Many of us are lucky to have trees of all kinds around us. Trees are some of the oldest living organisms on our planet. Humans have always relied on trees for all the resources they provide. The most important thing that trees give us, of course, is oxygen.
There are many qualities that make all trees special, but some trees in the world are extra unique. This tree is part of a group called the Circus Trees. They were planted by a man named Axel Erlandson. To make this tree, which is named the 'Basket Tree,' Erlandson planted six different sycamore trees in a circle and grafted them together to make the pattern.
This tree is so special that it has its own military name. This tree is called General Sherman and it lives in California, USA. General Sherman is a giant sequoia. These are the world's biggest trees by volume, and General Sherman is the biggest of all. This tree is about 2,200 years old, and each year it adds enough wood to make a regular 18m-tall tree!
Erlandson was very secretive about his methods. He even did his work hidden behind large screens in case there were spies around! The trees are still alive today and you can go see them in an amusement park called Bonfante Gardens.
Whilst General Sherman is the world's biggest tree, the tallest trees are the giant sequoia's cousin: the coast redwoods. Redwoods also grow in California in the USA. The tallest tree in the world is named the Hyperion Tree, measuring at about 115m tall! Scientists won't reveal the exact location of Hyperion, for fear that visitors will damage the tree's delicate root system.
Some redwoods are so large that cars can drive through the base!
The silk cotton trees at the temple of Ta Prohm in Cambodia are a great demonstration of nature's power. Centuries after the temple was abandoned, the trees in the area began reclaiming the space. Now, these powerful trees can be seen all around the ruins, where they have grown and shaped around the abandoned human structures.
It is hard not to be awed by the majesty and power of trees. Many of them are living history, and have been around for far longer than the communities that surround them today. It is a shame that we are losing our forests and trees quickly every day. It is sad to think about a world with no General Sherman.
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