The Stratosphere Giant was once considered the tallest tree in the world.[1] It was discovered in July 2000 growing along Bull Creek in Humboldt Redwoods State Park by Chris Atkins, measuring 112.34 meters (368.6 ft) tall.[2] The discovery was confirmed and made public in 2004, displacing the Mendocino Tree, another coast redwood, from the record books.[3] The tree has continued to grow and measured 113.11 m (371.1 ft) in 2010 and 113.61 m (372.7 ft) in 2013.[4] It is a specimen of the species Sequoia sempervirens, the Coast Redwood. The tree features three prominent burls on the southwestern side of its trunk and is surrounded by a large number of trees of almost equal size.[citation needed] In an effort to avoid damage to the tree's shallow roots by tourism, its exact location was never disclosed to the public.
On August 25, 2006, a taller redwood tree, named Hyperion, in the Redwood National Park was discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor, and is considered the tallest tree (and living thing), measuring 115.55 m (379.1 ft). This has been confirmed using a tape measurement. Two other trees in this forest were found to be taller than Stratosphere Giant as well,[2] though Stratosphere Giant is now believed to have grown taller than one of them.[5]
