The California redwood was designated the official State Tree of California by the State Legislature in 1937. Once common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, redwoods are found only on the Pacific Coast. Many groves and stands of the towering trees are preserved in state and national parks and forests. There are actually two genera of California redwood: the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum).
The coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the world; one reaching over 379 feet tall grows in Redwood National and State Parks.
One giant sequoia, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, is over 274 feet high and more than 102 feet in circumference at its base; it is widely considered to be the world’s largest tree in overall volume.