Precocious Cone Formation Observed on a Three-Year-Old Giant Sequoia Seedling

There is thought to be a tradeoff in forest trees between growth potential and reproduction, particularly at early life stages, which leads to a positive relationship between maximum tree size and mean age or size at reproduction. However, as with many traits, variation in reproductive timing can exist within species. Here, we report a case of precocious female cone formation in a three-year-old giant sequoia seedling (Sequoiadendron giganteum) observed at a research plot in Sequoia National Park, California, USA. Given that sequoia groves are threatened by increasing frequency of high severity fire, this observation suggests that a more systematic study of size/age of earliest reproduction in sequoia is warranted, as reproduction of small trees could affect the likelihood of population persistence.