Practical
Plants

Sequoia sempervirens

Coastal Redwood

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Sequoia genus in the family Taxodiaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Sequoia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
110 m
Spread
20 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A poultice of the heated leaves has been used in the treatment of earaches[11]. The gummy sap has been used as a stimulant and tonic in the treatment of rundown conditions[11].

Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A brown dye is obtained from the bark[3]. The bark and the wood contain tannin, but in too low a concentration for economic utilization[9]. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 4.4% tannin and the wood 2.5%[9]. The sprouts from the burls have been used in making baskets[11]. The plant develops a thick covering of a soft and fibrous bark (you can punch it hard without hurting your hand). This can be harvested without harm to the tree and used as an insulating or stuffing material[4]. A fine bark dust that is produced whilst doing this is a good soil conditioner[4]. This fibrous bark is also used for making paper. Branches can be harvested at any time of the year from logged trees, the bark is cut into useable pieces and soaked in clear water prior to cooking for 6 or more hours with lye. The fibres are beaten for six hours in a ball mill and the paper is a brown colour[7]. Wood - straight-grained, knot-free, light, soft, not strong, very durable in contact with the soil. A high quality and easily worked lumber, it is used for joinery, fence posts, construction etc[1][2][12][13][17][4][10].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Insulation
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Stuffing
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Soil conditioner

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - Oregon to California.
Habitat
Deep well-drained soils on flat land and slopes in the coastal fog belt below 600 metres[14][10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow early spring in a cold frame in light shade. Seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Germination rates are usually very low[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Plants will require some protection from the cold and spring frosts for their first year or two outdoors[15]. If there are sufficient seeds, they can be sown in a lightly shaded outdoor bed in late March[15]. Grow on the plants in the seedbed for two years before planting them out into their permanent positions in late autumn or early spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August/September in a frame. They form roots in winter or early spring[1]. Pot them up into individual pots once the roots are developing nicely and plant them out in the summer if they are growing well. Otherwise grow them on for the next winter in a cold frame and plant them out in early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a rich moist soil[1], growing best in deep sheltered valleys in cool humid areas[16][8]. Dislikes chalky soils according to one report[1] whilst another says that it succeeds on chalk[8]. Tolerates poorly drained sites[8]. Tolerates partial shade for many years when young[8]. Strongly dislikes windy sites, especially if the winds are cold[8]. Plants dislike atmospheric pollution, growing poorly in cities[5]. Plants are fully hardy in Britain, though they may lose their leaves in cold winters. This seems to have no detrimental effect on the tree[6]. The giant redwood is probably the tallest growing tree in the world[2][16], it thrives in Britain, especially in the cooler moister western half of the country[2]. It is fast growing in cultivation[16], reaching 25 metres tall in 20 years in a good site[8], and can be successfully coppiced even when quite old[2][16][8]. It is a long-lived tree in the wild, often living 1000 years and with some specimens 2200 years old recorded[10]. Plants are tender when young[2]. If trees larger than 80cm are planted out, they should be coppiced in order to allow the roots to become established[8]. Male cones shed their pollen in February unless delayed by frost when they might wait until April. Frost just before flowering or at the time of flowering kills the pollen[5]. New growth takes place from May until the end of September and can be very vigorous, 1.2 metres a year is not uncommon and this can be maintained for 30 years or more[5]. The best trees are found in Devon, Wiltshire, Perthshire and Ireland[5]. The crushed foliage has the scent of candle wax[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  3. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  4. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-11-710012-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  7. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  9. Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  13. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  14. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  15. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  17. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩

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