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    • Photo of Metasequoia glyptostroboides foliage by Greer Gardens Inc.

    Photo by Greer Gardens Inc.

    Used with permission, all rights reserved

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    Buy Metasequoia glyptostroboides

    Also Known As

    • Metasequoia glyptostroboides ssp. caespita
    • Metasequoia glyptostroboides var. caespitosa
    • Metasequoia honshuenensis
    • Metasequoia neopangaea
    • Big Cone Dawn Redwood
    • Dawn Redwood
    • Neopangaea Dawn Redwood

    Plant type

    tree, conifer

    size

    • H: 50'-100'
    • W: 15'-25'

    planting zones

    • 4a-9b

    1 gallon | $49

    Buy button links to nursery site for checkout

    32 at Forestfarm

    2 inch wide, 4-6 inch deep tube | $29.95

    Buy button links to nursery site for checkout

    112 at Forestfarm

    More Options

    Metasequoia glyptostroboides plant details

    Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a fast-growing deciduous conifer tree with green foliage. and brown fruit. Attracts birds. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and even moisture - occasional water. Does well in average and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something pollution tolerant and verticillium wilt resistant.

    CHARACTERISTICS OF Metasequoia glyptostroboides

    Plant type: conifer tree
    Plant family: cupressaceae
    Foliage: deciduous green
    Mature size: 15 FT - 25 FT - wide, 50 FT - 100 FT - tall
    Uses: bare root shipping available, border plant, fall color, hedge, street tree, year round interest

    GROWING CONDITIONS for Metasequoia glyptostroboides

    USDA Zones: 4a - 9b
    Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
    Watering frequency: even moisture - occasional
    Resistant to: deer, pollution and verticillium wilt
    Soil needs: average and well-drained

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    Nursery contributed plant descriptions

    This awe-inspiring tree was known only as a fossil before being rediscovered in 1941 in Modaoqi, China by forester T. Kan; this fast-growing redwood-like tree can reach 70-100'or more! Wonderful, ferny, soft to the touch foliage emerges pale-green in spring and matures to deep-green in summer before turning a glowing rich apricot in fall. With age the gorgeous bark becomes deeply fissured. A very adaptable and easy going tree that can handle air pollution, drought and even flooding. S/M-W

    By: Forestfarm

    1-2 foot tall plants are offered in addition to our one gallon sizes at some points in the year. 1-2' plants are a size just under the one gallons usually offered and are often preferred by bonsai enthusiasts. You can prune these back to several inches tall in the winter for bonsai purposes or just grow them on as landscape trees. This is a nice size to start with because they are cheaper than the one gallons but still size up quickly because this species is such a fast growing tree.
    The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is native to China and is one of the three surviving species of Redwood Trees, the other two (which we also sell) being native to California. All three Redwood species are considered endangered, but the Dawn Redwood was actually originally discovered only in the fossil record. In 1944, just a few surviving trees were found in China and were quickly propagated from. New trees have been planted around the world to hopefully prevent the extinction of this amazing conifer - you should add one to your landscape to help ensure the continuation of the species!

    Today, the Dawn Redwood has become very popular for its wide and thick branches, fast growth habit, and amazingly fissured bark. Additionally, the tree is deciduous and drops its needles in the fall, revealing its strong branches and bark covered in small canyons. During the entire growing season, the needles are feather soft unlike most conifer species, which are usually sharp and pointy (hence the naming of conifer leaves as 'needles').

    In the garden, the Dawn Redwood is a medium to large sized tree (still an impressive size of up to 100 feet tall, but smaller than the other two Redwood species) with a dense canopy. This makes an excellent shade tree because its branches spread wide, unlike most conifers, but will also let light in during the cold winter months. They make a fine addition to Japanese and Asian style gardens.

    Dawn Redwoods are also very popular for bonsai plants because of their small foliage, ease of shaping, and large trunk diameter relative to its height. One of the traits that makes the Dawn Redwood unusual compared to other conifers is that you can take a tall single trunk tree and prune it to any height to create a large tapering trunk but with a short height at any age because the Dawn Redwood can grow from the base. Most conifers can only produce new growth where there is already growth, which means that shaping for bonsai must be done from near the beginning. This makes the Dawn Redwood a fantastic species for both experts and beginners because if you mess up it is really easy to start over. Beginner bonsai enthusiasts should start experimenting with conifers using either this species or the Coast Redwood for the easiest and fastest results.
    A note about the unique branching patterns and compound leaves produced by the Dawn Redwood
    The formation of branches on the Dawn Redwood is very interesting, a leaf set is actually not just the needle in conifer species but each needle is actually part of a compound leaf which is made up of a fleshy stem and multiple leaflets - these look like branches but the whole thing drops as one piece in the fall. See an example here: If you have a pine tree in your yard you will notice that the needles that have fallen to the ground are actually dropped in bundles with multiple needles emerging from a single bud, but in the case of the Dawn Redwood the compound leaves are much larger and actually look like small branches.

    If you look closely at the stems of Dawn Redwood trees in the winter, you will see the scars of where those compound leaves were last year with a new bud emerging. This bud will produce a permanent woody branch in the spring which will then produce additional compound leaves that will drop off again next year leaving only the true woody branches behind. This makes these trees much more interesting for bonsai purposes because the shape of the trees you get is very unique to this type of branching and leaf pattern, even compared to other deciduous conifers like Larch which have much smaller compound sets.

    By: Red Panda Nursery

    Large, deciduous conifer with a pyramidal, conical growth habit. May mature into a broadly rounded crown. Maintains a central leader that is reddish brown in youth and becomes darker, exfoliating and fissured with age. Needles are green during most of the season, then turn an orange-brown to red-brown in the fall. Growth Rate 40-50' in 20 yrs., fast

    By: Garden World

    A deciduous conifer of vigorous upright habit. This ancient tree evokes a sentiment of awe when one realizes it has endured change and upheaval essentially in its present form for millions of years. Discovered as a "living fossil" in China in 1941, it prefers a moist, well-drained soil. Dawn Redwood is a fast-growing, pest-free and fine-textured conifer, hardy and adaptable.

    By: Heritage Seedlings

    Known as the Big Cone Dawn Redwood this is a rather minor variant from a botanical standpoint, although the general look in the garden is distinct.

    By: Arrowhead Alpines

    Known as a living fossil, this fast-growing deciduous conifer has an unusual story of discovery. In 1941 Japanese paleobotanist Shigeru Miki found something exciting during his studies of the fossil specimens of Sequoia. He noted several differences among the specimens that were sufficiently distinct to represent a new, previously unnamed fossil genus. Believing it to be extinct, he named the genus Metasequoia. (Meta comes from the Greek and means with or after.) During that same year an unusual conifer was discovered in the remote village of Modaoqi, China and was later found to be identical to the newly named fossil genus. The tree was named Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Some of the oldest dawn redwoods now growing in the United States grew from seed that originated in Modaoqi, where three Metasequoias stood, one of them one hundred feet tall and over six feet in diameter. Local villagers believed the tree to be the home of God. In 1948, this tree, still healthy and holding seed-filled cones, was estimated to be 450 years old. In 1980 the largest trees were placed under protection by the Chinese government, but long-term survival remains uncertain due to habitat encroachment. Strongly reminiscent of California's coast redwood when leafed-out, the dawn redwood has smaller cones and bright, apple green leaves that are soft and flexible to the touch. The leaves are arranged oppositely, in pairs on short branchlets, and turn a rich, coppery-bronze in autumn, then fall usually after the first hard rain of the season to expose the outstretched naked limbs and russet-colored trunk. Trees suffer from winter wind damage in cold, dry areas, and require protection from salt winds that cause foliage burn and from hot, reflected light in enclosed areas. A stunning specimen tree in containers, it can also be planted beside, or in, shallow standing water. Tolerant of lawn watering and resistant to oak root fungus. My daughter found the fleshy branch-tips made a delectable meal for her pet bunny. Hardy to 15F. Western China.

    By: Native Sons

    Deciduous, Cinnamon-brown bark, flattened, linear leaves turning gold in autumn Zone 5-9. 70', China, part shade-sun, moist, well drained

    By: Keeping it Green Nursery

    (Dawn Redwood) Deciduous. Discovered in China in 1845. Bark is dark dark copper colored and fissured, exfoliating in thin strips. Twigs are green at first, later turn red-brown. Needles are blue green on top and lighter green underneath. Completely winter hardy and fast growing. Loves wet spots. Hank groups these with ginkgos for year round effect.

    By: Hoot Owl Hollow Nursery

    Dawn Redwood has a trunk that becomes strongly fluted at the base and the bark is reddish brown and fibrous, shredding and peeling in long, thin strips. Although it looks like an evergreen, the needles are deciduous. In autumn, the foliage takes on a rich orange-brown or coppery color. Prefers soil is moist and moderately fertile.

    By: Oregon Grown Tree Farm

    Fern-like branchlets are delicate green in spring; russet in autumn, deciduous, Wet ground tolerant. Zones 5-8.

    By: Lael's Moon Garden

    It looks a little like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree when young but when it has a bit of maturity, it's gorgeous. Perfect pyramidal shape with feathery, bright green foliage. The single, straight trunk of it's youth develops into a broad, rounded crown with age. Excellent tree. National Arboretum Introduction. Pruning rarely necessary. 3/4-1" cones. Growth Rate: Fast 2.5' - 3' per year. Great Plant Picks - Miller Botanical Garden.

    By: Lazy S'S Farm Nursery

    This beautiful, deciduous tree, known to have been native to the Northwest through fossil records, was thought to have been extinct world wide until a specimen was found in a Chinese temple in the 1940's. It has a graceful conical growth habit with flattened leaves that appear feathery and plume like. In late spring fresh new foliage appears a bright green turning a rich golden to rusty bronze in the fall. Height in 10 years, 12-15' but ultimate height is 100' with a 25' spread. This prehistoric plant attains best color in full sun. Beautiful tree and an excellent conversation piece.

    By: Greer Gardens Inc.

    Gardening facts about Metasequoia glyptostroboides plant

    How to Grow Metasequoia glyptostroboides

    • Sun Exposure

      • sun - mostly sun

    • Water Needs

      • even moisture - occasional

    • Soil Needs

      • average
      • well-drained

    • Special Situation

      • pollution tolerant
      • verticillium wilt resistant

    Features

    • Foliage Color

      • green

    • Wildlife

      • birds
      • deer resistant

    • Fruit

      • brown

    • Foliage Season

      • deciduous

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