Sequoiadendron giganteum (
giant sequoia,
giant redwood,
Sierra redwood,
Sierran redwood, or
Wellingtonia) is the sole living species in the genus
Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of
coniferous trees known as
redwoods, classified in the family
Cupressaceae in the subfamily
Sequoioideae, together with
Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood) and
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood). The common use of the name "sequoia" generally refers to
Sequoiadendron giganteum, which occurs naturally only in groves on the western slopes of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. It is named after
Sequoyah (1767–1843), the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary.