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From a seed no bigger than that of a tomato, California's coast redwood may grow to a height of 367 feet and have a

width of 22 feet at the base. Imagine a 35-story skyscraper and you have an inkling of the tree's ability to arouse humility.

Some onlookers envision dinosaurs rumbling through these forests in bygone eras.

I'm Jason Epperson, and this is California's Redwood National Park. It turns out that picturing dinosaurs roaming through the forest is a perfectly natural thought.

Fossil records have shown that relatives of today's Coast Redwoods thrived in the

Jurassic era 160 million years ago. And while the fantastic creatures of that age have long

since disappeared, the Redwoods continue to thrive in the right environment.

California's North Coast provides the only such environment in the world, a combination of longitude, climate, and

elevation limits the Redwoods range to a few hundred coastal miles. The cool

moist air that lofts in from the Pacific Ocean keeps the trees continually

damp even during summer droughts. These conditions have existed for some time as

the Redwoods go back 20 billion years in their present range.

But exactly why the redwoods grow so tall is a mystery.

Theories continue to develop, but proof remains elusive.

The trees can reach ages of 2,000 years, and regularly reach 600 years. Resistance to natural enemies such as insects and fire are built in features of a

coast redwood. Diseases are virtually unknown and insect damage is insignificant

thanks to the high tanning content of the wood. Thick bark and foliage that rests

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