Towering majestically in the mountains of northern Taiwan, the Taiwan Crypmeroid—a colossal conifer from the Cypressaceae family—has ancestors that date back over 100 million years, making it the tallest known tree in East Asia.
Known colloquially as the Heavenly Sword, this remarkable tree stands at an impressive 84.1 meters tall, nestled within the Peishan Mountains of northern Taiwan.
Its monumental height was verified in 2023 when an adventurous climber scaled the trunk and dropped a tape measure from the tree’s crown.
“Taiwan, historically referred to as Formosa, harbors a secret deep within its rugged landscape, a unique ecosystem that supports ‘giant’ trees exceeding 80 meters in height,” stated Dr. Rebecca Chia-Chun-Su of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute and her team.
“Since 2014, our committed group of ‘Taiwan Tree Explorers’ has been on an expedition to locate and document these towering giants.”
“This team comprises professional tree climbers, ecologists, geologists, and remote-sensing specialists.”
“In 2023, our perseverance culminated in the discovery of the king of the island’s forests, an 84.1-meter-tall Taiwan Crypmeroid.”
“This titan currently holds the title of the tallest tree in East Asia.”
“For the indigenous Rukai people, these majestic firs are affectionately known as the tree that touches the moon.”
As part of their project, researchers created a national tree canopy map using aerial laser scanning data, initially identifying 57,065 potential giant trees.
However, the steep cliffs led to numerous false positives. For instance, a tree recorded as 90 meters was actually only 25 meters tall due to its sheer cliff location.
To streamline the verification process, they sought assistance from the public.
About 372 online volunteers analyzed laser-scanned profile images of trees, successfully narrowing the candidate list to 4,736 while effectively eliminating 92% of the manual verification workload typically required by experts.
The final results indicated the presence of 941 giant trees exceeding 65 meters tall, primarily concentrated in mountainous cloud forests situated 1,500 to 2,500 meters above sea level across Taiwan.
Nine out of the ten tallest trees are over 70 meters in height and all are classified as Taiwan Crypmeroid.
Scientists have raised alarms about climate change elevating cloud bases in Taiwan’s mountains, jeopardizing the forests where these giants thrive.
The frequency of typhoons striking Taiwan has increased by 35% over the past four decades, while flood and landslide risks intensify, threatening trees that thrive in steep river valleys.
During the expedition, illegal logging of native trees was also uncovered, even within designated protected areas.
“Large, ancient trees play a significant role in forest ecosystems,” the researchers noted.
“These giants serve as major carbon reservoirs; one might sequester as much carbon as an entire grove of mid-sized trees.”
“They also create vital habitats and modify the microclimate, thus sustaining forest biodiversity.”
“Despite their size, these magnificent trees are uniquely vulnerable to climate change,” they added.
“Human activities remain a persistent threat. Though over 95% of identified giant trees are situated within protected areas, their remote locations complicate monitoring efforts.”
“During ground surveys, evidence of illegal poaching of native trees was discovered.”
“This underscores that while public protection is crucial, community vigilance is equally important.”
The team’s research paper will be published in the journal Forest Frontiers and Global Change.
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Rebecca Chia Chun Sue et al. 2026. A journey to discover the tallest tree in Taiwan. Front. For. Glob. Change 9; doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1746112
Source: www.sci.news
