redwood

redwood¹

/red"wood'/, n.

1. a coniferous tree, Sequoia sempervirens, of California, noted for its great height, sometimes reaching to more than 350 ft. (107 m): the state tree of California.

2. its valuable brownish-red timber.

3. a red-colored wood.

4. any of various trees yielding a reddish wood.

5. any tree whose wood produces a red dyestuff.

[1610-20; RED¹ + WOOD¹]

redwood²

/red"wood'/, adj. Scot.

1. raving mad; insane.

2. distracted with anger; furious.

Also, redwud.

[1550-60; RED¹ + WOOD²]

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I

or sequoia

Coniferous evergreen timber tree (Sequoia sempervirens) of the family Taxodiaceae, found in the fog belt of west-coastal North America.

It grows in the coastal range from southwestern Oregon to central California at elevations up to 3,300 ft (1,000 m). The genus name commemorates the Cherokee Indian Sequoyah. The redwood is sometimes called coast redwood to distinguish it from the Sierra redwood (or big tree) and the Japanese redwood (or Japanese cedar). Redwoods are the tallest living trees, often exceeding 300 ft (90 m) in height; one has reached 368 ft (112 m). Typical trunk diameters are 10–20 ft (3–6 m) or more. The redwood tree takes 400–500 years to reach maturity; some are known to be more than 1,500 years old. As the tree ages, the lower limbs fall away, leaving a columnar trunk. Redwood timber has been used for furniture, shingles, fence posts, paneling, and fine wood objects. Today many of the remaining redwood stands are protected (see Redwood National Park; Sequoia National Park). See also dawn redwood.

II

(as used in expressions)

Sierra redwood

dawn redwood

Redwood National Park

giant sequoia

Sequoia National Park

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▪ tree

 (species Sequoia sempervirens), coniferous evergreen timber tree of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), found in the fog belt of the coastal range from southwestern Oregon to central California, U.S., at elevations up to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) above sea level. It is sometimes called coast redwood to distinguish it from the Sierra redwood, or big tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum), and the Japanese redwood, or Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). The redwood of European commerce is the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

      Redwoods are the tallest living trees; they often exceed 90 metres (300 feet) in height, and one has reached 112.1 metres (367.8 feet). Their trunks reach typical diameters of 3 to 6 metres (10 to 20 feet) or more, measured above the swollen bases. The redwood tree takes 400 to 500 years to reach maturity, and some trees are known to be more than 1,500 years old. The leaves on the main shoots are spirally arranged, scalelike, and closely appressed to the branches; those of the lateral shoots are spreading, needlelike, and arranged in two rows. As the tree ages, the lower limbs fall away, leaving a clear, columnar trunk. When a tree is cut, sprouts arise from the sapwood below the cut surface. Natural reproduction occurs through seed production, although only a small percentage of the seeds germinate unless exposed to fire.

      The redwood's insect-, fungus-, and fire-resistant bark is reddish brown, fibrous, deeply furrowed, and 30 cm (12 inches) or more thick on an old tree. The base of the tree forms massive buttresses, and hemispheric burls may occur on the trunk.

      Redwood timber is used in carpentry and general construction, as well as for furniture, shingles, fence posts, and paneling. Burls cut from the trunk are made into bowls, trays, turned articles, and veneer.

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