Potters bar - Gresley Court (Hertfordshire)

Near this block of flats in Hawkshead Road stands a Giant and a Coast Redwood. A good location to contrast and examine the differences in these two types of Redwoods. The outlines, foliage and bark are all clues to the type of Redwood. Although they were probably planted around the same time, the Giant's trunk has a much greater girth - partly due to the fact that it 'flares' as it gets near to the ground. Typically, the foliage of the Coast Redwood is a lot more sparse and less tidy than the Giant. You may also notice that the branches on the Giant Redwood are nearly to the ground on the right hand side, whereas on the side closest to the flats, the branches have been lost until they are above the flats. Although in this case it may have seem that they were cut off, it is common for Giant Redwoods to lose their branches naturally where they are crowded or shaded.

Common Names	Latin Names	No.	Girth	Date Measured
Giant Redwood, Wellingtonia	Sequoiadendron giganteum	1	4.1m	December 2005
Coast Redwood	Sequoia sempervirens	2	2.82m	December 2005
Girth was measured at 1.5 metres from ground