Can Giant Sequoia or Coast Redwood (Trees) be successfully planted and grown in India?
effervescingly 1. Does the environment and climate support its growth?
2. Where do we get the seeds from?
3. Do they help the environment?
3 Responses
Will
26 Apr 2011
gardengallivant
26 Apr 2011
Giant sequoia grow in the Sierra Nevada mountains so might do well in the temperate forests of Arunachal Pradesh. It grows well on slopes between 1,200 -2,400 meters along water courses but not in very exposed areas. The Sierra mountains here go from -24C to 38C with a moderate 45cm to 150cm precipitation, much as snow.
adulithien
26 Apr 2011
It is possible, but both need cooler weather than is available in most of India. Also, the coast redwood in particular is what’s known as a fog belt species, which means it is uniquely adapted to living in an area that gets frequent fog. This is why so many grow on the furthest reaches of the West Coast in the U.S. where coastal mountain ranges trap lots of moisture.
Just keep in mind they are facultatively fog-adapted, meaning they will not survive without fog belts. I do not know if there are suitably cool fog belts available in India, but if you found one, you could plant these trees there.
As mentioned, a Google search should turn up certified seeds that can be mailed to you and will not be confiscated by customs agents.
As for helping the environment, all plants produce oxygen. However, most living things are co-evolved and adapted to live in harmony with other particular things. Adding anything new to the mix risks upsetting the balance. An impact study would be needed to say for sure.
These trees are far too large, slow-growing and water dependent to take over like weeds, however anything that is not native can potentially be invasive. They could easily change the balance of species by shading out slower growing, shade intolerant species that cannot outcompete them in the understory.
Hope this helps!
1) Maybe in the area near Bangladesh and Myanmar. Both types of Redwoods need cool and very moist climates. The majority of India is complete unsuitable, and trees planted there would likely not survive.
2) Redwood seeds are available in several places online.
3) It’s hard to think of such things as invasive, but introducing anything like Redwoods in an area where they are not normally found will be damaging to the environment.