Tree · Cupressaceae
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
A living fossil conifer that colors russet-bronze each fall and gains height fast enough to track season to season.
Full sun
Every 3–10 days
USDA 4–8
70–100 ft · 21.3–30.5 m
Overview
Few trees have a return story like this one. Dawn redwood was documented only as fossils until living stands were discovered in central China in the 1940s, and seed collected from those trees carried it into gardens across the temperate world. What sets it apart is that it is a deciduous conifer, an unusual combination that means it carries soft green needles all summer and then drops every one of them in fall.
Given space, it pays you back quickly. Growth is rapid, and the tree builds a clean pyramidal shape around a single straight leader; a mature specimen can stand 70 to 100 feet over a wide, fluted, buttressed trunk. That combination of speed and ultimate size rules it out for a small yard but makes it a commanding choice for a park, a pond margin, or an open lawn.
Autumn is when it earns its keep. As the needles prepare to drop, the entire canopy shifts to a warm russet-bronze to orange that almost no other conifer delivers. Through the rest of the year it asks for little, provided the soil holds moisture and stays on the acidic side.
Care
The short version: site it in full sun in deep, moist, slightly acidic soil with generous room for a large, fast-growing tree, and keep the water steady while it is young and through any drought.
Light
Set it in full sun to develop the best form and color, though it accepts a measure of afternoon shade. Starved of light it grows thin and sluggish and never fills out the tight pyramidal outline that defines the species.
Water
This is a tree that wants wet feet. Hold the soil consistently moist and deep, and it will even take boggy or waterlogged ground in stride. Water it dependably through its early years and during any drought, because a prolonged dry spell is the one thing it will not endure.
Soil
Provide deep, moist, humusy, acidic soil that still drains freely. It copes with clay and wet sites readily, but on thin ground over rock or on high-pH alkaline soil it loses iron uptake and yellows into chlorosis. Target a pH of 5.0 to 6.5.
Temperature
The tree is durable over a broad span, reliable in zones 4 through 8, taking cold to roughly -29°F (-34°C) and summer heat to about 100°F (38°C). Its single vulnerability is the early spring flush, which a late frost can scorch before the new shoots harden off.
Humidity
Open-air conditions suit it without adjustment, so there is no humidity figure to chase. What matters is steady moisture at the roots rather than in the surrounding air.
Feeding
On reasonable soil it scarcely needs feeding at all. Where growth lags, incorporate a balanced slow-release tree fertilizer in early spring, and leave it out completely on ground that is already fertile.
Pruning
Pruning is largely optional, since the tree raises its own strong pyramidal frame on a single central leader. During late winter dormancy, simply cut out any dead, damaged, or competing leaders so that single clean form is preserved.
Repotting
Treat it as a landscape tree, not a permanent container subject. Nursery and bonsai specimens are repotted every 2 to 3 years in early spring, and the cues that it is overdue are roots circling the pot, roots escaping the drainage holes, and growth that has stalled and yellowed.
Size & spacing
Plan around a true giant. A mature tree reaches 70 to 100 feet (21 to 30 m) in height with a spread of 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.5 m), so place it well clear of buildings, foundations, and pavement and leave the roots open ground to run.
When to plant
Dawn redwood is established as a young tree rather than direct-sown, and it performs across zones 4 through 8. Begin stratified seed indoors in late winter, then move young trees outdoors in spring once frost has cleared or settle them in during early fall. There is no flowering to time around, only the russet-bronze foliage that closes out each autumn.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring (stratified seed, 8-10 weeks before last frost)
- Plant: Spring after last frost, or early fall
- Harvest: Non-flowering; russet-bronze to orange fall foliage in autumn before needle drop
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
An established dawn redwood gives very little trouble, and the problems that do appear usually trace to stress or an unsuitable soil. Keep an eye on the needles and the newest growth, since they register the first symptoms. Match what you observe to the cases below and respond while intervention still does some good.
Pale new growth holding green veins
When the freshest foliage fades to yellow-green while the veins stay dark, you are seeing chlorosis, and on this tree it nearly always means iron has been locked up by a high-pH or thin soil sitting over rock. A pH test settles the diagnosis. For a lasting correction, work elemental sulfur into the root zone to nudge the pH toward the acidic range the tree needs; for a fast visual recovery, apply chelated iron, which the roots can take up even at the wrong pH. A layer of mulch helps by deepening and cooling the soil where the roots feed.
Fix:
- Test and lower soil pH toward slightly acidic with elemental sulfur
- Apply chelated iron to green up foliage in the short term
- Mulch and improve soil depth and moisture over the root zone
Sunken stem cankers with dieback beyond them
Cracked, discolored, sunken bark with dead tissue past the lesion is a fungal canker, and on dawn redwood it tends to take hold only where the tree has already been weakened by drought, frost, or a wound. Remove the affected wood with a clean cut well below the lesion, and disinfect the blades between cuts so you don't carry the pathogen from one branch to the next. The most durable defense is cultural rather than chemical: a tree kept evenly moist and mulched stays vigorous enough to wall off infection before it spreads.
Fix:
- Prune out cankered wood well below the lesion, disinfecting tools between cuts
- Improve growing conditions to reduce stress
- Keep the tree adequately watered and mulched
Bronzed, stippled needles laced with fine webbing
Stippling and a bronze cast on the needles, especially during a hot, dry stretch, point to spider mites, which multiply fastest when a tree is already running short on water. To confirm, hold white paper beneath a branch, tap it, and watch for tiny specks that crawl, then turn a few needles to check the undersides for webbing. Knock the population back with a forceful spray of water, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil where needed, and above all keep the root zone watered and mulched, because a well-hydrated tree resists mites far better than a stressed one.
Fix:
- Spray foliage with a strong jet of water to dislodge mites
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected foliage
- Keep the tree well watered and mulched to reduce drought stress
Skeletonized foliage in early summer
Beetles in metallic green and copper feeding in clusters on lacy, see-through foliage are Japanese beetles, which target this tree through the warm months. The simplest control is to pick them by hand into soapy water at first light, when cool temperatures leave them slow to fly, and to save an approved insecticide for the rare heavy swarm. Take heart that the damage reads worse than it is; modest chewing seldom does any lasting harm to an established tree.
Fix:
- Hand-pick beetles into soapy water in the early morning
- Treat heavy infestations with an approved insecticide if warranted
- Tolerate light feeding, which rarely harms an established tree
Wilted, blackened shoots after a late frost
Because dawn redwood breaks bud earlier than most trees, a late-spring frost catches the tender new shoots while the hardened older wood comes through fine. Once growth picks back up, snip off the killed tips; the tree is reliable about pushing a second flush to replace them. The real fix is placement, so keep it out of low-lying spots where cold air pools at night and the same damage returns each spring.
Fix:
- Prune out dead frost-killed shoots once new growth resumes
- Allow the tree to push a second flush, which it usually does
- Avoid planting in frost pockets
Toxicity
For any household that includes animals, the verdict is reassuring: dawn redwood is not toxic to pets, livestock, or people. It does not appear on the ASPCA's list of harmful plants, and the worst an experimental nibble is likely to produce is the passing stomach upset that follows eating too much of any greenery. Plant it without giving a second thought to who passes beneath it.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
The needles carry no compounds that harm cats, so the tree is safe to keep around them. Should a cat work through a large amount of any foliage, expect at most a short, mild bout of stomach upset.
Dogs None
There is nothing in this tree that is toxic to dogs, so an inquisitive chew need not worry you. A dog that swallows a real mouthful of greenery may pass softer stool for a while, as it would with most plants.
Horses None
Horses are in no danger from this tree. The fine, feathery needles contain nothing toxic, so a grazing horse can browse a low branch without harm.
Rabbits None
The tree is harmless to rabbits, which may sample fallen needles or low shoots with no risk of poisoning.
Livestock None
Cattle, goats, and sheep can browse the foliage safely, with no risk of poisoning from any part of the tree.
Birds None
Birds face no hazard here, free to perch in the branches, build a nest, or peck at the seed cones.
People None
The tree holds nothing toxic to people and asks for no careful handling. It is simply not a food plant, so no part of it is worth eating.
No special handling precautions are required; this is an outdoor landscape tree.
Varieties
Nearly all dawn redwoods offered for sale are the straight species, but a few selections earn attention for their color or their form. These are the named ones worth recognizing.
'Gold Rush' ('Ogon')
Carries soft, feathery foliage in a golden-yellow tone right through summer, shifting to orange-brown by fall, and puts on growth at a slower rate than the species.
'National'
A markedly slim, columnar selection made in 1958 at the U.S. National Arboretum, prized for its tightly held pyramidal habit.
'Miss Grace'
An uncommon weeping dwarf whose branches cascade and keep it low and mounded unless it is staked to grow upright.
How to propagate
Dawn redwood propagates with little difficulty, whether you raise it from cold-treated seed or strike a cutting taken from an existing tree.
SeedModerate
Late winter to spring after cold stratification · 1-2 years to a sturdy seedling
A species known only from the fossil record until living trees were located in China in the 1940s, dawn redwood germinates willingly from seed once that seed has passed through a cold-stratification period to break dormancy. Sow from late winter into spring and allow 1 to 2 years for a seedling to bulk up into a sturdy young tree.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in late fall to winter · 2-4 months to root, then a season to establish
Cuttings are the dependable method here. Collect softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings from late fall through winter; expect roots in roughly 2 to 4 months, followed by a full season for the young plant to settle in.
Myths
Dawn redwood is just another name for bald cypress or the evergreen coast redwood.
It stands on its own as Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and a handful of reliable features separate it from the trees it is mistaken for. The needles are arranged in opposite pairs, whereas bald cypress sets its needles alternately and pushes up woody knees when growing in standing water. Unlike the evergreen coast redwood, dawn redwood is deciduous, shedding its needles each fall once they have colored to russet-bronze.