 It was hoped that they would be useful in light construction, durable cladding and roof shingles.It was known by local foresters that growth of this species was slow but individual trees could reach prodigious heights and had the reputation, along with native mountain ash, for being amongst the tallest trees in the world.The 1936 Redwood plantings at the head of the Aire River were established on two topographic units – the River Flat Unit and the Ridgetop Unit.