The big well-know tree

The Hyperion Tree

Hyperion, the world's largest tree, stands at 115.85 metres tall, in Redwood National Park in the state of California (United States), about 500 kilometres north of San Francisco. It was discovered in 2006 by two hikers, Chris Atinks and Michael Taylor.

After its discovery, and after its height was verified, it surpassed the record set to date by the giant Stratosphere, which is also located in the same Californian National Park and is 112.83 metres tall. With a trunk that reaches five metres in diameter, it owes its name to the Greek mythological god that gives it its name. Hyperion means "he who looks down from above", and it is the tallest living being on the planet.

Its technical name is 'sequoia sempervirens', given that it is a red sequoia that is about 600 years old, and could be up to 3,400 years old. Coast redwoods are typical of the state of California, and are evergreen trees with more than 2 million leaves. Along with Hyperion, there are trees with similar characteristics and slightly lower height, such as the Helios and Hicarus trees, 114 and 133 meters high, respectively.

As for the characteristics of the leaves, these are evergreen, rigid and sharp. They have two different shades, white on the underside and dark green on the top. The leaves are flat and lanceolate, 0.6 to 1.8 cm long, very hard. Each year it accumulates more wood, as its trunk thickens and its branches strengthen.