Giant redwood

(Sequoiadendron giganteum)

It might surprise many to learn that you can actually see giant redwood (also known as giant sequoia) in this country. They can grow to be the tallest living thing on Earth yet, as majestic as they are, they’re also under threat and 10 percent are thought to have been wiped out in the Californian fires last year. As with the Douglas fir, a wander through these trees is like walking among giants.

KEY FEATURES: The bark is red and spongy while cones are small and hang downwards.

WHERE TO SEE IT: Blackwater arboretum in Hampshire has the biggest trees in the New Forest.