Metasequoia glyptostroboides, otherwise known as the Dawn Redwood, is a fast-growing, endangered and coniferous tree - the sole living relic species of the genus Metasequoia, one of three species in the subfamily Sequoioideae. It is native to Lichuan County in the Hubei province of China. The dawn redwood tree, thought to have been extinct for 20 million years, now had living representatives known to the world. Dawn redwoods’ colorful leaves are one trait that separates this species from its family members. The only living species in its genus, the dawn redwood is a deciduous tree rather than an evergreen. Dirr’s Tree Spotlight September 18th, 2017 The species, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, was considered extinct until rediscovered in the 1940s in China and reintroduced via the efforts of the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Seeds and seedlings were distributed to many public gardens and universities with trees now over 100’. Remaining large trees in the valley proper are surrounded by cultivated fields (mainly rice) and both native and introduced tree species, constituting in its most natural state a secondary vegetation. Though some of the trees of Metasequoia have also been planted, it is likely that the largest and oldest trees in the valley are survivors. The first dawn redwood with pendulous branches, this truly outstanding introduction has gracefully weeping branches with delicate, soft, gray-green foliage and a beautiful sculptural form. If staked, it can be rather tall and narrow. The deciduous foliage.

DAWN REDWOOD
Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Photo Locations: Lotusland - Santa Barbara, CA, City College - San Diego, CA, Quail Botanical Gardens - Encinitas, CA, Los Angeles County Arboretum - Arcadia, CA, National Arboretum - Washington, DC, Mendocino Botanical Garden - Fort Bragg, CA, Hoyt Arboretum - Portland, OR, Sacramento - Capitol, CA and Arnold Arboretum - Boton, MA

General Notes

Resistant to oak root fungus. Attractive when planted as a grove. Requires heavy watering. Hardy to 15 degrees F.

Native to China.

A Metasequoia glyptostroboides in Palo Alto is registered as a California Big Tree. It measures 88 feet high, with a trunk circumference of 182 inches and a crown spread of 59 feet.

Family:Cupressaceae
Previously listed in the Taxodiaceae family.

Tree Characteristics

Erect and requires ample growing space.

Conical Shape.

Has Deciduous foliage.

Height: 70 - 90 feet.

Width: 12 - 20 feet.

Growth Rate: 36 or More Inches per Year.

Longevity Greater than 150 years.

Leaves Linear and Needlelike, Light Green, Golden or Yellow or Orange, Deciduous.

Flowers in Spring. Has separate male and female reproductive parts on the same tree (monoecious).

Brown or Mostly Green Cone, Small (0.25 - 0.50 inches), fruiting in Summer.

Bark Red Brown, Exfoliating or Furrowed.

Metasequoia Tree Bonsai

Shading Capacity Rated as Moderately Dense in Leaf.

Metasequoia Tree For Sale

Shading Capacity Rated as Moderately Dense out of Leaf.

Litter Issue is Dry Fruit.

Tree Site Conditions & Constraints

2b2t reddit video. Sunset Zones 3 - 10 and 14 - 24; A3.

USDA Hardiness Zones 5 - 10.

Exposure Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Moist Soil.

Clay, Loam or Sand Texture.

Highly Acidic to Slightly Alkaline Soil pH.

Seaside Tolerance is Medium in Mild Zone.

Pests & Disease Information

Resistant to Armillaria.

Health, Safety & Environmental Concerns

Branch Strength Rated as Medium.

Root Damage Potential Rated as Moderate.

None Known Health Hazard.

Cite this tree:
SelecTree. 'Metasequoia glyptostroboides Tree Record.' 1995-2021. Apr 25, 2021.
< https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/metasequoia-glyptostroboides >

This tree is not part of the SelecTree Nursery Connection. If you would like to see this tree listed, or know of a nursery that sells it, please contact us at ufei@calpoly.edu.

Distribution

Endemic to central China: Chongqing (Shizhu), Hubei (Lichuan, Zhonglu), and Hunan (Longshan, Sangzhi).

Wang et al. (2006) have given a count of 'original natural Metasequoia mother trees' (ONMMTs) in the three areas where this species occurs naturally. The greatest number (counted 2002–03) was in Lichuan (Hubei) with 5360 trees >20 cm d.b.h.; only five ONMMTs were found in Longshan (Hunan) and 28 in Shizu (Chongqing), giving a total of 5393 ONMMTs, a fall in number of 386 (ca. 7%) from a previous count carried out 20 years earlier. It is unclear what is exactly meant with ONMMTs and if these are really all unplanted trees. Much destruction had been going on especially in the late 1950s with Mao Zhedong's programme of rural iron smelting, while new trees have been planted after this time. The prohibition of cutting this species has led to a depletion of the mixed forest, leaving mainly M. glyptostroboides in those side valleys of the Xiaohe (Shuisanba) Valley in Lichuan where forest still persists.

Habitat and Ecology

The ecology of Metasequoia in undisturbed valley forests can only be reconstructed from palynological data and from clues obtained from field observations in the lower sections of some little side valleys of the Shuishaba Valley, where relatively undisturbed stands occur on probably suboptimal sites. Remaining large trees in the valley proper are surrounded by cultivated fields (mainly rice) and both native and introduced tree species, constituting in its most natural state a secondary vegetation. Though some of the trees of Metasequoia have also been planted, it is likely that the largest and oldest trees in the valley are survivors. It is a riparian species that occupies a habitat similar to that of Taxodiumdistichum; the remnant old trees may be the vestiges of an extensive flood plain forest that existed before this valley was transformed to agriculture only a few centuries ago. Away from the valley floor the trees are restricted to the moist bottoms of ravines and in contact with seepage water. The valley forest would not have been pure Metasequoia, but mixed with angiosperms, among which were very likely species of Acer, Castanea, Populus, and Quercus, as well as Liquidambar acalycina, Nyssa chinensis, Pterocarya hupehensis and other trees tolerant of periodic flooding. The soil is clay and sand derived from sandstone, with slightly acid to neutral pH and a strongly fluctuating but not deep water table. The climate is characterized by hot summers and cold winters.

Human Uses

Metasequoia Tree Deer Resistance

In the past, trees of this species must have been used for construction timber locally. Evidence of branch cutting for firewood can be seen in the photograph of one of the earliest discovered trees, a picture that has been widely published. Its use is now prohibited in the 'Metasequoia area' but the species has been widely planted, as an amenity or forest tree in China and as an ornamental in many other countries with temperate climates. This conifer is one of the most remarkable success stories of introduced trees to date; since its first introduction to the USA and Europe in 1948 it has spread to almost every country with a temperate climate. Several cultivars have been named, especially in the Netherlands. The phenotypic variation observed in planted trees obtained from early seed introductions may indicate genetic diversity, but trees with somewhat stunted and contorted lower trunks may also be due to suboptimal growing (climatic?) conditions. It would seem that warm and humid summer conditions are conducive to rapid growth, producing straight, erect trunks and long branches.