A very healthy giant sequoia growing in Czech Republic sent by Michael Trilica
Probably the highest/largest trees in the Czech Republic are growing in a park of the Ratmerice Castle in Ratmerice. It is a very nice and old bigger village (260 citizens) – about 50 miles south from the Czech capital of Prague. The first written notice about the village is even from 1220, the first notice about the church in Ratmerice is from 1350. The most famous event in the history of Ratmerice was a battle in 1645. At that time (exactly 03-16-1645) the Swedish and so called Imperial (= Austrian) armies met there. It was a bad and long fight and it was one of most important battles in central Europe during the 30 years-Period War. This is a view from the battle place ….. two dark cones in a centre/middle are the tops of the sequoias. Thank you Eva Harakova for this picture.
In the centre of the village is a smaller very nice castle with quite large park/garden. There are many unusual (unusual for the central Europe) trees including two sequoia trees. In the 19th century a count/earl Otto Chotek owned the castle and it was him who planted the sequoias. The trees were brought directly from the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. There are two wonderful sequoia trees at the castle park. It is suggested the trees are 150 years old and more than 45 meters tall (1771.65 inches or 147.63 feet …. if I calculate it right) and 7 meters around its trunk. Of course they are the tallest trees in our country and they are protected by the law of the Czech Republic. Contributed by Eva Harakova.
Eva, her daughter’s friend and her daughter, Christina, behind the tree …. arms of three adults and a piece – so large/wide is the trunk. Thanks for these pictures of the Ratmerice Castle trees.
Eva Harakova and her daughter Christina at the Ratmerice Castle tree. Thank you Eva.
