Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth

The tallest known tree on earth is located in Redwood National Park in northern California. More than twelve hundred years old, it is approximately 380 feet tall--and still climbing!

For more than twelve hundred years, a little sprout has grown, survived fires, drought, and logging, and flourished undiscovered. Tall-tree researchers found the tree in 2006 and at more than 380 feet today--and still growing--it's the tallest tree known on earth. 

Carrie Pearson is a former early elementary teacher and the author of nature books A Warm Winter Tail and A Cool Summer Tail. She hikes, bikes, runs, skis, windsurfs, kayaks, and swims--and writes about what she experiences. Carrie lives in Marquette, Michigan, with her husband and their three daughters.

Susan Swan holds an MFA from Florida State University. She works primarily in digital cut-paper collage, and when not creating pictures, she makes jewelry. She illustrated Out on the Prairie by Donna M. Bateman and Volcano Rising by Elizabeth Rusch. She lives in Ovilla, Texas with her husband. susanswan.com