What kind of tree is the dawn redwood? A guide to truly understanding the dawn redwood

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

The dawn redwood dates back to the Mesozoic Cretaceous period and was previously thought to be extinct, but in 1941 this ancient and rare tree species was rediscovered in Sichuan. It is known as a "living fossil" and is a tree species endemic to our country.

Other names for the dawn redwood

Shui suo shu, scientific name:Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & W. C. Cheng

Dawn redwood family and genus

Gymnosperm, family Taxodiaceae, genus Metasequoia.

Geographical distribution of the dawn redwood

The dawn redwood can be cultivated in areas south of Beijing, and grows well at the junction of the three provinces of Hubei, Chongqing and Hunan. Its vertical distribution is generally at an altitude of750~1500m.

Morphological characteristics of the dawn redwood

The dawn redwood is a deciduous tree that can reach a height of35m, with a diameter of up to2.5m, and opposite branchlets. The leaves are linear, decussate-opposite, and pinnately compound; the upper surface of the leaf is light green, while the lower surface is paler, with two bands along the midrib that have4-8pale yellow stomatal bands. The bark of the dawn redwood is grayish brown; young bark splits into thin flakes and peels off, while mature bark splits into long strips and peels off; the dawn redwood is monoecious. The cones hang down, are nearly spherical, slightly4ridged, and have long stalks; the seed scales are woody and shield-shaped, and the seeds are flat with narrow wings around them. The dawn redwood blooms in2late month, and the cones mature in11month.

Growing environment of the dawn redwood

The dawn redwood prefers warm and humid climatic conditions, and mostly grows in places with gentle terrain, deep soil layers, and moist or slightly waterlogged conditions. Acidic mountain yellow soil, purple soil or alluvial soil are suitable for its growth; the optimal growth temperature for the dawn redwood is around18°C. It can grow where summers are cool and winters have snow but are not severely cold; the dawn redwood is light-loving, not tolerant of barren or dry conditions, and its growth rate is often governed by soil moisture. It transplants easily and survives, and in places with long-term waterlogging the plant grows slowly, with the base of the trunk usually swollen and having longitudinal ridges.