General Grant tree
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The General Grant tree is the largest Giant Sequoia in the Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon National Park. It was named in 1867 after Ulysses S. Grant, Union Army general and the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877).
President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the "Nation's Christmas Tree" in 1926. On March 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a "National Shrine", a memorial to those who died in war. It is the only living object to be so declared.[1]
The tree is the second-largest tree in the world, after the General Sherman. The Washington tree is listed by the National Park Service as the third-largest.
The General Grant tree stands 81.1 m, and its diameter is the second-largest of all Giant Sequoias at 8.85 m with the Boole tree slightly stouter at 8.98 m.[2] Its circumference at the base including broad root buttresses, is 32.8 m (108 ft).[3]
Once thought to be well over 2,000 years old, recent estimates point to a much younger age closer to 1,650 years.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ National Park Service. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Information Page. Retrieved on March 6, 2007.
- ^ Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindley) J.Buchholz. The Gymnosperm Database. Retrieved on March 6, 2007.
- ^ General Grant Tree. planetware.com. Retrieved on March 6, 2007.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey (06 Dec 2000). World's Largest Tree is Younger Than Once Thought. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
[edit] External links
- Virtual Grant Tree Walk
- General Grant: Our Nation's Christmas Tree
- The top 30 giant sequoias
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
