Folio № 30 of 36 · in the garden since 2023
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
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.
The year, as this species lives it
Thirteen phases. Touch any arc — the wheel remembers what each season asks.
Early Fall · Sep 1 – Sep 30 · happening now
- Reduce watering as temperatures drop.
- Switch to low-nitrogen fertilizer to harden growth.
- Remove unwanted summer shoots.
- Wire lignified wood; avoid flexible young shoots.
- Watch for early mildew and remove leaf litter.
- Begin planning cold protection setup.
- Evaluate structure post-season.
click another arc to travel the year →
The care sheet
The constants — what stays true in every season.
Full sun to partial shade
Provide afternoon shade in very hot climates.
High
Soil should remain evenly moist; never let it dry out completely.
High nitrogen in spring
Switch to balanced or low-nitrogen mid-summer to avoid leggy growth.
Structural in early spring, maintenance through summer
Pinch or prune vigorous shoots to encourage ramification.
Spring or Autumn
Use guy wires when possible; branches are brittle and prone to scarring.
Every 1 - 2 years
Repot in early spring before bud break; root growth is vigorous.
Cuttings or seed
Air layering possible but less common than softwood cuttings.
Protect roots from deep freeze in containers.
Ensure consistent moisture during peak heat.
On the bench · 5
Every Dawn Redwood in the garden, oldest hands first.
