Description: Large conifer with an upright, conical habit and dark green Awl-shaped needles are produced on down-curved branches. The fissured, cork-like bark is deep reddish brown and known to be fire tolerant in its native region. Cones are green when young, ripening to brown and take two summers to mature. Cones can persist on the trees for several years. S. giganteum is considered to be one of the oldest surviving plant species in existence. Although this tree is capable of attaining great height and girth in California, it generally tends to grow to approximately 30m in Britain.

Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Synonym - Sequoia wellingtonia, Welingtonia gigantea

Other common names include - Wellingtonia, Giant Sequoia and Big Tree