Dawn Redwood. This species had been identified from fossil remains in China before it had ever been seen in real life. In 1941 a grove of this species was found in a remote valley in China. Then in 1947 the Arnold Arboretum sent an expedition into China to collect seed. These were distributed around the world to various gardens and arboreta from which most of our current specimens are descended. It superficially resembles our native Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum, which is its closest living relative. Its feathery leaves are displayed in an opposite arrangement, rather than alternate like Bald Cypress. Given good soil and moisture, this plant can grow as much as 4' in a season, and with age, it develops a magnificent buttressed base. Like our Bald Cypress, it can grow standing in the edge of water or up on high ground. Fall color is an excellent rust-red. I taught at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea in the fall semester of 2016. The last three slides are pictures of Dawn Redwood growing on the north side of the border between the North and the South. This species was used extensively throughout the country as street trees. The last slide is the spot where the North Korean soldier escaped a few feet from here in the fall of 2017. Notice the small cones on the tree in the fourth picture.
Zones 5-9
