History Of The Redwoods

Redwoods once grew throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The

first redwood fossils date back more than 200 million years to

the Jurassic period. Before commercial logging and clearing

began in the 1850s, coast redwoods naturally occurred in an

estimated 2 million acres (the size of three Rhode Islands) along

California’s coast from south of Big Sur to just over the Oregon

border. When gold was discovered in 1849, hundreds of

thousands of people came to California, and redwoods were

logged extensively to satisfy the explosive demand for lumber

and resources. Today, only 5 percent of the original old-growth

coast redwood forest remains, along a 450-mile coastal strip.

Most of the coast redwood forest is now young. The largest

surviving stands of ancient coast redwoods are found in

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Redwood National and State

Parks and Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

The native people of California did not typically cut down coast

redwoods, but used fallen trees to make planks for houses and

hollowed out logs for canoes. The natives also regularly used

common redwood forest plants. Read more about uses of

redwood forest plants through our Redwood Forest Plant Guide.

Biology

The coast redwood is one of the world’s fastest-growing conifers, or cone-bearing trees. In contrast to the tree’s size, redwood cones

are very small — only about an inch long. Each cone contains a few dozen tiny seeds: it would take well over 100,000 seeds to weigh a

pound! In good conditions, redwood seedlings grow rapidly, sometimes more than a foot annually. Young trees also sprout from the

base of their parent’s trunk, taking advantage of the energy and nutrient reserves contained within the established root system.

Frequent, naturally occurring fires play an important role in maintaining coast redwood forests because they rid the forest floor of

combustible materials. Forest fires create space for redwood seedlings (and other plants) to grow. In contrast, decades of fire

suppression practices usually result in the accumulation of dead plant material that may fuel intense, destructive fires.

Redwoods can usually survive natural forest fires because of their thick (up to 12 inches), protective bark. Redwoods get their name

from the beautiful reddish hue of their bark. Redwood bark is soft, fibrous and rich in tannins (which help prevent insect damage). You

can learn more about the impact of fire on our redwood and sequoia forests through our blog.

Where coast redwoods live, temperatures are moderate year-round. Heavy rains provide the trees with much-needed water during the

winter months and dense summer fog contributing moisture to the forest during the dry summer months. Redwoods even create their

own “rain” by capturing fog on their leaves. The coastal fog condenses on redwood needles creating water droplets. Some of the water

is absorbed by the needles and some drips to the ground, providing water to the redwood forest understory. You can learn more about

the relationship of redwood forest plants and fog through our research grants.

In recent years, scientists have discovered that life abounds in the canopy (the tops of old trees) and on the forest floor. Canopy

research supported by Save the Redwoods League has revealed that many species can live in the redwood canopy, including worms,

salamanders and plants such as Sitka spruce, ferns and huckleberry.