Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
- Deciduous
- Conifer
- Full sun to partial shade
The Dawn Redwood is a fast-growing deciduous conifer with ancient lineage — a true living fossil once thought extinct and rediscovered in China in the 1940s. It's highly regarded for bonsai due to its soft, opposite, feathery needles that turn bronze in fall, its buttressed trunk with reddish bark, and its rapid, predictable growth.
Zone 8b notes
Protect roots if temps < 20 F
Care profile
Placement
Full sun to partial shade
Provide afternoon shade in very hot climates.
Watering
High
Soil should remain evenly moist; never let it dry out completely.
Fertilization
High nitrogen in spring
Switch to balanced or low-nitrogen mid-summer to avoid leggy growth.
Wiring
Spring or Autumn
Use guy wires when possible; branches are brittle and prone to scarring.
Pruning
Structural in early spring, maintenance through summer
Pinch or prune vigorous shoots to encourage ramification.
Repotting
Every 1 - 2 years
Repot in early spring before bud break; root growth is vigorous.
Propagation
Cuttings or seed
Air layering possible but less common than softwood cuttings.
Winter notes
Protect roots from deep freeze in containers.
Summer notes
Ensure consistent moisture during peak heat.
Current phase
Early Summer- Watering
- Daily watering may be needed in heat; ensure drainage.
- Fertilization
- Switch to lower nitrogen mix.
- Pruning
- Light tip pruning if growth is excessive.
- Wiring
- Remove wires that are biting in.
- Bud Shoot Management
- Trim to two pairs of leaves per shoot if refinement desired.
- Pests Disease
- High risk of fungal issues—ensure airflow.
- Summer Protection
- Provide afternoon shade to avoid stress.
- Propagation
- Take semi-hardwood cuttings.
- Development
- Focus on ramification.
