President (tree) facts for kids
The President Tree is a truly enormous giant sequoia tree. You can find it in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in the United States, specifically in California. This amazing tree stands about 247 feet (75 meters) tall. That's like a 25-story building! Its base is about 27 feet (8 meters) wide.
The President Tree is special because it's the third-largest tree in the world when you measure the volume of its trunk. It's also believed to be the oldest-known living sequoia, at around 3,200 years old. Imagine, this tree was already growing when ancient civilizations were just starting! As of 2012, its trunk alone had about 45,000 cubic feet of wood, plus another 9,000 cubic feet in its branches.
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How the President Tree Got Its Name
This magnificent tree was named in 1923 after Warren G. Harding, who was the President of the United States at that time. A president is the leader of a country, like the United States.
Nearby, you can find other impressive trees. One is called Chief Sequoyah, which is the 27th-largest giant sequoia in the world. There's also the Congress Group. This group includes two dense stands of medium-sized sequoias. They are playfully named the "House" and the "Senate", just like parts of the United States government.
What the President Tree Looks Like
The President Tree has a very thick top, called a crown, with huge branches that reach up and out. If you look closely, you might spot a bright white branch on the western side of its upper crown. On the north side of its trunk, there's a long, thin scar from an old burn. This shows how tough these trees are, surviving many things over thousands of years.
The President Tree's Amazing Size and Age
This giant sequoia is truly massive. It stands about 247 feet (75.3 meters) tall from its base to its highest point. Around the ground, its trunk measures about 93 feet (28.4 meters) in circumference. That's a really big hug!
Even high up, the tree is still very wide. About 60 feet (18 meters) above the ground, its diameter is still around 17 feet (5.2 meters). The largest branch on the tree is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) thick by itself! The first big branch starts about 122 feet (37.1 meters) up from the ground.
When you add up all the wood in its trunk and branches, the President Tree contains an estimated 54,148 cubic feet (1,533 cubic meters) of wood. This makes it one of the largest living things on Earth by volume. Its incredible age of about 3,200 years makes it one of the oldest trees too.
See also
In Spanish: Presidente (árbol) para niños
