Once thought extinct, the Dawn Redwood was rediscovered in its native China in the mid 1940s.
From fossil records, dawn redwood is known to. Dawn redwood has proved an easy tree to grow in temperate regions. The plant is now protected by law in China. Metasequoia glyptostroboides, commonly called dawn redwood, is a deciduous, coniferous tree that grows in a conical shape to 100’ tall. The is Metasequoia glyptostroboides a rather tall standing around 66ft 5in though are still smaller than their larger redwood cousins (Sequoiadendron giganteum) on the west coast. It is related to and closely resembles bald cypress (Taxodium) and redwood (Sequoia). For a while these trees were thought tho be extinct, as they had previously only been seen in the fossil record. Delicate flat sprays of narrow, bright chartreuse yellow leaves emerge in spring, mature to golden yellow in summer, before warming up to rich. Unlike most cone-bearing trees, it loses its foliage each winter. It features an upright, narrowly conical form that enhances many landscapes. From fossil records, dawn redwood is known to have existed as many as. Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Gold Rush' (Dawn Redwood) is a large deciduous coniferous tree of great beauty. In Spring, the foliage is light green, it turns to deep green in summer, to yellow and red-bronze in fall. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a very popular ornamental landscape or city tree. This is a deciduous conifer, fast growing and an excellent specimen tree for large gardens and parks. Some magnificent examples can be found in Tasmania in the arboretum at Eugenana, where it has the ideal climate and soil. It can be used to create avenue, or used in plantings in rural areas of golf courses. The bark on the trunk becomes deeply fissured over time, each tree produces both male and female cones. Above: Metasequoia Fossil Cone pictured Metasequoia Fossil Frond impressions. : Big Pack - (1000) Dawn Redwood Tree Seeds - Metasequoia glyptostroboides - by MySeeds.Co (Big Pack - Dawn Redwood) : Patio, Lawn & Garden. With a natural pyramidical habit and buttressed trunk this is a string and stately tree. These cones come from extinct metasequoia trees. Also known, as the dawn redwood, the metasequoia is the smallest of the Redwood family though height is relative considering modern varieties of metasequoia in China typically grow to more than 50 meters in height. This is a cool climate conifer, the best locations are in the foothill areas in cooler climates.Ī humus rich moist soil is best, good drainage is not so important as the tree will survive in wet soils, and even periods in standing water. Demand for seeds has led to very little recruitment in the remaining populations.This is a tree with a vigorous root system and in should be planted away from buildings, paths and roadways and drainage pipes. Despite its success as a landscape tree, the dawn redwood is still considered endangered in the wild.
The largest population of this species can be found growing in Xiaohe Valley and consists of around 5,000 individuals. However, most of these are quite small, consisting of around 30 trees. Today we now know of a few more populations. Everyone wanted to own this living fossil. The dawn redwood would become quite the sensation. Thanks to a collecting trip in 1948, seeds of this species were distributed to arboretums around the world. They realized that these were from a living member of the genus Metasequoia.
In 1946, two professors looked over the samples and determined them to be quite unique indeed. Though the samples were quite peculiar, World War II restricted further investigations. For this reason, Metasequoia was thought to be an extinct lineage.Īll of this changed in 1943 when a Chinese forestry official collected samples from a strange tree growing in Moudao, Hubei. Despite its success, fossil evidence of this genus disappears after the Miocene. It is hypothesized that the genus Metasequoia evolved its deciduous nature to cope with the darkness.
Regardless of climate, axial tilt nonetheless made it so that the northern hemisphere did not see much sun during the winter months. Why would a tree living in tropical climates drop its leaves? Sun. Evidence would suggest that the dawn redwood and its relatives were already deciduous by this time. The genus hit its widest distribution during a time when most of the world was warm and tropical. In fact, the fossilized remains of these trees make up a significant proportion of the fossils found in the Badlands of North Dakota.įossil evidence dates from the late Cretaceous into the Miocene. It could be found throughout the northern regions of Asia and North America. As with the other redwood species, the dawn redwood once realized quite a wide distribution. Until 1944 the genus Metasequoia was only known from fossil evidence. Compared to its cousins, the dawn redwood is the runt, however, with a max height of around 200 feet (60 meters), a mature dawn redwood is still an impressive sight. Along with the coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens) and giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum), the dawn redwood makes up the subfamily Sequoioideae.