Trees diurnal

coast redwood

Sequoia sempervirens

The tallest living things on our planet, Coast Redwoods are ancient sentinels that turn coastal fog into towering monuments of wood and needle. Growing hundreds of feet into the sky, these majestic evergreens create entire worlds within their branches.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Height ranges from 60–115.9 meters (200–380 feet); Trunk diameter ranges from 3–9 meters (10–29 feet).

palette

Colors

Rich cinnamon-red to reddish-brown fibrous bark; needles are dark green on top with two distinct silvery-white bands underneath.

visibility

Key Features

Fibrous, thick, reddish bark with deep vertical furrows
Flat, needle-like leaves arranged spirally but appearing two-ranked
Small, woody, egg-shaped cones about 1 inch long
Massive, straight trunk often clear of branches for the lower third.

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern diurnal

brightness_5

Peak hours 6 AM - 6 PM

calendar_month

Season Year-round

restaurant

Diet Coast redwoods are photoautotrophs, creating their own food through photosynthesis using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, supplemented by nutrient absorption from rich forest duff.

park

Habitat Temperate coastal rainforests within the reach of summer fog, typically below 900 meters (3,000 feet) in elevation.

bar_chart
Loading activity data...

Behavior

The coast redwood is a marvel of biological persistence, living for over 2,000 years. Unlike many other conifers, redwoods have the unique ability to regenerate through sprouting; when a tree falls or is damaged, new clones often grow from the base, eventually forming 'fairy rings' of genetically identical trees surrounding the original stump. This species relies heavily on the coastal fog of the Pacific Northwest, which provides up to 30% of its annual water intake through 'fog drip'—a process where the needles capture moisture from the air and drip it down to the thirsty roots below.

Ecologically, these trees are the foundation of a complex vertical ecosystem. The massive canopy can host entire communities of epiphytes, including ferns, berries, and even other small trees growing high above the ground. While they appear stoic and unchanging, redwoods are highly interactive with their environment, using their thick, tannin-rich bark to resist pests and protect against the frequent low-intensity ground fires that help clear out competing vegetation and open their seeds to the soil.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

Capturing the majesty of a coast redwood on a backyard or trail camera requires a different approach than filming wildlife. Because of their immense height, a standard horizontal mount will only capture the base. To truly showcase the tree, consider mounting your camera at a low angle (about 1–2 feet off the ground) and tilting it upward to capture the trunk's ascent into the canopy. If you have a wide-angle lens or a camera with a tall vertical field of view, this is the perfect time to use it. The best shots often happen during the 'golden hour'—shortly after sunrise or before sunset—when soft light filters through the needles and highlights the rich red tones of the bark.

For those interested in the ecosystem around the tree, place your camera facing the base of the trunk where 'fairy rings' or burls are present. These areas are magnets for local wildlife like banana slugs, spotted owls, and northern flying squirrels. Use a high-sensitivity setting for motion detection, as many redwood-dwelling creatures are subtle in their movements. If your camera supports time-lapse mode, set it to take a photo every 30 minutes over several months; this is the most effective way to see the tree 'breathe' through the shifting fog and the slow growth of new emerald-green shoots in the spring.

Lighting is your biggest challenge in a redwood grove, as the dense canopy creates high-contrast shadows. Avoid placing cameras where they face directly into the afternoon sun through gaps in the branches, as this will result in blown-out, white-washed images. Instead, aim for northern-facing setups. If your camera has adjustable IR settings for night mode, keep them on a medium setting; the fibrous bark of the redwood is highly reflective and can cause 'white-out' on the image if the infrared flash is too intense at close range.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with coast redwood.

Giant Sequoia

Much bulkier trunk and scale-like leaves; grows in high-altitude inland mountains rather than coastal regions.

Western Red Cedar

Has scale-like leaves arranged in flat fans and much larger, more prolific woody cones.

Dawn Redwood

A deciduous redwood that loses its needles in winter; the needles are softer and a lighter bright green.

Frequently Asked Questions

As plants, coast redwoods are biologically most active during daylight hours when they perform photosynthesis, particularly during the morning and afternoon when the sun is bright but not overly drying.

You don't attract them so much as plant them! They require a 'fog belt' climate with high humidity, mild temperatures, and plenty of water. They grow best in deep, well-drained soil and need significant space to reach their full potential.

They don't eat in the traditional sense; they produce their own energy through photosynthesis. However, they 'drink' significantly from the air, capturing coastal fog through their needles and absorbing nutrients from the decomposing organic matter at their roots.

They are common in suburban areas of coastal California and Oregon, often used in landscaping. However, they can be problematic for small yards due to their massive eventual size and shallow, wide-spreading root systems.

Coast redwoods have flat, needle-like leaves (similar to a yew) and grow taller and thinner in coastal areas. Giant sequoias have scale-like leaves (similar to a cedar), much thicker trunks, and only grow naturally in the dry high-elevations of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Record coast redwood at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo