metasequoia glyptostroboides lose their leaves

The Dawn Redwood is one of the few coniferous trees that lose their leaves in autumn, turning from green to shades of yellow-orange or even pink.

Interesting Facts about the Dawn Redwood:

’s article on Dawn Redwood: a Tree that time almost forgot.

The Dawn Redwood, a ‘Living Fossil’ Tree by Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

Missouri Botanical Garden’s page on Dawn Redwood.

The Story of the Dawn Redwood by the American Conifer Society.U.S Forest Service’s take on Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).Therefore, the future of this miraculous “living fossil” hangs in balance, necessitating our continued efforts to conserve and protect this precious heritage of our natural world. While the species may continue to thrive in parks across the globe, the authentic Dawn Redwood forest ecosystem is on the precipice of being lost forever when the existing mature trees die off. Current Chinese laws even allow the removal and transplantation of any found. However, the survey yielded a worrying fact: there were no seedlings. The average estimated age stood around a venerable 95 years. The count showed mature trees ranging from 25cm to a whopping 1.65m in diameter and reaching heights of 12-51m. A survey conducted in the early 2000s took a census of all the wild Dawn Redwoods in China. An Uncertain Future: Conserving the Dawn RedwoodĮven though the Dawn Redwood has returned from oblivion, its continued existence, particularly in the wild, remains under a cloud. Thus, the Dawn Redwood, believed extinct for 20 million years, had made a miraculous comeback, reclaiming its rightful place amongst the world’s living trees. Villagers had been using these seemingly ubiquitous trees for cattle fodder and construction materials. Four years later, a team of ardent tree enthusiasts ventured to south-central China and discovered a few thousand Dawn Redwoods. Then, in 1944, a Chinese forester discovered a towering specimen of this presumed extinct species in Sichuan province, China. This evidence led scientists to believe that the Dawn Redwood had vanished from the face of the Earth millions of years ago. From North America to Asia and Greenland, its fossils lay embedded in the earth, testament to its ancient rule. In the vast chronicle of Earth’s history, the Dawn Redwood was once a prominent figure, ruling expanses of the Northern Hemisphere. Resurrected from Extinction: A Historical Perspective To preserve its legacy, it has been planted profusely in parks and arboretums worldwide – a testament to our efforts to protect this living piece of history. However, deforestation is stealthily inching this magnificent species towards the brink of extinction. This tree is a “living fossil,” an ancient script written in wood and leaves. The Dawn Redwood’s story intertwines with that of the ages, mirroring the tale of our own Wollemi Pines found secreted away in a remote Australian canyon. Conifers are known for their green, but our Dawn Redwood loves to be unique! From Fossils to Forests: An Ancient Legacy Instead, it’s deciduous, shedding all its foliage come autumn, just like an apple tree! Before the annual shed, the tree transforms into a vibrant canvas of yellow-orange, sometimes even adorned with a touch of pink. But here’s the twist – this conifer isn’t evergreen. Known for Deciduous conifer Unveiling the Enigma: The Dawn Redwood A Conifer Unlike Others: Meet the Deciduous Dawn RedwoodĪ captivating blend of the unexpected, the Dawn Redwood, or Metasequoia glyptostroboides, if you fancy botanical names, stands tall as one of the rarest conifer species. We will watch its progress with interest.Botanical name Metasequoia glyptostroboides Looking at the foliage of our baby, it might be that this is the golden-leaf variety. The larch (Larix), of which there are North American native species, behaves in the same way. These trees are amongst the few deciduous conifers cone-makers that drop their leaves each fall. These living fossils (similar to the gingko in that their leaves have been found preserved in stone), were thought to be long extinct until discovered growing wild in China in 1941. We’ve given it the first requirement, and will be crossing our fingers about the second, hoping we can provide enough water to get it established.ĭawn redwoods are growing well near the bowling greens at the foot of Kew Beach Park on Queen Street East. That means Toronto-area gardeners might be able to grow them, if they can provide a sunny and relatively moisture-retentive location.

Our fledgling tree, nursed along by neighbour M., has now flown the coop, and is planted in a sunny spot just across the street.ĭawn redwoods are said variously to be hardy to USDA Zone 4-5/Canada Zone 5-6. In 2007, we wrote about the whip of dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) that Sarah acquired in 2006 at Canada Blooms.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides lose their leaves