Cloning plants is nowhere near as difficult or sophisticated as cloning animals or other life forms. But it can be delicate work. Mr. Werner and other project propagators use various methods to clone two types of redwoods, coastal and giant sequoia. Those include so-called micropropagation, which basically uses tiny samples of plants, fed with heavy doses of synthetic growth hormones and nursed in a laboratory environment, to create genetically identical plants.

The method has long been used by horticulturalists to propagate plants, particularly finicky flora like orchids. In the case of the redwoods, Mr. Werner used small cuttings of sprouts and other plant material, including some cuttings from the upper reaches of giant sequoias. He slowly coaxed them into growing, and eventually, into growing roots. They were then transplanted to enriched soil, where they have continued to grow, now several inches high or more.

Mr. Milarch believes that this may be the first time that such ancient trees have been cloned in such a fashion. And while that could not be confirmed, William J. Libby, an emeritus professor of forestry and genetics at the University of California, Berkeley, said that Mr. Werner’s work was impressive nonetheless.

“What Bill has done is somewhere between what we thought was difficult and impossible,” said Mr. Libby, a consultant to the Archangel project. “And he moved it from impossible to difficult.”

Mr. Milarch’s efforts to capture the DNA of famous trees, which he has been at for nearly two decades, have raised some eyebrows in tree circles, as has his plan to sell the clones, something he says is necessary to finance his project. (The Archangel project has sought, but not yet been granted, federal nonprofit status, though it is recognized by the State of Michigan, where it is based.)

Connie Millar, a research scientist with the United States Forest Service, said it also did not necessarily track that the biggest, oldest trees had the best genes. “The longest lived trees could just be sitting on top of a water table, or sitting on especially rich soil,” said Ms. Millar, pointing out that the longest lived people are not necessarily the best genetically but rather those who get enough sleep, eat well and take care of themselves.