Sequoiadendron giganteum Vida Magical Mystery - Giant redwood

Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Vida Magical Mystery' is a very beautiful form of American giant sequoia with lemon-yellow foliage. This conifer is still rare in cultivation, and will undoubtedly be smaller than the type species, although no truly aged specimen has been described in the literature to date. Its clearly visible main trunk is massive and very upright, covered with a fibrous, light reddish-brown bark that cracks into deep furrows. This sequoia needs a garden large enough to accommodate it.

Belonging to the Cupressaceae family, the Giant Sequoia 'Vida Magical Mystery' is an improvement of the type species whose needles are tinted lemon-yellow. It is a female variety which will produce reddish-brown cones if there is a male sequoia nearby. The type species, the giant sequoia, is a conifer native to North America, more precisely, the moist slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. This monumental species shows fairly rapid growth; it appreciates cool and rainy climates, warm summers and snowy winters, which offer excellent protection to the roots and young plants.

Giant Sequoia 'Vida Magical Mystery' has a pyramidal habit when young, before becoming more columnar with age. Its main branches, oblique and plunging, straightened at their tips, form a regular conical crown. The leaves are scale-shaped, more or less lanceolate, measure between 2 and 4 cm long and are lemon-yellow with glaucous highlights. This variety grows 30 to 40cm per year. The tree reaches about 3m in height and 1m in width in ten years. At 30 years old, it is estimated that it will reach an average height of 10.50m with a spread of 4 to 6m. When the female cones are pollinated, they take an ovoid shape, a reddish-brown colour and an erect posture. They ripen in two years. The trunk is a pillar that takes on a fascinating appearance over time. The bark of this sequoia is remarkable for its reddish tint, its resistance to fire and fungal attacks, and the deep decorative blisters and crevices that form over the years. This plant has a very extensive, but surprisingly shallow root system, which makes transplanting a bit delicate, but allows it to draw nutrition and water from the soil. This characteristic also makes it vulnerable to strong winds, especially in very loose soil. This conifer is hardy enough for temperate climates.

Plant Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Vida Magical Mystery' as a specimen tree in a park or large garden. Where it thrives, it will become an exceptional tree, the pride of the gardener who planted it. Choose its location carefully, in deep soil and in a well-open situation, but sheltered from the wind that could blow it over. It combines well with large stones, geometric lines and masonry structures. This collector's tree will also find a place in a contemporary garden or one with exotic inspiration.

Did you know? Fossils attest to the presence of sequoias in Europe before the great Quaternary glaciations.