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For the December issue we get the giant sequoia. Redwoods once ranged across the planet, virtually covered it. Now they're only here in California... with a deciduous cousin in China. We have the sequoia on the southwest slopes of the Sierra and the coast redwood on the northwest coast of California. There are a very few still reaching into Oregon, but not really even enough to mention.
Generally, the pros use Diameter Breast Height [DBH] to decide which tree is bigger than which, but this is misleading sometimes. The sequoia are usually wider DBH and all the way up the tree, while coast redwood are sometimes wider still DBH but always tapering to narrow as you go up, and always taller. So, basically, when you think of the differences in our redwoods, you go sequoia most mass, coast redwood tallest. And both, if not the oldest, are seriously, seriously, seriously much older than almost anything that ever lived. I remained unconvinced about the pine in the White Mountains.
Much as I love this planet and want so badly to go certain places and soak them in, I really have to wonder if I wouldn't just die if you took me out of the redwoods.
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