Here, hundreds of dawn redwoods have been planted in a natural state where they can be observed and recorded in the wild, without having to travel to China. In 1995, the Crescent Ridge Dawn Redwoods Preserve, was established in North Carolina. Although the species will continue to live in yards, parks and on roadsides all over China, the M. glyptostroboides forest ecosystem could disappear when its mature trees die. Though cutting of trees or branches is illegal, the demand for seedlings drives cone collection to the point that natural reproduction is no longer occurring in the dawn redwood forest. As such, it's not likely to go extinct, but dawn redwood is critically endangered in the wild. Since its discovery, the dawn redwood has become something of a national point of pride, and it is both protected under Chinese law and planted widely. ), as well as a number of smaller groups (typically, under 30 trees each). In Lichuan County, there is one dawn redwood forest, consisting of barely 5,000 trees (by another count, around 5,400 trees. In 1948 the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University sent an expedition to collect seeds and, soon after, seedling trees were distributed to various universities and arboreta worldwide for growth trials. The genus Metasequoia was first described as a fossil from the Mesozoic Era by Shigeru Miki in 1941, but in 1943 a small stand of an unidentified tree was discovered in China in Modaoxi (presently, Moudao, Lichuan County, Hubei) by Zhan Wang due to World War II, these were not studied further until 1946 and only finally described as a new living species, M. glyptostroboides, in 1948 by Wan Chun Cheng and Hu Hsen Hsu. The cones are globose to ovoid, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.59–0.98 in) in diameter with 16-28 scales, arranged in opposite pairs in four rows, each pair at right angles to the adjacent pair they mature in about 8–9 months after pollination. The pollen cones are 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, produced on long spikes in early spring they are only produced on trees growing in regions with hot summers. The leaves are opposite, 1–3 cm (0.39–1.2 in) long, and bright fresh green, turning a foxy red-brown in fall. It is a fast-growing tree to 40–45 m (130–148 ft) tall and 2 ft (0.61 m) trunk diameter in cultivation so far (with the potential to grow to even greater heights). Place the bag in a refrigerator for 90 days to cold stratify the seeds to break the embryo dormancy.While the bark and foliage are similar to another closely related redwood genus Sequoia, M. glyptostroboides differs from the coast redwood in that it is deciduous like Taxodium distichum (bald cypress), and like that species, older specimens form wide buttresses on the lower trunk. Shake the bag gently to mix the seeds and moss together. Place the moistened peat moss into a plastic bag.Īdd the seeds to the bag and seal it closed. Squeeze the moss gently to remove excess water. Hold a handful of peat moss under a stream of water until it is thoroughly wet. Transplant the dawn redwood seedlings into 1-gallon pots when they reach 4 inches in height. Observe the seeds for the next 60 days for signs of germination. Water the seeds every few days to keep the soil moist, but not wet. Set the mat's temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a heat mat on a flat surface near a window that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Cover the seed with potting soil and press it down firmly, but gently. Place the seed in the center of the pot and push it 1 inch down into the soil. Let the pots sit until the excess water finishes draining. Fill the pots with water two to three times, or until water runs out of the drainage holes at the pots' bottoms. Metasequoia glyptostroboides grows in a perfect pyramid and was known from fossils before living plants were discovered in China.Īfter the cold stratification, fill 4-inch plastic pots with potting soil until the soil level is 1/2- to 1-inch below the top. The tree requires little if any pruning to maintain the pyramidal form because of its neat, shapely habit. Metasequoia glyptostroboides shouldn’t be in soils with a high pH. However, Metasequoia glyptostroboides is threatened in its natural range by logging. Dawn Redwood has been found to be very tolerant of urban pollution and seems to thrive best in almost rainforest conditions. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a very popular ornamental landscape or city tree. In Spring, the foliage is light green, it turns to deep green in summer, to yellow and red-bronze in fall. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is related to and very similar to the bald cypress (Taxodium) and redwood (Sequoia).ĭawn redwood has proved an easy tree to grow in temperate regions. The trunk forms a distinctive "armpit" under each branch. It is native to Sichuan (Szechuan, Szechwan), China and was only introduced in 1948. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a fast-growing, endangered deciduous, coniferous tree that reaches 30 to 45 m.