Redwoods are massive conifers, known as the tallest and most voluminous trees on Earth, often symbolizing California’s natural grandeur. The question of whether redwoods grow only in California is nuanced. While the most famous species are native to the state, the term “redwood” encompasses three distinct types of trees. All three belong to the ancient Sequoioideae subfamily, but one species is native to another continent entirely.
Defining the Three Types of Redwoods
The redwood subfamily contains three living species, each with unique characteristics. The Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is recognized as the world’s tallest tree, with specimens commonly exceeding 350 feet in height. This species is an evergreen, retaining its soft, flat, dark-green needles year-round.
The Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the largest tree on the planet by volume, though shorter than the Coast Redwood. It possesses thick trunks that can exceed 20 feet in diameter. The Giant Sequoia is also an evergreen, but its needles are shorter and scale-like, giving its foliage a more rounded appearance.
The third species, the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), differs significantly from its two North American relatives. Unlike the others, the Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer, meaning it sheds its needles each autumn. Before dropping, the needles turn a striking russet or copper color, which easily distinguishes it from the evergreen Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia.
The Restricted Native Range of North American Redwoods
The two North American species have native ranges that are incredibly limited by specific environmental conditions. The Coast Redwood’s natural habitat is a narrow, discontinuous strip along the Pacific coastline, extending from central California up to a small, southwestern portion of Oregon.
The Coast Redwood’s survival depends on the temperate, humid climate provided by the coastal fog belt. This fog moisture is crucial for the trees, especially during the dry California summers, as it condenses on the leaves and waters the shallow root systems. The native range is typically restricted to within 5 to 35 miles of the ocean, where the influence of the marine layer is strongest. Coast Redwoods thrive at low elevations, rarely growing above 3,000 feet.
The Giant Sequoia, conversely, is found exclusively in California, growing in isolated groves along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. These trees require a specific elevation band, generally between 4,600 and 7,050 feet. Their habitat is characterized by heavy winter snowpack, which provides the deep, sustained moisture needed for these massive trees to thrive through the dry summer months.
The Giant Sequoia’s native distribution is limited to about 75 scattered groves across a 260-mile stretch of the mountain range. This small, specific area is the only place in the world where these massive trees naturally occur.
The Global Exception: The Dawn Redwood
The third type of redwood, the Dawn Redwood, provides the global exception to the California-centric view of these trees. Its native range is not in North America, but rather in a small, isolated area of south-central China, specifically in the border region of Hubei and Hunan provinces. This species was only known through fossil records until 1941, when it was discovered alive in a remote Chinese valley, earning it the title of a “living fossil.”
Following its discovery, seeds were collected and distributed globally. The species proved remarkably adaptable to temperate climates and is now widely planted as a popular ornamental tree in parks and gardens. It thrives in many locations outside of China, which is why people can see a type of redwood growing in places far removed from California, though these are cultivated specimens and not part of a native forest.