What is your guesstimate for the height of the tallest tree in the world? 100 ft? 150 ft? You’ll be amazed to know that the tallest tree in the world as per the latest findings, stands about 380 ft tall! The approximate height of a 35–38 storeyed building. Unbelievable, but true! So, now let’s explore further and take a look at the top 5 tallest trees in the world.
There are about 32 species of giant greens in the world and most of them are restricted to three distinct geographical regions: North American West coast, South-East Asia, and South-Eastern regions of Australia. Now, let’s see who is the mighty giant among all of them.
Hyperion
The winner all the way – the Hyperion, belongs to the Sequoia Sempervirens family. Sequoia or the redwood trees are the tallest tree species in the world. So, it is not surprising that the tallest tree in the world belongs to this group. The Hyperion lives in a remote area of Redwood National and State Parks in California. Naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered the Hyperion on August 25, 2006. This one is not only gigantically tall but also quite old. The Hyperion is roughly 700 – 800 years old; a grandfather tree standing 380 ft tall! Hyperion in Greek means “the high one”, and hence it is an apt name for this tree.
Do you know how they measured the height of this giant tree? Someone actually climbed this tree to the top and dropped a measuring tape down! Top of the world experience it must have been, right?
Menara
The name of the second tallest tree in the world is ‘Menara’. Menara is the tallest tropical tree in the world as well. It is located in a rainforest in the Malaysian Borneo region, and it belongs to a tropical tree species known as Yellow Meranti. Menara measures an amazing 330 ft, and it holds the record for the tallest flowering plant as well. This tree was spotted initially using laser imaging techniques carried out from an aircraft and the height was estimated using 3D scans. A local climber later scaled this giant and confirmed the height using a measuring tape. Menara in Malay language means “tower” and the name hence suits this giant pretty well.
Centurion
The third in the list of tallest trees in the world, the Centurion, is from the Tasmanian region in Australia. It belongs to the Eucalyptus family and it stands approximately 329 ft tall. Eucalyptus is the second tallest tree species after the redwood trees. As Eucalyptus belongs to the hardwood category of trees, Centurion became the tallest hardwood tree in the world as well. This tree was named Centurion as it was the 100th giant tree that was registered by Tasmanian forestry department. This tree is also known as “the Bradman” after the legendary Australian cricketer Don Bradman whose average test run score was very close to 100.
Doerner Fir
The Doerner Fir located in Brummit Creek, Coos County, Oregon, is the fourth tallest tree in the world. Doerner Fir belongs to the coastal Douglas-fir family of trees. Brummit Fir was the initial name given to Doerner fir, on account of the Brummit creek that flows nearby. This is also the tallest Douglas fir tree in the world and it stands 327 ft tall. Douglas fir is the most common and most important conifer in the state of Oregon, due to its economic significance.
Raven’s Tower
The Raven’s Tower is the fifth tallest tree in the world and also the tallest Sitka Spruce tree in the world. This tree stands 317 ft tall, and is located in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California. The Sitka spruce trees have barks that welcome epiphytes and the moist, foggy climate in which these trees grow help the growth of moss, lichens, and ferns on their bodies.
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