What is the tallest tree in the world?

Standing tall for all to see, trees are among the longest-living life forms on Earth, and we simply couldn’t live without them. Naturally beautiful and providing the air we breathe, many have lived for hundreds of years – if not longer.

We previously took a closer look at the oldest named individual tree in the world. But have you ever been curious as to which tree is the tallest and where it is located?

Here, BBC Bitesize turns its attention to the tallest living tree and why its specific location is kept a secret. You can also find out some of the world’s tallest tree species, the tallest in the UK, enormous Christmas trees and much more.

Located in Redwood National Park in California, USA is the tallest living tree in the world – a Sequoia sempervirens nicknamed Hyperion. In Greek mythology, Hyperion – son Uranus and Gaia – the Titan god of watchfulness, often known as the ‘watcher from above’.

Derived from Greek, the name roughly translates to ‘the one above’ - so we can assume this is how the tallest living tree in the world acquired this nickname. Hyperion was discovered in 2006 by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor.

It is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old and was verified as the tallest tree living by Guinness World Records back in 2019.

When Hyperion was verified by Guinness World Records in 2019, it measured at 116.07 metres. That’s an impressive 380.8 feet!

The tree is known to be situated on a hillside – however its precise location is unknown to the public to ensure it stays protected from damage or vandalism. In recent years, the protection of our trees has been back in the spotlight.

For example, one of the most photographed trees in England - Northumberland's Sycamore Gap - was deliberately cut down back in September 2023.

Elsewhere in the world, outside of its native range, are many more Sequoia trees growing to incredible heights. The tallest planted Sequoia is said to be found in Rotorua in New Zealand.

Across the globe, there are a number of tree species that are known to grow to impressive heights. This includes sequoias, like Hyperion, as well as Eucalyptus, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and many more.

As of October 2020, Guinness World Records have also verified the tallest-known living trees on each continent. This excludes Antarctica, which is treeless and of course we know the answer to North America is Hyperion.

But what about the others? In Oceania, the tallest-known living tree is believed to be a Eucalyptus regnans in Tasmania, Australia.

In Asia, it is thought to be a Shorea faguetiana in Sabah, Malaysia and in South America, a Dinizia excelsea in Para, Brazil. In Africa, the tallest-known living tree is thought to be an Entandrophragma excelsum in Tanzania and closer to home in Europe, it is said to be a Eucalyptus diversicolor in Luso, Portugal.

Standing tall at a whopping 83.7m (274.7ft), the tallest planted tree in the world is a Eucalyptus saligna found in the Magoebaskloof State Forest in South Africa. Verified by Guinness World Records in November 2021, a trio known to reach 81.5m (267.4ft) - the ‘Magoebaskloof Triplets’ - had previously been measured there back in 2013.

But in 2021, a taller specimen was found and as a result, what is now known to be the tallest planted tree in the world was dubbed the ‘Fourth Kin.’ The trees, native to eastern Australia, were originally planted by forestry pioneer A.K. Eastwood back in 1906.

The UK is home to many tall species of trees – including Douglas firs. According to the Woodland Trust, the evergreen conifers can live for more than 1,000 years.

Native to North America, Douglas fir was brought to the UK in the 1800s by botanist David Douglas. They thrive in areas where rainfall is higher.

In the UK, the tallest tree is believed to be a Douglas fir in the Reelig Glen, near Inverness, Scotland. There are many tall trees in the glen, but the tallest is over 65m high, around 213ft.

Elsewhere in England, the tallest tree is another Douglas fir located near Dunster, Somerset, which is said to be 63m tall - 207ft. In March 2025, BBC News reported how new signage had been put in place and paths were made more accessible on Exmoor around some of the country’s tallest trees.

In Wales, another Douglas fir was once the UK’s tallest tree but was felled after it was damaged by a storm. It stood at 63.7m - 209ft – and was located at the Lake Vyrnwy estate in Powys, its remnants were later transformed into a model sculpture of a hand by artist Simon O’Rourke.

As for Northern Ireland, the tallest tree is said to be a Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis), which has been named ‘Tree of the Year’ in Northern Ireland previously. Located in Downhill Forest, near Castlerock, it is said to be around 46 metres tall, which is around 151 feet.

Now we couldn’t write this IYKYK article without including Christmas trees. A key part of festive celebrations across the world every year, having and decorating a real Christmas tree is a tradition kept by many families.

But how big is the tallest Christmas tree in the world? Well as of November 2025, the tallest bedded Christmas tree in the UK is a 147ft redwood tree found right here in the UK.

Planted in the 1860s, the Christmas tree is located at National Trust property Cragside in Northumberland. Standing tall at 44.7m, to be counted as a Christmas tree by the Guinness team, it needed to have at least two kinds of decorations on it – and the National Trust previously told BBC News how they chose 1,300 Christmas lights and two giant purple bows.

However, the record for the tallest ever Christmas tree belongs to a Douglas fir tree which was 64.6m - which is 212 ft. It was not bedded into the ground as Cragside’s is and was displayed in Northgate Shopping Centre in Seattle, US, in December 1950.

Sticking with Christmas trees – when it comes to the largest artificial Christmas tree, this was achieved by Arjuna Ranatunga Social Services (Sri Lanka) in 2016. The 72.1m tree (236 ft 6.58 in) was built for a three-day carnival in Colombo, Sri Lanka and still holds the Guinness World Record.

However, when it comes to the tallest artificial tree, Guinness awarded the title to the centrepiece of Animal Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World, Florida, in the late 1990s. Inspired by the giant baobab in Disney film The Lion King, the artificial tree is just over 148ft.

This article was written in January 2026

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