Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Family Cupressaceae
Science knew dawn redwood only as a fossil until living groves turned up in China in the 1940s — and now this survivor can grow in your yard. A deciduous conifer, it leafs out feathery spring green, turns russet-copper in fall, and drops its needles to show fluted cinnamon bark.
Give it moist ground and room and it rewards you fast — two to three feet a year toward a grand pyramidal specimen that anchors a landscape for generations. It even tolerates wet spots that stall other conifers. If you're planting one tree to be remembered by, consider this.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Very Fast growth
From the print shop
Growing dawn redwood? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries dawn redwood — Metasequoia glyptostroboides, print Nº 151, “Dawn Redwood.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what dawn redwood actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Dawn Redwood · Common problems
Common dawn redwood problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Dawn Redwood · Growing & propagation
Growing dawn redwood
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate-High
Tolerates wet; a floodplain relative
Soil- Deep, moist, slightly acid · pH 5.5 - 7.0
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- Winter, minimal
A 'living fossil' — known only from fossils until living trees were found in China in the 1940s. A DECIDUOUS conifer: soft feathery needles emerge bright green in spring, turn russet-copper in fall, then drop to reveal handsome fluted reddish bark and a perfect pyramidal winter form. Extremely fast-growing and tolerant of wet soil, it makes a magnificent large specimen or avenue tree where there's room. Similar to bald cypress but faster and more symmetrical.
Spacing- 30+ ft
How to plant & propagate dawn redwood
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Dawn Redwood · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Dawn Redwood · Yearly calendar
The dawn redwood year, month by month
Jan
PruneDecember to February
BloomPruneBloomMarch to May
PruneDecember to February
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Dawn Redwood · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Dawn Redwood in the garden system
- Canopy layer tree
- Moisture
- Wetland / wet-tolerant
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What dawn redwood is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Use- Living-fossil specimen
- Use
- Fast shade
- Use
- Fall color
- Use
- Wet sites
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Dawn Redwood · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a dawn redwood variety
Species; 'Ogon'/'Gold Rush' (golden foliage); 'Miss Grace' (weeping)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Metasequoia glyptostroboides
- Plant family
- Cupressaceae
- Growth habit
- Tree · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- MEGL8
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Dawn Redwood questions, answered straight.
Is dawn redwood safe for kids and pets?
Dawn Redwood is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate dawn redwood?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where dawn redwood sits in the library.
River Birch
Southern Magnolia
Ginkgo
Colorado Blue Spruce