Dawn redwood

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade but develops its best shape in an open position.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist, especially while establishing. Established trees tolerate brief wet periods, but drought and hot, drying winds can scorch the foliage.

Soil

Deep, moist, humus-rich soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Tolerates clay and seasonal waterlogging; avoid shallow, dry ground.

Height

70-100 ft (21-30 m), sometimes taller with age

Spread

25-40 ft (7.6-12 m)

Foliage

Soft, flat, bright green needles arranged in opposite pairs on slender branchlets. Foliage turns orange-brown to copper in autumn, and the leafy branchlets fall for winter.

Growth

Fast; young trees can grow 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) a year in favourable conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   10 ft (3.1 m)

2. After 1 year

   16 ft (4.8 m)

3. After 2 years

   21 ft (6.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   27 ft (8.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   38 ft (11.7 m)

About 13 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two or three growing seasons; do not let the root ball dry out.
• Spread a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Choose a site well away from buildings, overhead wires and confined paving, allowing for the mature crown and broad trunk base.
• Feed only if growth is poor and a soil test indicates a nutrient shortage.
• Stake only if the root ball moves in the wind, and remove supports after establishment.

Pruning. Prune in late winter while dormant, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches and retaining one main leader. Avoid topping or routinely shortening branches; remove unwanted low branches gradually while the tree is young.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and moist in mild climates; water thoroughly and mulch.

Late winter

Check the young tree's leader and remove damaged or competing shoots.

Spring

Plant in colder climates once the ground is workable; check ties and refresh mulch without covering the trunk flare.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and check for browning caused by dry soil or drying winds.

Late autumn

Clear fallen branchlets from paths and drains; leave them as litter beneath the tree where practical.

• Use as a specimen on a large lawn where its symmetrical crown and autumn colour can be seen clearly.
• Plant beside a large pond or on moist ground, leaving room for the spreading root system and trunk base.
• Group several trees in park-like grounds to create a tall, airy grove.
• Combine with moisture-loving ferns, sedges and hostas beneath the developing canopy.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Grand estate, Woodland, Autumn colour, Chinese scholar garden and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Royal fern, Ostrich fern, Hosta, Japanese forest grass, Japanese iris and Red-twig dogwood.

Wildlife: Provides shelter and potential nesting sites as it matures. It is wind-pollinated rather than a significant nectar source, and its wildlife value outside its native range is less well documented than that of locally native trees.

• Drought scorch: needles brown or drop early when roots dry out; water deeply and maintain mulch.
• Spider mites: hot, dry conditions can cause fine stippling and bronzing; rinse accessible foliage and avoid unnecessary insecticides that kill predatory mites.
• Cankers and branch dieback: remove affected branches in dry weather, clean pruning tools between cuts and correct drought stress; seek an arborist's advice if the trunk is affected.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is recognised as a serious poisoning hazard, although species-specific information for horses is limited and the foliage and cones are not food.

• Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)

  Both lose their needles in autumn, but bald cypress has alternate leaves and branchlets; dawn redwood has opposite pairs. Bald cypress may also form woody knees in wet ground.

• Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

  Coast redwood is evergreen, with firmer needles arranged alternately along the shoots. Dawn redwood has soft, opposite needles that turn coppery brown and fall in autumn.

The species name glyptostroboides means resembling Glyptostrobus, the related Chinese swamp cypress.

Propagation. Grow from seed sown in a sheltered outdoor seedbed or cold frame; cold, moist stratification can improve germination. Softwood cuttings taken in early summer can also root. Propagate named cultivars vegetatively to preserve their characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China South-Central and China Southeast.

Measured

Soil pH 6.2 to 8.4. Average height 1640 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.