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Dawn Redwood

The dawn redwood tree was long thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1941 by Mr. T. Kan while performing a survey in the Hubei and Sichuan provinces of China. The discovery was confirmed in 1946 after the end of the Second World War. It is the sole species of its genre.

Dawn Redwood

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Cupressaceae
Genus Metasequoia
Scientific Name Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Quick Information

Tree type Deciduous
Identification Size: Up to 165 feet (50 meters)

Trunk Diameter: 3.3 ft (1 m)

Needles (Leaves): 1 in (25 mm), feather-like arrangement, bright green, flattened

Bark: Reddish-brown

Flowers: Males are a light yellowish-brown arranged in clusters, while females are yellow-green and solitary

Cones: Globular to oval in shape, 0.59-0.98 in (15-25 mm) in diameter light brown

Distribution Native to the county of Lichuan in the Chinese province of Hubei
Habitat Damp areas in open forests
Hardiness Zones 4-8
Growth Rate Fast
Lifespan Over 100 years
Growing Conditions Summer: Pollen cones grow only on trees in areas with hot summers

Winter: Does not withstand cold too well

Water: Thrives in stagnant water

Light Requirement: Full sun

Soil: Tolerates a variety of soil conditions, including moist, well-drained, loamy, sandy, clay, and acidic

Drought tolerant Yes
Diseases & Pests Diseases: Susceptible to canker infections caused by various fungal pathogens

Pests: Spider mites and Japanese beetles

Reproduction System Monoecious
Propagation Cuttings and stratified seeds
Seedling Development Germinates readily under direct sunlight
Cultivars
  • National
  • Ogon
  • Gold Rush
  • Sheridan Spire
  • Amberlow
  • Northlight dwarf
  • Miss Grace (Weeping)
  • Hamlet’s broom
Wildlife Value Provides shade to animals during the summer but not so much in the winter as foliage is lost; deer resistant
Uses Ornamental; popular in bonsai
IUCN Conservation Status Endangered

Dawn Redwood Bonsai

Dawn Redwood Pictures

Dawn Redwood Trees

Dawn Redwood Tree

Dawn redwood vs. Bald Cypress

The dawn redwood is a fast grower compared to the bald cypress’ slow rate of growth. The foliage of the dawn redwood is arranged oppositely, in that he leaves come out on exact opposite sides of the stem. In the bald cypress, they are seen to be in an alternate arrangement, meaning if there is a leaf-shoot on one side of the stem there will not be any on the opposite side, and instead will be a little above or below.

Dawn Redwood Seeds

Dawn Redwood Cones

Interesting Facts

  • The dawn redwood tree has been around since at least the time of the dinosaurs, and has been called a ‘living fossil.’
  • The name of its genus, ‘Metaequoia,’ means ‘like a sequoia.’
  • Arnold Arboretum was the man responsible for distributing dawn redwood seeds to various universities and arboreta around the world.

Dawn Redwood Seedlings

Dawn Redwood Tree Leaves

References:

  1. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/32317/2814244
  2. https://www.savetheredwoods.org/redwoods/dawn-redwoods/
  3. https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/dawn-redwood/
  4. https://www.thespruce.com/dawn-redwood-growing-profile-3269307
  5. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/dawn-redwood-diseases-68113.html
  6. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/dawn-redwoods-spider-mites-70645.html
  7. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/germinate-dawn-redwood-seeds-20985.html
  8. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Metasequoia+glyptostroboides
  9. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/metasequoia-glyptostroboides/
  10. http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=98
  11. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=914
  12. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a396

Published on June 13th 2018 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Cypress.
Article was last reviewed on 21st March 2023.

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