Giant Sequoia - (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
The Society of Municipal Arborists has selected the giant sequoia as its 2021 Urban Tree of the Year. Although it's native to the Sierra Nevada -- and found in western states of United States -- they can also be found in New York State and Connecticut.
So these giants, which can top out at more than 200 feet tall, can be considered for urban landscapes? The answer is a definite yes, according to Gordon Matassa, the Urban Forestry Grant Project Coordinator at the Dept. of Public Works in Oakland, CA. "Giant sequoia is well-suited for climate-appropriate urban areas" he says, "when given enough room to grow, such as when planted in city parks. We have several giant sequoias in our parks in Oakland, California, where they stand out as sentinels in the urban landscape."
There are nearly 500 giant sequoias in Portland, Oregon, and a city website says they provide enormous environmental benefits. "A mature giant sequoia in Portland," it says, "can store over 6 tons of carbon and scrub pounds of pollutants from the air annually."
Giant sequoia is hardy in Zones 6a to 9b, and it prefers loamy soil, even moisture, and full sun. Once well established, it can even tolerate periods of drought.
Although it can be seen at the NY Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Wave Hill in the Bronx, and on private Long Island properties, it sounds like more people out east should consider it for spacious gardens.
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