In this life, some things just have to be seen to be believed. One of these things is the General Sherman, the largest tree by volume in the world. I realize that statements like the “largest tree by volume in the world” provide no context, so let’s talk hard facts about the General Sherman. First, the General Sherman is a Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) that was named for General William Tecumseh Sherman, one of the famous generals of the American Civil War. In terms of essential information, it is 275 feet tall from its base to its top; the circumference of its base is 102.6 feet, its maximum diameter at its base is 36.5 feet, and its estimated total volume is a whopping 52,500 cubic feet!