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Parks & Recreation

Dawn Redwood

Common Name: Dawn Redwood         

Scientific Name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides   

Location:       Williamsburg Park near the tennis court
Size:               34 inches diameter at breast height

Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides location in williamsburg park

Location:       Main Park above small shelter
Size:               19 inches diameter at breast height

Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides Location in Mt. Lebanon Park

Native to: China

This tree typically grows to:  70-100 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide 

This tree prefers these conditions:  Medium to wet soil; full sun.

Special about this tree:  

  • This tree’s leaves are in the form of crisp green soft, fern-like needles, which turn copper in the fall and drop off the tree.
  • The bark of mature trees is threadlike and reddish.
  • The Dawn Redwood is a prehistoric tree, and was thought to be extinct until 1941, when a forester found one in the wild in China and collected seeds.
  • Can tolerate periods of wet soil, making this a good candidate for low-lying areas or rain gardens.
  • Resistant to deer.