Nestled within the mountainous terrain of northern Taiwan, an imposing Taiwania cryptomerioides — a colossal conifer belonging to the cypress family Cupressaceae, with an ancestral lineage tracing back 100 million years — has been officially identified as the loftiest known tree in East Asia.
The Heaven Sword tree. Image credit: Chia-Chun Hsu et al., doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1746112.
Referred to by the moniker Heaven Sword, this arboreal titan reaches a remarkable height of 84.1 meters within the Sheshan mountain range located in northern Taiwan.
The confirmation of its stature was achieved in 2023 by a dedicated climber who ascended its trunk and meticulously lowered a measuring tape from the apex.
“Taiwan, historically recognized as Formosa, harbors a profound secret within its untamed interior: it stands as one of the planet’s scarce locales capable of nurturing ‘giant’ trees — specimens that soar beyond 80 meters in altitude,” stated Dr. Rebecca Chia-Chun Hsu of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, alongside her esteemed colleagues.
“Since 2014, our committed collective, the ‘Taiwan tree seekers,’ has been engaged in a quest to discover and document these sky-rending behemoths.”
“The assembled group represents a distinctive amalgamation of seasoned arborists, ecological scientists, geological experts, and specialists in remote sensing technologies.”
“In 2023, this unwavering dedication bore fruit: we successfully identified the undisputed champion of the island’s arboreal population: an 84.1-meter-tall specimen of Taiwania cryptomerioides.”
“This colossal tree presently claims the distinction of being the most elevated tree recorded throughout the entirety of East Asia.”
“Among the Indigenous Rukai communities, these magnificent firs are known by a far more evocative appellation, ‘The tree that strikes the Moon’.”
As an integral part of their research initiative, the scientists initially constructed a comprehensive national canopy map utilizing airborne laser scanning data, thereby pinpointing an initial cohort of 57,065 potential candidate trees.
Steep geological formations gave rise to numerous erroneous readings; in one particularly striking instance, a tree measuring a mere 25 meters in height was erroneously registered at 90 meters due to its precarious position atop a sheer precipice.
To meticulously sift through tens of thousands of identified candidates, an unconventional approach was adopted: the public was enlisted for assistance.
Approximately 372 volunteers contributed their efforts by scrutinizing laser-scan profile imagery of trees, effectively narrowing the extensive list to 4,736 credible contenders, thereby mitigating approximately 92% of the manual verification workload that would have otherwise fallen upon the specialists.
The comprehensive survey ultimately charted 941 colossal trees across the island, all exceeding 65 meters in height, predominantly concentrated within montane cloud forests situated at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 meters.
A remarkable nine out of the ten tallest specimens surpassed 70 meters, with all belonging to the Taiwania cryptomerioides species.
The researchers have issued a cautionary note, highlighting that the escalating impacts of climate change are precipitating a rise in cloud bases within Taiwan’s mountainous regions, thereby imperiling the forest ecosystems upon which these gigantic trees rely for essential moisture.
An observed increase of 35% in typhoon intensity impacting the island over the past four decades, coupled with intensified storm-driven floods and landslides, presents a significant and immediate peril to trees situated in precarious river valleys.
Evidence of illicit deforestation targeting ancient trees was also uncovered during the field expeditions, even within officially protected enclaves.
“Large, mature trees play an exceptionally crucial role in the functioning of forest ecosystems,” the authors emphasized.
“They serve as substantial carbon reservoirs; a single colossal tree possesses the capacity to absorb an amount of carbon equivalent to an entire aggregation of moderately sized trees.”
“Furthermore, they furnish vital, non-replicable habitats and actively modify local climatic conditions, consequently fostering enhanced forest biodiversity.”
“Notwithstanding their immense stature, these arboreal giants exhibit a peculiar susceptibility to the ramifications of climate change,” they elaborated.
“Direct anthropogenic influences also continue to pose a threat. Although upwards of 95% of the identified giant trees are situated within designated protected zones, their remote geographical locations render them particularly challenging to effectively monitor.”
“During our terrestrial explorations, we documented several instances of clandestine poaching of ancient trees.”
“This underscores the reality that official protective measures, while indispensable, are insufficient without the concurrent engagement and vigilance of the broader community.”
The research findings of the team are published in the esteemed journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.
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Rebecca Chia-Chun Hsu et al. 2026. The journey of finding the tallest tree in Formosa Taiwan. Front. For. Glob. Change 9; doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1746112
