Featuring giant redwood / giant sequoia. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Thanks to Lewis for emailing to tell of the Giant Sequoias standing in Pods Wood near Tiptree. There are two paths on which the Redwoods can be found, one has four trees while the other has five, although one of the trees along this path has been hit quite dramatically by lightning (Lewis says it is known locally as the "Lightning Tree"), the shattered remains are strewn on the other side of the path. They paint a grim picture of the ferocity of the strike, as does the trunk-length strip of torn off bark where the bolt headed for earth. One of the four trees on the other path is very stunted, a most peculiar example. All the other Giant Redwood are crowded among other trees (mostly silver birch) and this means that photographing them is a little tricky. Tripping over brambles and stumbling into ditches is all par for the course when trying to get a better shot by going back just a little bit more... Once again, thanks Lewis, just when I think I have found nearly all of the Redwoods there are to find in Essex, another batch pops up!
Visit information
- Access
- Access unknown
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/tiptree2.htm
Redwood species here
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in parts of their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Present. Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume
About this place
About Tiptree - Pods Wood
Tiptree - Pods Wood is located in Tiptree, Essex, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.