Metasequoia glyptostroboides

The Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer that is likely one of the most significant botanical discoveries of the 20th century. Having been known only from the fossil record, a small wild population of Dawn Redwood was discovered in 1941 in one area in the Lichuan region of Hubei Province in China. It wasn't until 1944 that the species was described and 1948 when seeds were first collected. Since then, it has been widely cultivated around the world as both an ornamental plant and a symbol of conservation.

A fast-growing tree, Dawn Redwood can grow to reach 120 feet high and develop a trunk up to 8 feet wide. Its foliage consists of bright green, feathery needles that turn a beautiful reddish-brown or golden hue in the fall before being shed for the winter. Trees have attractive reddish bark and develop a deeply fissured trunk with age, somewhat resembling that of a bald cypress.

Dawn Redwood trees are adaptable, but generally prefer well-drained soils with regular moisture. They perform well in full or part sun and are surprisingly cold hardy.

Cold hardy to USDA Zone 5 or to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.