Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Dawn redwood, together with coast redwood and giant sequoia, belong to Sequoioideae subfamily of Cupressaceae family. It was first described from over 150 million years old fossils and thought to be extinct. But during WWII chinese botanicists found some previously unknown conifers in Hubei province. After the end of war, in 1946, these were identified as the living specimens of a genus Metasequoia, previously known only from fossils.

Dawn redwood is fast-growin tree, up to 37m tall. It is decidous tree but unlike most others does not drop single needles but whole branchlets in autumn. Trunk is orange-red with wide trunk. Needles turn bright yellow in autumn.

In Estonia dawn redwood need a place sheltered from northern winds. Prefers moist soil and full sun. Young trees should be covered in winter.

Lower branches of young dawn redwood trees should not be cut off because under the branches develop large protruding stripes that make its trunk very decorative.

Grown in Estonia, seeds from Germany