Dawn Redwoods with Pumpkin-Spice Colors

The downside of relocating to a new home is the loss of favorite plants in the former garden. Sometimes these are valued for their rarity. In other cases, they serve as reminders of friendships or life milestones.

For me, leaving behind a Dawn Redwood tree was a source of sadness. I received it as a rooted cutting in 2006, at a Master Gardener plant swap. At less than a foot tall and living in a four-inch nursery pot, it was hardly imposing. Luckily, I checked my favorite reference manual (Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, by Michael A. Dirr) and learned that this scrawny specimen that resembled a green feather could reach a mature height of 100 feet with a spread of up to 40 feet.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides, pronounced met-uh-see-KWOY-uh glip-toe-stroh-BOY-deez) is one of the few deciduous conifers. It grows fast (up to two feet per year), with a lovely pyramidal shape when young, maturing to a rounded crown. Given average growing conditions, a tree will reach 25 feet or more in ten years. They make a wonderful specimen. The tree in the zone 7 Mary Snoddy garden, now 15 years old, exceeds 30 feet. It has received no supplemental irrigation after the first year.

These trees enjoy moist, acidic soil, and will not tolerate dry locations. Mature trees have a furrowed look to the bark. They are hardy in zones 5 – 8. With age, the lower limbs droop downward with age, giving the tree a graceful look. Lower limbs may need to be removed if they block views or prevent mowing. The foliage turns a gorgeous, rusty orange before shedding in the fall.

It is easy to confuse Dawn Redwood with Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum). Look at the leaf arrangement to distinguish the two. The half-inch needle-like leaves of Dawn Redwood are held on the stem in an opposite arrangement, while the Bald Cypress leaves spiral around the stem. Both trees will do well in soils with limited oxygen. Dawn Redwood tolerates clay soil. In swampy soil, the Bald Cypress will push up “knees” to capture air that is not available to its roots.

Dawn Redwood has no disease problems, although Japanese Beetles occasionally eat the foliage. Deer rarely browse them.

Metasequoias are propagated from cuttings or air-layering. Young Dawn Redwoods transplant easily. They can also be grown as bonsai.

This Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is 15 years old and stands more than 30 feet tall.

Same tree as above, showing its summer foliage color.

In spring, the needle-like leaves of Dawn Redwood are a bright green. They darken to a medium green in summer.
This photo by Zhu Bing from Pixabay

Hug a Tree This Week

Today’s blog focuses on celebration rather than cultivation. We have double reasons to rejoice this week despite our continued self-isolation,  Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Friday, April 24, will be Arbor Day for most of the country. South Carolina celebrates Arbor Day the first Friday of December. In the southeast, fall planting is preferred to spring planting for many tree species.

Earth Day celebrates environmental protection. The five components include science (measuring air and water quality), advocacy through civic engagements, volunteering (especially clean ups), education and community events. Despite COVID-19 restrictions against group gatherings, we can play our individual roles to protect the planet on which we live. Recycle where possible, compost what is appropriate, and reduce use of toxins, including insecticides and weed killers. When toxin use is appropriate, always follow the label exactly. Adding “just a little more” is unnecessary, unhealthy and illegal.

Arbor Day is set aside to plant new trees and to celebrate the ones already in place. The idea originated in Nebraska in the 1880’s and became an official holiday in 1972. Trees are necessary to maintain our way of life. They clean our air and water, create a calming atmosphere for our emotions and satisfy our need for beauty.

This year’s restrictions mean no neighborhood block parties or school groups gathered around a seedling, dropping handfuls of soil into a hole.  Instead, we can read books about trees, summon our inner artist to draw or paint one, photograph our favorites, or simply take an appropriately socially-distanced walk to enjoy them. Even if you can only enjoy the view from a window, take a moment to appreciate all trees do for us: shade on a hot day, protection from winds, food for insects and animals, homes for birds, clean air, reduce harmful greenhouse gas, improve our views, increase our property values and even reduce our stress levels.

If self-isolation has you stressed, go outside and hug a tree.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is a favorite in the Mary Snoddy garden. I received it as a seedling at a plant swap in 2005, when it was the size of a pencil. It has grown quickly with no attention. In fall, the needles turn pumpkin-orange before they shed. The bark has a shaggy appearance.

The emerging feather-like foliage of Pond Cypress. Like its neighbor, the Dawn Redwood, this is a deciduous conifer. The limbs are spaced so perfectly that the structure is beautiful even when it is bare. Of all trees in the Snoddy garden, this one is the cats’ favorite. The Cypress family does very well in clay soil.