The blue whale is the largest creature the world has ever known - even larger than the biggest dinosaur. But the giant sequoia tree makes this mammal look like an infant! Three times longer and 32 times heavier than the blue whale, the giant sequoia tree is the largest living thing on the planet. Giant sequoias also live a very long time. Some are more than 3,000 years old! Why do they live so long when most other trees die much younger? Here's a list with some potential answers. Which one do you think is correct?

Drought. Lightning. Fire. Insects. These are just a few of the many dangers for trees in the forest. One of the greatest dangers to trees is forest fires. Thousands of acres can be wiped out with a single bolt of lightning or a careless match. But the mighty sequoia survives even in the hottest forest fires. That's because it has a thick, spongy bark that is between one and two feet thick!

What do you think? Giant sequoia trees live for thousands of years. Why do they live so long when other trees die much sooner? They grow faster and steal the sunlight from other trees. Their bark is very thick and resists forest fires. Their wood is dense, making the tree stronger. Their huge root systems provide water even during droughts. The answer is #2

Like insulation wrapped around a house, the bark protects it from the tremendous heat of forest fires. In fact, the bark contains tannic acid, a material that is used in modern fire extinguishers.

The giant sequoia is not the tallest tree (redwoods are taller) nor the oldest (bristlecone pines are older). The giant sequoia IS the largest tree measured by total volume. These magnificent trees were cut down in large numbers between 1850 and 1890. Today, most of the remaining sequoias are protected within the boundaries of national parks in central California. The greatest risk to the giant sequoia now is from major storms. Because of a very shallow root system, heavy wind and snow can cause trees to topple over due to their massive height and weight.

No one knows how long the the giant sequoia can live. Some have been alive for more than 3,000 years. They know their age by sawing a tree in half and counting the rings. This is only done on trees that have fallen over. They never cut down a live tree!

Fast Facts Height: 250 - 300 feet (taller than the Statue of Liberty) Weight: 4,000 tons (8 million pounds) Age: 1,500 to 3,000 years (alive during the Roman Empire) Volume: 30,000 to 50,000 cubic feet (20 swimming pools of water)

** Note: A giant fungus called "The Honeymoon Mushroom," which lives mostly underground, covers a larger area, but its mass has never been measured.

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