The Nelder Tree is a
giant sequoia
''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood, Sierra redwood or Wellingtonia) is a species of coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the la ...
located within the
Nelder Grove
Nelder Grove, located in the western Sierra Nevada within the Sierra National Forest in Madera County, California, is a Giant sequoia grove that was formerly known as Fresno Grove. The grove is a tract containing 60 mature Giant Sequoia (''Se ...
of
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boun ...
in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. It is the largest tree in Nelder Grove, the
23rd largest giant sequoia in the world, and could be considered the 22nd largest depending on how badly
Ishi Giant
Ishi Giant is a giant sequoia in California, United States. It is located in Kennedy Grove, which is part of a group of eight closely spaced giant sequoia groves situated in Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada in eastern central Californ ...
atrophied during the
Rough Fire
The Rough Fire was a major wildfire in Fresno County, California, and the largest of the 2015 California wildfire season. The fire was ignited by a lightning strike on July 31 and burned , largely in the Sierra National Forest and the Sequoia N ...
in 2015.
[
]
Description
The Nelder Tree is located northwest of a hairpin turn
A hairpin turn (also hairpin bend or hairpin corner) is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn about 180° to continue on the road. It is named for its resemblance to a bent metal ha ...
along "Graveyard of the Giants Trail" at the end of an unofficial branching trail. The base of the tree, much like the surrounding trees, was charred during the 2017 Railroad Fire
The Railroad Fire was a wildfire that burned in between the communities of Sugar Pine and Fish Camp in the Sierra National Forest in California, United States. The fire was reported on August 29, 2017 and burned before it was fully contained o ...
.
History
On July 3, 1859, naturalist Galen Clark
Galen Clark (March 28, 1814 – March 24, 1910) was a British North American-born American conservationist and writer. He is known as the first European American to discover the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees, and is notable for his ro ...
, Judge John W. Fitzhugh, and journalist L.A. Holmes discovered the tree while on a hunting expedition in the area. In 1875, prospector-turned-hermit John A. Nelder built a cabin near the tree, which he considered to be the largest in the world. Nelder met naturalist John Muir
John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the national park, National Parks", was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologi ...
later that same year, but when Muir measured the tree, he determined it to be smaller than the Grizzly Giant
The Grizzly Giant is a massive Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia located in Mariposa Grove within Yosemite National Park. Famous for its impressive size and age, the Grizzly Giant has been a symbol of the park since tourism began. The Grizzl ...
tree of Mariposa Grove
Mariposa Grove is a sequoia grove located near Wawona, California, United States, in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. It is the largest grove of giant sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature specimens. Two of its trees ...
. Nelder's tree, though narrower, was later found to be taller and more voluminous than the Grizzly Giant, making it the second largest giant sequoia in the region after the Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
tree of Mariposa Grove
Mariposa Grove is a sequoia grove located near Wawona, California, United States, in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. It is the largest grove of giant sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature specimens. Two of its trees ...
.
Dimensions
See also
*List of largest giant sequoias
The giant sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') is the world's most massive tree, and arguably the largest living organism on Earth. It is neither the tallest extant species of tree (that distinction belongs to the coast redwood), nor is it the ...
*List of individual trees
The following is a list of individual trees. Trees listed here are regarded as important or specific by their historical, national, locational, natural or mythological context. The list includes actual trees located throughout the world, as we ...
References
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Individual giant sequoia trees
Sequoia National Forest