The Tallest Tree In The Amazon Is 50 Percent Higher Than The Previous Record Breaker

Home to around 400 billion trees, the Amazon is the most expansive rainforest on Earth. Surprisingly, though, it isn’t especially famous for towering trees, despite its vast abundance. That may be changing, however, as scientists begin uncovering some of the rainforest’s true giants.

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The tallest tree in the Amazon rainforest measures 88.5 metres (290 feet), located in an extremely remote part of the rainforest between the states of Pará and Amapá in northern Brazil, according to a 2019 study.

It was discovered by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, which used airborne laser scanning to study vast swathes of the Amazon rainforest. Interestingly, it wasn’t the only giant in the local area. The researchers noted that the record-smasher was surrounded by seven other trees taller than 80 meters (262 feet) and many more above 75 meters (246 feet).

Surprised by the findings, a team of scientists embarked on a mission to find the extremely large tree and identify it with their own eyes. 

After trekking through the rainforest, the team discovered that these colossal trees belonged to the same species, Angelim vermelho (Dinizia excelsa). Previous estimates suggested these bulky trees could only grow up to 60 meters (196 feet), but their research clearly showed otherwise. 

The previous record-holder for the tallest tree in the Amazon rainforest also belonged to this species, but this was nearly 30 meters (feet) shorter than the one found in 2019. 

“We don’t yet know how these trees managed to grow so much higher. As pioneer species – the first to grow into any new areas or gaps in vegetation – it’s possible that they took advantage of some past disturbance that cleared part of the forest, perhaps caused by a storm or by human habitation. The fact that they have survived so long and grown so tall must be at least in part thanks to their sheer remoteness from urban areas and industry,” Tobias Jackson and Sami Rifai, two of the ecologists who found the tree in 2019, wrote for The Conversation in 2019.

While the Amazon is known for its abundance of trees, record-breaking height is not its specialty. Almost all the tallest trees on Earth are found in the western parts of North America, the jungles of Southeast Asia, and southeastern Australia. 

The tallest tree of all is a giant redwood tree (Sequoia sempervirens) named Hyperion, measuring 115.92 meters (380.3 feet) tall, located at a secret location in the  Redwood National and State Park in Northern California. This is almost as tall as trees can possibly grow, in theory. It’s thought that there’s an absolute limit on tree height of about 120 meters (394 feet), beyond which it is impossible for the tree to pump water to all of its leaf cells. 

In the Amazon, it appears there are environmental constraints that have stopped their trees from reaching truly humongous heights. Growing tall does have its advantages – like topping the canopy and gaining better access to sunlight – but it also comes with significant risks. The taller a tree grows, the more vulnerable it becomes to windstorms, fires, pests, pathogens, and, increasingly, chainsaws. 

In the world's biggest rainforest, where competition is intense and life is tough, it might be too risky to stick your neck out too much.