On October 2, 2025, Redwood National Park will be 57 years old. Compared to the age of the coastal redwood trees the park is named for, that’s pretty young. The average age of mature redwoods is about 600 years. Some redwoods live for over 2,000 years!
Coastal redwoods are naturally found along the coast of central California and southern Oregon. In this area, fog forms regularly. Warm, moist air in the atmosphere meets the chilly water in the ocean. This causes water vapor in the air to condense into small water droplets. The fog plays a vital role in the survival of these redwoods. It provides much needed moisture during the dry summer. The trees thrive. Recently, scientists found that coastal redwoods have two types of leaves. One type has a waxy coating to help keep water out. Chloroplasts inside the leaves absorb energy from sunlight. They use the energy to change carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. The second leaf type is adapted to absorb water. These leaves lack a waxy coating. They have fewer pores that allow air to move in and out of the leaf. They have more space to store water. Using these leaves, a coastal redwood can absorb over 13 gallons of water in one hour!
What Do You Think? How old are the trees in your area? How do trees in your area get water?
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