Common Name: dawn redwood
Type: Tree
Family: Cupressaceae
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 70.00 to 100.00 feet
Spread: 15.00 to 25.00 feet
Bloom Time: Non-flowering
Bloom Description: Non-flowering
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Street Tree, Rain Garden
Tolerate: Deer, Clay Soil, Wet Soil, Air Pollution
Culture
Best grown in moist, humusy, well-drained soils in full sun. Best foliage color is in full sun. Appreciates consistent moisture. Tolerates some wet soils.
'Gold Rush' foliage color may not come true from seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, commonly called dawn redwood, is a deciduous, coniferous tree that grows in a conical shape to 100’ tall. It is related to and closely resembles bald cypress (Taxodium) and redwood (Sequoia). From fossil records, dawn redwood is known to have existed as many as 50,000,000 years ago. However, it was not until 1941 that it was first discovered growing in the wild near the town of Modaoqi, China by Chinese forester, T. Kan. Seeds collected from the original site were made available to the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1947. Seedlings grown therefrom were planted in front of the Lehmann Building at MBG in 1952 where they have now developed into large mature trees (70’+ tall). As the tree matures, the trunk broadens at the base and develops attractive and sometimes elaborate fluting. Bark on mature trees is often deeply fissured. It features linear, feathery, fern-like foliage that is soft to the touch. Foliage emerges light green in spring, matures to deep green in summer and turns red-bronze in fall. Trees are monoecious, producing oval, light brown female cones (3/4” long) and pendant globose male cones (1/2” long). The twigs, needles and cone scales are in opposite pairs.
Genus name comes from the Greek words metra meaning with, after, sharing, or changed in nature and Sequoia to which it is related and to which fossil specimens were first referred.
Specific epithet means resembling the genus Glyptostrobus.
‘Gold Rush’ is a cultivar that features soft, linear, feathery, fern-like foliage that is distinctively golden-yellow throughout summer. Foliage gradually turns orange-brown in fall. It reportedly grows somewhat slower than the species. Trees will typically rise to 10-15’ tall over the first 10 years, eventually maturing over time to 70-100’ tall. 'Gold Rush' was found as a seedling in a nursery in Japan where it was named 'Ogon' ('Golden Ogi' and 'Golden Mantel', also seen, are most likely translations.) Around 1993 Dutch horticulturist Peter Zweinburg of Boskoop, Holland obtained it and brought it into Europe for distribution under the name ‘Gold Rush’ ('Goldrush'). By rights, it should probably be listed as Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' GOLD RUSH to preserve its original cultivar name.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
This is a large tree that needs a large space. Excellent landscape specimen or street tree. May be an effective container plant when small.