SEQUOIADENDRON giganteum

'Mammoth Tree'. Deeply furrowed, reddish-brown outer bark. As a young tree it has a densely branched, conical habit. On older trees the branches are more widely spaced and conspicuously downswept. Sometimes the lower part of the trunk is clear of branches for several metres, revealing the ornamental bark. Leaves awl-shaped, 6-12mm long, bright green, spirally arranged, persisting for up to 4 years. Cones ovoid, 5-7.5cm long, green at first, maturing to reddish-brown the second year. It is a familiar tree of parks and estates and resembles no other hardy cultivated conifer, except perhaps Cryptomeria, which has similar leaves and similarly coloured bark.