El Grande (tree) facts for kids
El Grande was a truly giant tree in Tasmania, Australia. It was a type of Eucalyptus tree, specifically a Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans). Many people considered it Australia's largest tree by how much wood it contained. It was also thought to be the biggest flowering plant in the world based on its trunk size.
This amazing tree grew on a ridge in the upper Derwent Valley. This area is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Hobart, Tasmania's capital city. It was also very close to the Florentine Valley, which is a special World Heritage Area.
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What Made El Grande So Big?
El Grande was incredibly impressive. It stood about 79 metres (259 ft) tall, which is like a 26-story building! Its trunk was huge, measuring 19 metres (62 ft) around. Imagine trying to hug that! The tree's total wood volume was 439 cubic metres. This made it the largest tree in Australia by volume, even if it wasn't the very tallest.
How El Grande Died
El Grande was around 350 years old. Sadly, it caught fire in April 2003 and died in December 2003. The fire happened during a planned "burn-off" by forestry workers. This burn-off was meant to clear away leftover branches and wood after other trees nearby had been cut down.
The fire got inside El Grande's hollow trunk. This turned the trunk into a giant furnace, cooking the tree from the inside. Forestry officials in Australia later said they were responsible for the tree's death.
A Symbol for Forest Protection
Before it died, El Grande was already famous. The Wilderness Society, an environmental group, used it as a symbol in their fight against logging. When El Grande died, it gained even more attention. News about its destruction spread across Australia and around the world.
The death of El Grande became a powerful symbol. It highlighted concerns about how Tasmania's forests were being used. Many people questioned the practice of cutting down old forests, especially for wood chips that were then sent overseas.
Other Giant Trees in Tasmania
After El Grande's death, there was a discussion about naming giant trees. In 2003, Forestry Tasmania, the state's forestry agency, decided to stop giving individual names to giant trees. However, they later changed their minds.
Today, other giant trees in the same area as El Grande are protected. These include trees like Centurion, which was found in 2008, and Triarius. The Wilderness Society had also named some trees nearby, such as the Chapel tree and Gandalf's Staff. These trees remind us of the incredible natural heritage in Tasmania's forests.
