Living Fossil - Dawn Redwood

Living Fossil - Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood (Latin: Metasequoia glyptostroboides) - is one of the lesser-known conifers. It was not commonly found in nature, nor was it previously cultivated artificially. It was brought from China only after 1941, until then it was considered a fossil, similar to trilobites. It was believed to have become extinct about 70 million years ago. Dawn Redwood is the only extant (living) species of the genus that grew during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The imported specimens were botanically examined in England in 1948, and the seeds were successfully commercialized as a rarity. They were also distributed to universities and arboretums worldwide for study. This tall tree is easy to grow - it grows very quickly and has a beautiful slender conical shape. It reaches a height of 25-30 m. In the first 15 years, it grows to a height of 10-15 m. Due to its rapid growth, it can be excellently used as a windbreak and tall hedge, from which you shouldn't expect opacity, but originality. In the USA, Dawn Redwood is cultivated for its rapid growth as raw material for paper production.

Visually, it is also a very interesting tree. Its bright light green color is radiant and contrasts with the reddish-brown color of the trunk bark. The bark peels off in fine elongated strips. It is a deciduous conifer from the cypress family (Latin: Taxodiaceae). Its needles are soft and short. They have a distinctive central vein and grow in two rows. In autumn, the needles change color - to a copper color with a golden tint. Then the needles fall off. Dawn Redwood flowers are male and female and appear in spring on young shoots. Male flowers bloom yellow and female flowers light green. Dawn Redwood cones are 2-2.5 cm large. Dawn Redwood is related to Bald Cypress (Latin: Taxodium distichum). To avoid confusing Bald Cypress with Dawn Redwood, learn to distinguish them - by the needles arranged on the twig. In Bald Cypress, the needles are alternately arranged on the twig, whereas in Dawn Redwood, the needles are evenly positioned opposite each other. Just like Bald Cypress, Dawn Redwood prefers moister soil. The roots can partially stand on shallow water banks. Dawn Redwood is hardy and frost-resistant, yet it thrives better in sunny locations. If you don't have a sunny spot in your garden, don't worry, it also prospers in partial shade.

Growing Dawn Redwood

The most reliable way to grow Dawn Redwood is from seeds. Purchased seeds should be soaked in water for 24 hours. They have a waxy surface coating and soaking in water will break it down. If you purchase the seeds two months before the planned sowing, you can perform seed stratification before sowing. Stratification is done by placing the seeds in a refrigerator (cool place) in a plastic bag for two months. Place the prepared seeds in prepared substrate or use peat pellets for germination.

In a bowl, mix classic horticultural substrate with a bit of sand. Sand is suitable for substrate drainage. If you don't have sand, you can also use perlite, for example. Press the seeds slightly below the surface. Maintain a minimum temperature of 15°C during germination. You can also achieve this temperature by growing in a mini greenhouse or plastic container with a lid. The substrate should be moist, not waterlogged. Water the sowing carefully and regularly. The first seedlings germinate after approximately 15 days.

Young seedlings should be protected from strong sunlight. Young plants thrive in shaded locations. Dawn Redwood is hardy and frost-resistant. Once it grows larger, it prefers a warm and sunny location where the temperature ranges around 18-22°C. When growing outdoors, Dawn Redwood thrives better in soil near a water source. Moist, not muddy. Popularly, Dawn Redwood is called the "water fir". The soil for Dawn Redwood should be easily permeable, light, sandy-loamy, slightly acidic to neutral. It requires sufficient soil moisture.

In the Czech Republic, Dawn Redwood currently grows to a height of around 15m. Trunk diameter around 35 cm. In its natural environment, the trunk diameter can reach up to 1 m. Dawn Redwood wood is light, white, similar to poplar.

Pruning Dawn Redwood must be done with care. Dawn Redwood has a beautiful shape, and if it's thriving well, let it grow. If you want to prevent it from growing too tall, or if it has very sparse branches, cut its top. After cutting, it will reliably regrow. If, on the other hand, it has too dense branches and light doesn't reach the crown, remove excess, overgrown branches. Do not prune or trim a tree that is 1-2 years old.

Specimens of Dawn Redwood are grown, for example, at ZOO Lešná and the Botanical Garden in Průhonice. You can visit there to see what your future tree will look like after several years of growth and whether it suits your garden. It is a very visually attractive tree, as a solitary specimen, it is an ornament to any park and garden. Currently, Dawn Redwood is also being planted in the wild, in forests.

You can grow Dawn Redwood even in polluted urban environments. It will thrive better in rural settings. If you're interested in Dawn Redwood but don't have much space, it's suitable for growing as bonsai.

If you start shaping bonsai, keep the plant at room temperature even in mild winter. Don't let it freeze. Otherwise, you would lose the valuable thin last ends of the branches.

Author: Hana Michalíková