Wilhelma seeds

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A sequoia specimen from the Wilhelma seed in Bad Wildbad

Wilhelma-Saat refers to the seeds of the giant sequoia (Wellingtonia), which were imported to Württemberg shortly after their discovery on the initiative of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg (1816–1864) , grown and planted throughout the southwest of Germany. Some of these plants, also known today as the giant or mountain sequoia, have been preserved and are often protected as natural monuments.

history

The giant sequoia trees were discovered in the USA in 1852. The nature-loving Wilhelm I is said to have been so enthusiastic about reports from traders and travelers who returned from America that he ordered sequoia seeds for 90 dollars in 1864, shortly before his death. The seed dealer was probably Christian Schickler.

According to legend, the high number is probably due to a misunderstanding. The king is said to have ordered “a lot of seeds”, the Americans translated the unit of measurement as “a lot” - and sent a lot of seeds. At that time, one lot in Württemberg was equivalent to an amount of 15 grams, instead the Americans sent one pound - which in Württemberg at that time was equivalent to 470 grams or 100,000 pieces.

A gardener in Stuttgart took seed from overseas in 1864 in a cold house of the Wilhelma large. A few thousand vigorous plants emerged from the seeds (figures vary between 5000 and 8000). They were schooled and distributed to forestry departments throughout the country and planted in Wilhelma itself. They were also sold against payment. Sequoias were coveted in the royal and princely houses - as an exotic rarity to adorn the stately residences. In the cold winter of 1879/80, however, many of the young trees froze to death at temperatures as low as minus 36 ° Celsius.

In 2006, a working group was formed in Germany that made sequoias its theme.

In 2014 the 150th anniversary of the sequoia trees was “celebrated”. At this point in time, 132 preserved specimens were known.

distribution

Display board in Welzheim with sequoia trees

Around 200 trees from this seed still exist in Baden-Württemberg today. The seedlings found their final location in Stuttgart, among other things:

There are also numerous other designated locations of sequoias in Baden-Württemberg outside the state capital - in palace gardens, forests and parks. So from 1870 the transplantation took place among others by the forest authorities Weinheim , Lorch , Schorndorf , Winnenden and Heimerdingen near Vaihingen (Enz). A total of nine specimens have been preserved in the Welzheim forest district : six from the year of planting 1866, two from 1893 and one from 1918. In addition, 24 pieces were planted in a closed nursery in 1958. There are still 18. Heidelberg has a sequoia forest with 30 trees, and one mighty tree is in Ochsenbach . Sequoia trees can also be found in Wüstenrot and Hemmingen . In Oberbrüden (Auenwald) stands the currently (March 2014) tallest sequoia tree in Germany at 55.8 meters. The strongest (diameter at chest height 4.1 m) is in Neuweiler . The specimens on the Felsenmeersteig hiking trail in Albstadt are not quite as big.

  • Sequoias near Ulm-Ermingen

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Barbara Czimmer-Gaus: Sequoia trees in Stuttgart: The seed dealer's secret has been revealed . In: “ Stuttgarter Nachrichten ”, February 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ History of the sequoia trees in Württemberg ( Memento of the original from May 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on May 7, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bss-b.de
  3. ↑ Barbara Czimmer Gaus: Sequoia trees in the Wilhelma: 5000 mammoths made from feather-light seeds . In: “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”, February 16, 2015.
  4. ↑ Amancay Kappeller: Giant trees from royal times . In: " Schwäbisches Tagblatt ", September 16, 2009.
  5. ↑ Eva-Maria Manz: Sequoias in Baden-Württemberg: The consolation of the forests . In: “ Stuttgarter Zeitung ”, June 16, 2014.
  6. ↑ Lutz Krüger: Wilhelma-Saat - Gigantic sequoia trees in Württemberg , accessed on May 18, 2016 (including an overview map).
  7. ↑ Ulrike Frenkel: Sequoias in Stuttgart: Urbane Urwelt . In: “Stuttgarter Zeitung”, June 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ [1] Albstadt sequoia hiking trail

literature

  • Lutz Krüger: The giants of the king. 150 years Wellingtonien in Württemberg , BookRix, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-7368-1417-2

Web links