Giants of the forest: the tallest trees of the Amazon

In the Amazon, among rivers and mist, there are living beings that defy time and spark our imagination. These are giant trees that can reach over 80 meters in height and that, until recently, were virtually unknown.

It was only in 2022, with the help of drones and LIDAR technology, that scientists found the tallest tree ever recorded in Brazil: a red angelim (Dinizia excelsa) measuring 88.5 meters in height and nearly 10 meters in circumference, deep in the Paru State Forest, on the border between Pará and Amapá.

Described by the naturalist Adolpho Ducke in 1922, Dinizia excelsa (the scientific name of the red angelim) is native to the Amazon and occurs across all states of northern Brazil. In most of the forest, however, individuals do not grow taller than 30 meters.

But why do some trees grow so tall, reaching over 80 meters in the upland forests of Amapá and Pará? We still don’t know. Genetics, soil, wind, light, and competition are certainly involved, but the mystery of these giants remains.

At 88.5 meters, the tallest red angelim ever found is 2.5 times the height of the Christ the Redeemer statue (38 m). It is as if a 30-story building were growing in the middle of the forest.

Regardless of their size, adult red angelim trees can support entire networks of life in the forest: epiphytic plants, vines, parasites, microbes, fungi, and a wide variety of animals that depend on these giants.

Some of these giants are estimated to be over 500 years old. In other words, they were already standing when the first Portuguese arrived in Brazil, and they have endured for centuries as silent witnesses of history.

The tallest tree in the world is a sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens), found in California, which grows beyond 115 meters. In the tropics, we have Shorea faguetiana, a tree from Malaysia that can reach 100 meters. The red angelim is the tallest tree in Latin America, at nearly 90 meters.

The Amazon is also home to other giant trees, such as the Brazil nut tree, maçaranduba, kapok, pequiá, and tauari. However, most of these species rarely reach 60 meters in height

Despite their grandeur, giant trees are at risk. Deforestation, fires, logging, and the advance of illegal mining affect even remote areas.

These trees capture and store enormous amounts of carbon. They also help maintain air humidity, regulate temperature, and sustain water cycles. Preserving them is vital for the balance of both local and global climate.

Brazil’s greatest and most valuable monuments are not found in squares or museums. They are giant, living trees that grow slowly in the depths of the forest. Their value is immeasurable, and cutting them down would be an irreversible mistake.

At COP-30, the world will turn its eyes to the Amazon. May it also look to its giant trees — symbols of the standing forest and of the future we can still cultivate.