I have 2 that are doing spectacularly well, near a creeklet. One planted around December 2005 and the other this spring. Beautiful, fast-growing. FAST! Wow! Bought a variegated one, white spot, recently, no leader, planted this summer, has grown very fast, extraordinarily beautiful, think it will form a leader soon. Have been worried about it scorching in sun, but so far it's OK. Been watering them quite a bit. Love this tree! If only it were evergreen ... but planted them interspersed with evergreens so their lack of 'leaves' in winter will allow evergreens to get more light and let more light into windows.

The birds like to perch on my dawn redwoods.

Their trunks can become huge and very interesting. Awesome tree.

Hi cascadians, thanks a lot for replying. I am glad to hear a positive feedback because I kind of want this tree. When you say fast growing, how fast do you mean? One foot per year? Five foot per year? And the spotted one, does that grow just as fast? I just saw a few pictures on davesgarden site. They look beautiful. Its hard to wait twenty years to see a tree fill out!

K.

The first one we planted in December 2005 is growing faster than the weeping willow babylonica next to it. At least 3 feet higher now than when planted, and much wider and bushier. Very healthy. Gorgeous tree.

The 'white spot' one isn't actually spotted but looks like the ends of the 'leaves' (needles?) are airbrushed paler to whitish, and the whole thing is paler than a straight species, and lovely. Usually paler means slower growth, less chlorophyll, and easier to sun and freeze burn. This one was so happy to get into the ground that it just took off. They like to be misted overnight for a couple hours with a sprinkler.

We bought it by surprise at GardenWorld, along with 2 variegated Frence Beauty Giant Sequoias which also have creamy blotches of variegation in them, and a white-variegated sweetgum, all the same week, and planted them all in the same place on the south end of our house. The white spot dawn redwood is directly in front of the window so when its leaves drop winter sun will come in. Also have 2 coast redwoods, a copper beech, and a catalpa there so it will be interesting, all potentially huge trees but had trouple having them prosper because then sun was too intense. Also a eucalyptus and fig tree and cryptomeria, willows, tulip tree, zebrina, etc -- have gone nuts with the trees but will they all survive? Tricky weather and babyness have done a few previous ones in already since December 2005.

Hand-watering the tree wells thoroughly to soak the entire root zone and then sprinkler-watering during the night seems to be working to make these trees happy in this initial establishment period. Everyone says after 3 years when their roots grow and "take" this much water will no longer be necessary.

The dawn redwood is a great tree because after a few years its trunk becomes so amazing that even in winter with its leaves gone it's a joy to behold, especially if there's other winter-interest trees nearby and some broadleaf evergreens to delight the eyes.

Also have 3 bald cypress growing in a pond. Their color is amazing, strange neon spring green, but they aren't growing as fast nor do they have as big lush foliage as the dawn redwoods (but can handle volumes more water).

Here's picture of the one planted December 2005, picture taken early this spring. Has grown a LOT since then, very happy tree.

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Thanks cascadians. That really is a beautiful tree. You do have a lot of trees. I would love to see your garden if ever possible. I planted a lot of trees too since when we moved into our new home four years ago. It is so rewarding to see them take off now.
Can you remember when the Dawn Redwood starts to leaf out in spring? Early or late relative to most trees?

K.

You

It seems to start about a week after the early ones, and then fill in leaves a little more slowly, and then suddenly boom! green tree. Conditions here have been peculiar since planting so I don't think my experiences are typical. When we planted our first batch (huge amounts) late December 2005 it immediately went below freezing, 11 degrees, in the yard for 3 weeks. Horrible. We used a lot of good 4-way dirt and horse manure so all the trees split and cracked. Then it was insanely wet all winter and dried up in early spring with early intense heat.

Same this winter, except spring, while drying up completely by April, stayed overcast and cool. Right now it's overcast and raining very lightly, VERY unusual for July here. Still having just out of the nest baby birds coming learning to eat at the bird feeders with their parents. Already seeing lots of trees withering because of the lack of moisture and rain all spring / summer, coupled with early intense heat and sun and some recent scorching blasts.

What I'm finding is that if I keep the root balls watered and sprinklers running at night, the trees are in a sort of perpetual spring mode and still pushing beautiful new growth. Beginning the 2nd week of August I'll start tapering back so they have a little transition to summer and start to toughen up a little.

Hope lots of other ppl with more normal weather and older trees reply to this thread. See a lot of dawn redwoods here but if they're not watered they have very scant leaves and suffer visibly.

I planted in zone 5 Illinois a 2-gallon seedling that was about 2.5 feet tall in 2001 and now it's well over 20 feet tall. 3 feet per year here.

Here's a photo (it's on the other side of my van) - Dax

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cascadians, thank you again for your profuse info. I guess you are telling me this is a thirsty tree like willows. I will water it well.

conifers, thanks so much for that info. I am inclined to get this tree more and more. In your part of the world (which is closer to mine weather wise) what time of year does it leaf out? I am trying to find a tree that leafs out early, say with the crab apples, and hoping that this will be the case with the Dawn Redwood.

K.

This is a "gotta have" tree! We particularly love the 'Ogon'/'Gold Rush' cultivar, and have 2 that are doing great. They have filled out quickly, but so far haven't started shooting up, but we've only had them since last Fall. Beautiful trees, fast growers, and they do like lots of water.
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Go for it -- bet you'll love it!
Kim

They do get some attention from the Japanese beetles, but it doesn't look so bad since the leaves are needles. Even so, I would not hesitate to get another if I had more space!

My neighbors down the street planted 3 about 13 years ago, and they are now well taller than their 2 story house with nice trunks.

One tip: do not prune off the lower branches if you want maximum fluting on the trunk.

Alex

We have one we planted about fifteen years ago. It's amazingly beautiful, soft, almost a glowing green. Nice configuration, and even attractive in structure in winter. It's my husband's fav out of all the different species of trees we've planted over the last decade or two and I quit counting after about a hundred of them. We are rural and do no supplementary watering and this tree has endured all the ups and downs of temperature and rains and lack of them without showing much effects. It just keeps on keeping on. Good tree, but needs room to grow. Not for your average city planting.

A seedling in one year (easy to grow from seed!) is a foot tall or more.

As to leafing time here, it's a tad bit but not much later than anything else. I think the Ash's and Red Maples start their thing and soon after, the Metasequoia begins to bud out. Funny thing here is that this tree must have a brain of its' own because one year and at least three years after I planted this thing, it didn't leaf until June. I knew it was alive because the cambium under the bark was, but it just waited and waited.

Another awesome tree for your information is:
Taxodium distichum 'Shawnee Brave'. Check it out.

Dax

Another one to try is Montezuma Bald Cypress native to Mexico and South Texas bordering Mexico although rare. It is basically evergreen version of Bald cypress in mild weather...

You just have to find New Mexico source because of its superior cold tolerance which is Zone 6.

This has been quite an enriching post for me, thank you everyone. I am convinced and I will get at least one of this tree!

K.

Check out this thread in the conifer forum.

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Dawn Redwood 'Gold Rush'

Here is a link that might be useful: Dawn Redwood growth rate

Here are some pictures of my weird 'white spot' dawn redwood, planted June07 so in the ground now 1 year 2 months. It has a leader but the birds pounce on the leader so often it has made the tree more of a bush and now there's another couple branches vying to be the leader. It is really putting on the growth this early August08. The tips are elongating about 1" every couple days. It's sort of a pale furry critter, widening even more than getting taller, and is usually sporting lots of birds since it's right in front of one of their jungle gym feeder systems. I love this tree!

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strange, that post did not bump this thread; it disappeared into some sort of void ...

bump?