President, Giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, California, United States
President is a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park, California, and ranks among the largest trees on Earth. The trunk rises 247 feet (75 meters) and measures 27 feet (8 meters) in diameter at the base, while the spreading crown grows thick with branches and foliage.
The tree began growing around 3,240 years ago, long before European settlers reached the California Sierra Nevada. The naming took place in 1923 after Warren G. Harding, the American president who passed away that year.
The name honors President Warren G. Harding and belongs to a group of trees named after political offices. Hikers walking through Giant Forest encounter other sequoias whose names like Chief Sequoyah or Congress Group reflect American government history.
Trails through Giant Forest lead to viewpoints where visitors can clearly see the massive trunk and the branching crown. The area sits at mid-elevation in the park and is easiest to reach during summer months.
A December 2012 survey measured the trunk at 1,278.4 cubic metres plus 254.9 cubic metres of branches. Because volume is hard to measure consistently, the national park's official site still calls it the third-largest sequoia, while National Geographic reported in 2012 that it exceeds General Grant by 15 percent.
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