This is a list of the largest plants by clade. Measurements are based on height, volume, length, diameter, and weight, depending on the most appropriate way(s) of measurement for the clade.
This is a list of the largest plants by clade. Measurements are based on height, volume, length, diameter, and weight, depending on the most appropriate way(s) of measurement for the clade.
The conifer division of plants includes the tallest organism, and the largest single-stemmed plants by wood volume, wood mass, and main stem circumference. The largest by wood volume and mass is the giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ), native to Sierra Nevada and California; it grows to an average height of 70–85 m (230–279 ft) and 5–7 m (16–23 ft) in diameter. [1] Specimens have been recorded up to 94.9 m (311 ft) in height and (not the same individual) 8.98 m (29.5 ft) in diameter; the largest individual still standing is the General Sherman tree, with a volume of 1,489 m3 (52,600 cu ft). [2]
Although typically not so large in volume, the closely related coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) of the Pacific coast in North America is taller, reaching a maximum height of 115.55 m (379.1 ft) – the Hyperion Tree, which ranks it as the world's tallest known living tree and organism (not including its roots underground). [3] The largest historical specimen (and largest known single-stem organism) was the Lindsey Creek tree, a coast redwood with a minimum trunk volume of over 2,500 m3 (88,000 cu ft) and a mass of over 3,000,000 kg (6,600,000 lb; 3,300 short tons). It fell during a storm in 1905. [4]
The conifers also include the largest tree by circumference in the world, the Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum). The thickest recorded tree, found in Mexico, is called Árbol del Tule, with a circumference of 57.9 m (190 ft) at its base and a diameter of 14.5 m (48 ft) at 1.5 m (4.9 ft) above ground level; its height is over 39.4 m (129 ft). [5] These trees dwarf any other non-communal organism, as even the largest blue whales are likely to weigh one-sixteenth as much as a large giant sequoia or coast redwood. See list of superlative trees for other tree records.
The largest single-stemmed species of cycad is Hope's cycad ( Lepidozamia hopei ), endemic to the Australian state of Queensland. The largest examples of this species have been over 15 m (49 ft) tall and have had a circumference of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). [6] However the multi-stemmed [7] Encephalartos laurentianus (Zamiaceae) of Bandundu Province in Congo (Kinshasa) and in adjoining parts of Angola is much more massive. The stems, which can be upright when young, but sprawling when mature, are up to 65 feet (20 meters) in length, [8] and up to 4 ft 1 in (124 cm) in diameter. [9] [10] Assuming a density of 1.0, an old much-branched specimen could weigh up to 45 tonnes (50 short tons).
This is the most diverse and numerous division of plants, with upwards of 400,000 species.
For two-dimensional area, the largest known clonal flowering plant, and indeed largest plant and organism, is a grove of male Aspen in Utah, nicknamed Pando ( Populus tremuloides ). The grove is connected by a single root system, and each stem above the ground is genetically identical. It is estimated to weigh approximately 6,000,000 kg (13,000,000 lb; 6,600 short tons), [11] and covers 43.6 ha (108 acres). [12]
A form of flowering plant that far exceeds Pando as the largest organism on earth in breadth, is the giant marine plant, Posidonia australis , living in Shark Bay, Australia. Its length is about 180 km (112 mi) and it covers an area of 200 km2 (77 sq mi). [13] It is estimated to be over 4,500 years old. Believed to have sprouted from a single seed, it grows at about the same rate as a lawn, up to 35 centimetres (14 inches) a year. [14]
Another form of flowering plant Posidonia oceanica discovered in the Mediterranean may be the oldest living organism in the world, with an estimated age of 100,000 years. [15]
By a stricter definition of individuality, and using contending measures of size, Ficus benghalensis , the giant banyan trees of India are the largest trees in the world. [16] In these trees, a network of interconnected stems and branches has grown entirely by vegetative, "branching" propagation. One individual, Thimmamma Marrimanu, in Andhra Pradesh, covers 19,107 square metres, making it the largest single tree by two-dimensional canopy coverage area. This tree is also the world's largest known tree by a related measure, perimeter length, with a distance of 846 metres required to walk around the edge of the canopy. Thimmama Marrimanu is likely also the world's largest tree by three-dimensional canopy volume.
The tallest flowering plant species known is Eucalyptus regnans , of which a living specimen has been measured at 100.5 m (330 ft) in Southern Tasmania. [17] [18] The longest vine to be accurately measured is "Rattan Manau" ( Calamus manan ) of the palm family (historically Palmae, but now often Arecaceae) and native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java. One unbranched stem at Buitenzorg (now Bogor) Botanic Garden, Java was carefully measured to a length of 787 feet (240 meters). [19]
Of herbaceous plants, plants without persistent woody growth above ground, Musa ingens [20] is the largest. It can reach about 15 meters tall with a pseudostem diameter of around a meter. It also holds the record for the longest petioles or leaf stalks of any plant.
Bamboos are a subfamily (Bambusoideae) of flowering perennial plants in the grass family Poaceae, comprising three tribes: Arundinarieae, Bambuseae, and Olyreae. Dendrocalamus is a tropical genus of giant clumping bamboo found throughout Southeast Asia. It includes Dendrocalamus giganteus , which can reach heights up to 30 m. [21]
Other records among flowering plants include, the title of largest flower, which belongs to the species Rafflesia arnoldii . One of these flowers can reach a diameter of 1 m (3.3 ft) and weigh up to 11 kg (24 lb). [22] The largest unbranched inflorescence, resembling (but not qualifying as) a giant flower, belongs to the titan arum ( Amorphophallus titanum ), reaching almost 3 m (9.8 ft) in height. [23] The absolute largest inflorescence, at up to 8 m (26 ft) long, is borne by the talipot palm ( Corypha umbraculifera ) of India. [24] The largest leaves belong to either Gunnera manicata , Raphia regalis , Manicaria saccifera , Marojejya darianii , Johannesteijsmannia altifrons , or Victoria amazonica , depending on criteria. [25]
The largest of horsetail is the species Equisetum myriochaetum , native to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. The biggest specimen known was 8 m (26 ft) tall and had a diameter of 2.5 cm (0.98 in). [26]
The largest species of fern is probably Cyathea brownii of Norfolk Island, which may be 20 m (66 ft) or more in height. [27]
The largest species of liverwort is a New Zealand species, Schistochila appendiculata . The top size of this species is 1.1 m (3.6 ft) long, a diameter of 2.5 cm (0.98 in) and a stem length of 10 cm (3.9 in). [28] [29] [30] [31] Another New Zealand liĬverwort, Plagiochila gigantea (Jungermaniaceae) is a cushion plant up to three feet (91 centimeters) in width and up to 2.5 feet (75 centimeters) in height. It is endemic to the Southern Alps of South Island. [32]
The world's most massive moss is Dawsonia superba , of Australia and New Zealand. This species has numerous 50 cm (20 in) tall, upright shoots, joined by a network of rhizomes. [33] The tallest moss is Spiridens reinwardtii of the family Hypnodendraceae and native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Melanesia and Taiwan. S. reinwardtii is a vine which is typically 30 to 40 centimeters (12 to 16 inches) high but can climb to a height of 3 meters (9.8 feet). [34] Spiridens reinwardtii is the only true vine among mosses and climbs by twining. The longest individuals seem to be in New Guinea.
Sequoiadendron giganteum, also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood or Sierra redwood is a coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the most massive trees on Earth. They are native to the groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California but are grown around the world.
A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response to coppicing or other environmental stressors. However, lignotubers are specifically part of the normal course of development of the plants that possess them, and often develop early on in growth. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, as well as stores of starch that can support a period of growth in the absence of photosynthesis. The term "lignotuber" was coined in 1924 by Australian botanist Leslie R. Kerr.
General Sherman is a giant sequoia tree located at an elevation of 2,109 m (6,919 ft) above sea level in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, in the U.S. state of California. By volume, it is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood, is a fast-growing, endangered deciduous conifer. It is the sole living species of the genus Metasequoia, one of three genera in the subfamily Sequoioideae of the family Cupressaceae. It now survives in the wild only in wet lower slopes and montane river and stream valleys in the border region of Hubei and Hunan provinces and Chongqing municipality in south-central China, notably in Lichuan county in Hubei. Although the shortest of the redwoods, it can grow to 167 ft (51 m) in height.
Ganna Walska Lotusland, also known as Lotusland, is a non-profit botanical garden located in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, California, United States. The garden is the historic estate of Madame Ganna Walska. The County of Santa Barbara restricts visitation via a conditional use permit: Lotusland botanic garden is open to the public by reservation only, with walking tours 1½ to 2 hours long.
The Stratosphere Giant was once considered the tallest tree in the world. It was discovered in July 2000 growing along Bull Creek in Humboldt Redwoods State Park by Chris Atkins, measuring 112.34 meters (368.6 ft) tall. The discovery was confirmed and made public in 2004, displacing the Mendocino Tree, another coast redwood, from the record books. The tree has continued to grow and measured 113.11 m (371.1 ft) in 2010 and 113.61 m (372.7 ft) in 2013. It is a specimen of the species Sequoia sempervirens, the Coast Redwood. The tree features three prominent burls on the southwestern side of its trunk and is surrounded by a large number of trees of almost equal size. In an effort to avoid damage to the tree's shallow roots by tourism, its exact location was never disclosed to the public.
Redwood Mountain Grove is the largest grove of giant sequoia trees on earth. It is located in Kings Canyon National Park and Giant Sequoia National Monument on the western slope of California's Sierra Nevada. The grove contains the world's tallest giant sequoia. The Hart Tree and Roosevelt Tree grow in the grove and are two of the 25 largest trees by volume in the world. The largest tree is the General Sherman Tree in the Giant Forest grove to the southeast.
Encephalartos woodii, Wood's cycad, is a rare cycad in the genus Encephalartos, and is endemic to the oNgoye Forest of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is one of the rarest plants in the world, being extinct in the wild with all specimens being clones of the type. The specific and common name both honour John Medley Wood, curator of the Durban Botanic Garden and director of the Natal Government Herbarium of South Africa, who discovered the plant in 1895.
Shorea faguetiana is a species of plant in the family Dipterocarpaceae. Along with other species in the genus Shorea, it is also known as the Yellow Meranti. It is native to Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and Thailand. It is the tallest flowering plant, and third tallest living tree species, after the sequoia and Himalayan cypress, with the largest specimen measuring 100.7 m (330 ft) in height.
Lost Monarch is a coast redwood tree in Northern California that is 26 feet (7.9 m) in diameter at breast height, and 320 feet (98 m) in height. It is the world's fifth largest coast redwood in terms of wood volume.
The Boole Tree is a giant sequoia in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Fresno County, California. The Boole Tree is the eighth tallest sequoia in the world and is the largest in terms of base circumference at 113 feet. It is estimated to be more than 2,000 years old. The tree's stature is accentuated by its isolation above the Kings River where it towers over the rest of the forest.
The Stagg Tree, officially the Amos Alonzo Stagg Tree and formerly known as the Day Tree, is a giant sequoia in Alder Creek Grove in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. It is the fifth largest tree in the world and the tallest giant sequoia south of Lincoln in Sequoia National Park. Stagg features the second largest footprint of any living giant sequoia, measuring 109 ft (33 m) in circumference at ground level, and second only to Boole. The tree is believed to be over 3,000 years old, making it one of the oldest living giant sequoias.
This article lists the largest organisms for various types of life and mostly considers extant species, which found on Earth can be determined according to various aspects of an organism's size, such as: mass, volume, area, length, height, or even genome size. Some organisms group together to form a superorganism, but such are not classed as single large organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest structure composed of living entities, stretching 2,000 km (1,200 mi) but contains many organisms of many types of species.
Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae. Common names include coast redwood, coastal redwood and California redwood. It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living 1,200–2,200 years or more. This species includes the tallest living trees on Earth, reaching up to 115.9 m (380.1 ft) in height and up to 8.9 m (29 ft) in diameter at breast height. These trees are also among the longest-living trees on Earth. Before commercial logging and clearing began by the 1850s, this massive tree occurred naturally in an estimated 810,000 ha along much of coastal California and the southwestern corner of coastal Oregon within the United States. Being the tallest tree species, with a small range and an extremely long lifespan, many redwoods are preserved in various state and national parks; many of the largest specimens have their own official names.
The Lindsay Creek Tree was a notably large coast redwood that grew in Fieldbrook, California, along the Lindsay Creek, which feeds into the Mad River. It was once thought to be the largest single-stem organism (tree) known to have existed historically due to erroneous article published in the Humboldt Times. In 2024, a second article was discovered that offered more accurate measurements of the tree. Although the tree was not as large as it was fabled to be, it would still likely rank within the top 5 largest coast redwoods alive today.
Encephalartos trispinosus is a species of cycad that is native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Encephalartos hildebrandtii is a species of cycad in the Zamiaceae family. It is native to Kenya and Tanzania at elevations from sea level to 600 metres (2,000 ft). The species is named for the German explorer Johann Maria Hildebrandt.