Metasequoia Seed Dawn Redwood
Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer that can get up to 150 feet tall with a trunk diameter exceeding 8 feet. It is an extremely fast growing tree that can reach 50 feet in height in just 15 or 20 years. The overall shape is pyramidal with a single straight trunk. As the tree matures, the trunk becomes elaborately fluted and buttressed at the base and the bark is an attractive reddish brown and fibrous, shredding and peeling in long, thin strips. The trees are monoecious, producing oval, light brown female cones (3/4 inch long) and pendant globose male cones (1/2 inch long). The needle-like leaves have a dense, feathery texture, are flattened and linear, about 1/2 inch long and arranged in two opposite ranks. The foliage is fern-like, soft to the touch and somewhat resembles yew. Foliage emerges light green in spring, matures to deep green in summer. In autumn, the foliage takes on an excellent rich orange-brown or coppery color. Even the winter silhouette is very attractive with its massive, fluted trunk and strong horizontal branches.
Dawn Redwood is related to and closely resembles Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) and Redwood (Sequoia). It is the sole living representative of its genus. It was first described from Pliocene fossils (5 million years old), and only in 1946 did botanists discover that the species was still persisting in a small area of china. It was growing along riverbanks and chinese peasants were cultivating it for soil stabilization around their rice paddies. The U.S. National Arboretum organized an expedition to collect seeds in 1948 and these were immediately disseminated to other arboreta. Today Dawn Redwood is a well known ornamental in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Uses: This is a large tree that needs a large space. Dawn Redwood is a fine, stately specimen for large landscapes such as parks or golf courses. They make excellent avenue trees. Dawn Redwoods are at their best along watercourses or ponds and can even tolerate standing water. A stand of Dawn Redwoods creates an effective summertime visual screen and windbreak in just a few years. Popular Bonsai.
