The Washington Tree is a Giant Sequoia in the Giant Forest grove. The tree is located at in Tulare County, California, within Sequoia National Park.
The Washington tree was previously considered the second largest tree in the world with a volume of 47,850 cubic feet (1355 m³), being 254.7 ft (77.63 m) high and 101.1 ft (30.82 m) in circumference. However, this volume computation did not take into consideration a 115 ft (35 m) tall, 10 ft (3 m) diameter cavity, accessible only by a hole situated 190 ft (58 m) above the ground. The cavity was discovered in 1999 during research by Humboldt State University and University of Washington scientists.
In September 2003, a lightning-caused fire damaged the crown of the tree. This fire was left to burn, to simulate natural conditions in the forest. In January 2005, the Washington tree partially collapsed, losing more than half its height, most of its branches, and much of the trunk. It is now 115 ft (35 m) high, with only a few branches living near the top of the tree. In effect, the Washington tree is no longer one of the top ten largest Giant Sequoias, yet the National Park Service still lists it as the second largest, due to current documentation policy (trees are calculated as if they did not suffer damage). Whether this position will be maintained is uncertain at this point.
The Washington tree is not necessarily dying. The tree still has half a dozen significant branches. Many Sequoias have survived with less foliage. However, the future of the tree cannot yet be forecast. It could die soon or it might easily live several more decades or centuries.
See also: List of famous trees
