Linnaean name:Metasequoia glyptostroboides Miki ex Hu & W.C. Cheng Family: Taxodiaceae Geologic Age: Recent Official informal name (Chinese): Shui-sa (Water-Fir) Informal name commonly used in Western Hemisphere: "Dawn Redwood" Fossil (Pliocene-age) genus discovered and named: In Japan in 1941 by Japanese botanist Shigeri Miki Modern species discovered: In 1941, in a mountain valley near the Yangtze River in Szechuan, central China. A follow-up expedition to collect seeds happened in 1946 and 1947. Some of these seeds were sent to the United States and Europe, and were planted in 1947. Modern species first described in a publication: In 1948 by Chinese botanists Hu and Cheng.
A truely beautiful tree. A deciduous conifer, it is a rapid grower. Because the tree is completely bare of needles in the colder seasons, novices sometimes assume that the tree is dead, and will cut it it down! Don't do it! It's taking a nap. The overall shape of the mature tree is conical. The bark is gray to slightly reddish in color, and the needles are a light green which turn a brilliant copper color in the fall before they drop. The floral structures are produced in early spring as the leaves emerge. Flowers are unisexual. Male flowers are yellow; female flowers are green. They are monoecious and the female cone is solitary. The cones are 18-25 mm long and ripen in the first year to dark brown. The tree will grow up to 35 m tall in its natural damp habitat (typical size range is 70-100' tall). Likes sun, easy to transplant, performs best in moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils, but from many reports from backyard gardeners in America, the tree will also grow in clay soils that get adequate moisture (it grows somewhat slower). In summer drought conditions, the tree has been known to go into dormancy as a defensive mechanism (it may appear to be dying; abundant watering will usually revive it). Hardiness: Zones 4 - 8.
Considered to be a "living fossil", it is the only surviving species of a genus that was widespread in the geologic past. Footnote: the American and European trees that grew from the seeds taken out of China in 1947 are now passed the half-century age-mark. You will find a few web sites and books, devoted to the Metasequoia, that claim that these non-Chinese trees are not yet bearing cones. Rest assured that this is no longer true. Where I live in Western Washington state, Metasequoias are popular ornamental trees. The lawn in front of our courthouse has a 100-footer (a triple-trunker!) that has been producing cones since at least 1990 (probably longer; prior to 1990, I hadn't checked).
A good reference on the modern Metasequoia:
Fulling, E.H. 1976. Metasequoia - Fossil and Living. The Botanical Review. New York Botanical Garden. 42 (3) 215-243.
SELLERS
You might be thinking, "But Phil, this is all well and good for extinct dinosaurs and those lucky Chinese gardeners, but where can I obtain a living Metasequoia tree for my own yard?"
Well, hang on, there, you little befuddled botanical Buckeroo!
You can obtain Metasequoia trees from the National Arbor Day Foundation (the trees are approximately 1/2 to 1 foot tall) (membership costs around $15.00/year U.S.). If you are not a member, the trees will cost you around $10.50 U.S. per tree. For members, the price is $6.98/tree. Shipping and handling is roughly $3.95 per order. Tip: Ask for a "Dawn Redwood" (some order takers will say they don't have Metasequoia).
[Note: There have been reports that the Foundation's Metatsequoia saplings usually don't survive transplanting. I have heard this from other gardeners, and I can personally attest to it myself. I have tried transplanting Arbor Day Foundation Metasequoias on two separate occassions, and both saplings never sprouted. I believe that the problem is that the Foundation is shipping very immature one-year old saplings (they are only about a foot tall and have a very thin stem). Perhaps the Foundation should consider letting the trees grow for at least two years before they ship them. That is just my opinion; your mileage may vary.]
Winterthur Museum Store, Winterthur, Delaware.
For more information, call 1-800-448-3883 (ask for "the garden store"),
1-302-888-4822 or , or fax 1-302-888-4668.
Winterthur will mail you a roughly 2 foot to 3 foot tall Metasequoia tree for a very reasonable price plus postage. Call or FAX for current pricing.
(Unfortunately, all of Lawyer Nursery's stock is sold bare root in bundles of generally 10 to 100 plants with a $150.00 minimum order value. In addition, they are wholesale.)
If anyone knows of more inexpensive ways to obtain a Metasequoia tree (sources that will sell single small trees at a low price), or a source for viable seeds, please let me know. I can be reached at: bigelowp AT juno DOT com
Disclaimer: As I know nothing about these companies/organizations, I am only passing on this information to you. I make no claims (either implied or direct) as to the business practices of these companies/organizations. I can say that in some cases, availability is dependant on the season.
