Meet Hyperion, the Tallest Tree in the World, and Other Leafy Giants That Came Close

The world's tallest tree, Hyperion, is just one of many green giants. Even though the trees that set height records now are overly tall, taller trees may have formerly existed. Because they are protected from harm, have sufficient access to nutrients, and receive adequate light, trees may grow tall.

However, according to scientists, there is a certain height beyond which no tree, regardless of species, can grow. It's probably between 400 and 426 feet tall, which is still enormous by any measure, according to a 2004 study published in the journal Biological Sciences.

Although the exact number of gargantuan trees has not been defined, here is some information on the tallest tree in the world and the three that came close to it.

Hyperion, the Tallest Tree in the World

The Hyperion is the tallest living tree in the world. This coast redwood stands on a slope, contributing to its average height of 380 feet and a trunk diameter of slightly over 16 feet.

The age of Hyperion, a coast redwood known to live over 2,000 years, is believed to be between 600 and 800 years. Hyperion is located in Northern California's Redwood National Park.

According to Tales By Trees, two naturalists called Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered Hyperion in 2006 while bushwhacking in a secluded region of Redwood National Park. The precise location of Hyperion is kept confidential to safeguard the present record holder.

Visitors who seek to view the tree in person run the danger of being fined $5,000 and being jailed for six months.

The Hyperion tree has been destroyed as a result of its popularity of the tree, and the landscape surrounding it has been affected as well, according to California's Redwood National Park via NPR.

Greek Mythology Names for the Three Tallest Trees

A month before the pair found Hyperion, Atkins, and Taylor noticed three gigantic coast redwoods in a nearby forest. These three trees, which were given the names Helios, Icarus, and Daedalus in honor of figures from Greek mythology, stood 375 feet, 371 feet, and 363 feet tall, respectively. These three grew to become the tallest trees in the world for a short period of only a month before Atkins and Taylor discovered Hyperion, How Stuff Works reports.

The Stratosphere Giant

The Stratosphere Giant, which held the distinction of being the tallest since July 30, 2000, is reportedly now fourth in line to become the tallest tree in the world, according to Famous Redwoods.

Up until August 2006, The Stratosphere Giant, a 372-foot-tall Californian redwood, was thought to be the largest tree in the world, as per Famous Redwoods.

But when the Hyperion was found, the Stratosphere Giant, despite being twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty in New York City, officially lost its top spot, as per Tales By Trees.

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The Fallen

The tallest trees ever measured have been the subject of disagreements, according to Guinness World Records.

The Thorpdale Tree, also known as the Cornthwaite Tree, which stood in the Gippsland region of Victoria and reached 375 feet when it was cut down in 1880, is the tallest Eucalyptus regnans, which is located in Australia.

The Mineral Tree in Washington, USA, which grew close to Mount Rainier and was measured by independent sources at 393 feet before it blew over in 1930, is the tallest measurement for Douglas fir that he is persuaded by.