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Located at the foot of the Sierra, Kings Canyon was my home for a week every summer.
The redwoods were spectacular, but it wasn't until I was older that I learned there are three distinct types, all belonging to the cypress family (Cupressaceae):
1. Sequoia sempervirens - Coast Redwood - grows along the humid Pacific coast from southern Oregon to central California. It is one of the tallest tree on earth, with a record height recorded of 379'. The stumps sprout freely.
2. Sequoiadendron giganteum - Giant Sequoia - grows on a 200 mile strip on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada between 3000' - 8000'. The oldest one, based on a ring count, was 3500. They can grow to be up to 279' tall.
3. Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood - native to south central China. This unusual redwood, thought to be extinct and then re-discovered in 1944, is deciduous. It only produces cones when the summers are hot. Although in the same family as the others, it is more adaptable to a variety of growing conditions.
Please send your National Park photos and short paragraphs for future Raven Journals.
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