Dawn redwood

Short Description

The dawn redwood is a deciduous conifer that can reach heights of 40 metres. Its crown is irregular and usually spreads widely.

The deciduous needles are soft, blue-green on the upper surface and light green on the lower surface with two elongated, light stripes. They stand in two rows opposite each other.

The orange-brown to light brown bark is finely cracked lengthwise and peels off in narrow strips.

The male cones are in elongated inflorescences (catkins) in the leaf axils of the long shoots. The female cones are green, spherical and are located at the end of the short shoots.

The mature cones are light brown and spherical with wedge-shaped cone scales. The seeds are ovoid and winged.

In the city

The dawn redwood is often planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens in the city. It prefers warm, light and moist sites with nutrient-rich clay soils.