Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & W.C. Cheng Dawn redwood
Dawn redwood is native to China. It is the only member of genus Metasequoia, and one of only three living species of redwoods. It was believed extinct until living specimens were discovered in an isolated part of China, in 1944. It remains critically endangered. The rather unhappy-looking specimen in photo 9 was planted in 1981, not far from Redwood National and State Parks. The other photos here are of a robust tree planted about 30 years ago at a friend's home in MA. Identification: Trees reach 148′ (45 m). Develops a broad, rounded crown. This tree is deciduous, while the other two varieties of redwood are evergreens. Leaves remind me of hemlocks. Small branchlets about 3″ (7.5 cm) long consist of many needle-like leaves, each about ⅜″ (1.2 cm) long and 1/16″ (1.6 mm) wide. Cones are ½-⅞″ (1.5-2.5 cm) in diameter, with 16-28 scales. |
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The redwoods: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sequoia sempervirens |
Sequoiadendron giganteum |
You are here Metasequoia glyptostroboides |
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Common Name | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plant | Up to 377′ (115 m) tall, living up to 2,200 years. | 164-279′ (50-85 m) tall. | Up to 148′ (45 m) high, up to 6½′ (2 m) in diameter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Needles 1/32-1″ (1-30 mm) long, in a branching configuration or in opposite pairs. Photos of mature sun-illuminated foliage (left) and shade foliage. Photos by Christopher J. Earle. | 1/16-3/16″ (3-6 mm) long, arranged in spiral whorls. | Small branchlets 3″ (7.6 cm) long, with needle-like leaves about ⅜″ (1.2 cm) long and 1/16″ (1.6 mm) wide. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Stem | Bark up to 1′ (30 cm) thick at base. | Bark, up to 3′ (91 cm) thick at the bottom of the tree, is fibrous and furrowed. | Bark reddish brown when young, becoming fissured an gray. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Oval, ½-1¼″ (1.5-3.2 cm), with 15-25 spirally arranged scales. | Cones are 1½-2½″ (4-7 cm) long. | Cones are ½-⅞″ (1.5-2.5 cm) in diameter, with 16-28 scales. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild | Wild |
Online References:
The University of Connecticut Plant Database
The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum
Metasequoia glyptostroboides description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Oct 2021.
Range: