Gorska ali orjaška sekvoja sodi med najmogočnejše drevesne vrste na svetu. Domovina gorske sekvoje so vlažna pobočja Sierre Nevade v Kaliforniji. Najbolj mogočna sekvoja, "general Shermann" je visoka 83,8m, ima premer kar 7,7m oziroma 31m obsega. Sekvoja ima zelo debelo rdečkasto lubje, zimzelene iglice so spremenjene v luske, storži pa so podobni cipresinim. Če raste na samem, razvije zelo bogato stožčasto krošnjo z debelimi vejami. Zaradi teh lastnosti so jo okoli 1850 kot parkovno drevo prinesli v Evropo.
Sekvoja na Ruperčvrhu ni edina sekvoja na Slovenskem, še zdaleč ni tako velika, kot njeni sorodniki v Ameriki, tudi ni najvišji primerek v Sloveniji, je pa največja sekvoja na Dolenjskem. Kljub neustreznim rastnim pogojem in počasni rasti je dosegla zavidljive mere: visoka je 56 metrov, njen obseg pa znaša 737 cm. Zaradi izrednih dimenzij je od 1992 zaščitena kot naravna znamenitost.
Sekvoja na Ruperčvrhu je ena od dveh primerkov, ki so ju okoli leta 1885 posadili v grajski park. Drevesi sta dobro uspevali do leta 1975, ko je vanju udarila strela in jima poškodovala vrhova. Vrhova sta se začla sušiti, zato so 1998 sušeča vrhova odrezali (5 in 9 metrov). Močnejša, ki je bila posajena bližje graščini, si je opomogla in pognala 3 vrhove. Njena 38 metrov južneje posajena sestra udara strele ni prestala in se je posušila, zato so jo 5. decembra 2000 posekali in izmerili. Visoka je bila 24 m, na štoru so v višini 1.58 metra od tal prešteli 88 letnic. To pomeni, da je bila stara okoli 100 let, saj je tudi do te do višine potrebovala najmanj dobro desetletje. Na nekdanjo naravno znamenitost sedaj spominja največji panj na Dolenjskem in pa debla z vejami.
Grad Ruperčvrh, je v 17.stoletju zgradila rodbina Paradeiser, ki je imela v lasti tudi grad Mehovo. Po izgradnji gradu 1657 so z Mehovega na Ruperčvrh prenesli tudi krvno sodišče, na katerem so med drugim sodili tudi čarovnicam. Grad je s porokami menjal lastnike. 1919 je pristal v rokah rodbine Stare-Fabjan, ki je bila lastnica vse do konca II. svetovne vojne. 1942 je bil dvorec požgan, v zubljih so izginile tudi slike Ivane Kobilce. Po vojni so ruševine uporabljali za gradbeni material okoliških hiš, tako da je od gradu ostalo bore malo. Nanj spominjata le še lipov drevored in prej omenjena sekvoja.
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Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is one of the most massive tree species in the world. The homeland of the giant sequoia is Sierra Nevada in California. The largest known living single-stem tree on Earth is "General Shermann" with a height of 83.8 meter, a diameter of 7.7 meter. Sequoia has very thick reddish bark, evergreen needles are turned into scales, and the cobbles are similar to those of cypresses. If sequoia grows alone, it develops a very rich cone-shaped treetop with thick branches. That is the main reason why it was brought to Europe as a park tree around 1850.
Sequoia at Ruperčvrh is not the only sequoia in Slovenia, it is far from as massive as its relatives in America, nor is it the highest specimen in Slovenia, but it is the largest sequoia in Dolenjska. In spite of inadequate growth conditions it has enviable dimensions with a height of 56 meter high and circumference of 737 centimetres. It has been protected as a natural site since 1992. Sequoia at Ruperčvrh is one of the two specimens that were planted in the castle park around 1885. In 1975 the lightning struck them and one of them started to dry out. They tried to save them with cutting the dried peak (5 and 9 meters). The bigger sequoia survived, the smaller unfortunately didn't make it. So on December 5, 2000 it was cut down and measured: It was 24 meters tall and according to 1.58 meter high stump 88 years old. This means that it was about 100 years old, as it took at least a good decade to reach that height.
The mansion of Ruperčvrh was built in the 17th century by the Paradeiser family, which also owned the castle of Mehovo. After the construction, a blood court was transferred from Mehovo to Ruperčvrh. There have been even some witchcraft trials. After the extinction of Paradeiser family the mansion was sold many times. The last owner was family Stare- Fabjan, who owned it until the end of World War II. In 1942, the mansion was burnt; the ruins were used as building material for houses in vicinity. Only the alley of linden trees and giant sequoia still remains…
