Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood, is a fast-growing, deciduous conifer residing in the Cupressaceae family. This massive tree is hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and thrive in full sun to part shade with evenly moist soil.
I was first introduced to this tree as an intern, 20 years ago, while weeding out an abundance self sown seedlings. Having no idea of it’s history, my boss asked me to do some research and prepare a plant profile so I’d have a better appreciation for this majestic specimen.
The name Metasequoia, means “like Sequoia” a reference to it’s cousin the redwood. This genus was first described in 1941 from Mesozoic Era fossils which were about 150 million years old.
In 1943 a small living population of Metasequoia was identified in a valley in central China.
Post World War II , the Arnold Arboretum funded an expedition in 1947 to collect seeds in the Metasequoia Valley. This collecting trip yielded several kilos of seed that were distributed across the world to leading botanical institutions.
The most remarkable aspect of this story is the reality that if Metasequoia had been discovered a bit later, it might have become extinct before ever being investigated.
Fast forward to 2020, where these magnificent trees can be found abundantly across the world, including in my home garden and at public gardens like @longwoodgardens pictured here.
Beyond its incredible origin story Metasequoia are a bit of a “tree unicorn”, in that they are one of 5 genera of Deciduous Conifers. Noted for their brilliant fall color, deciduous conifers loose their needles each fall and have bare branches through winter. Others in this category include: Larix, Pseudolarix, Glyptostrobus, Metasequoia and Taxodium.