All of yours look good compared to mine. I have Metasequoia glyptostroboides ÂLittle Giant and 'Ogon'/'Goldrush'. Both from Greer Gardens. Both arrived as bare root plants in plastic bags in spring 2009 and didn't do anything the first summer except survive (barely). Now in 2010 ... the Ogon was appearing dead to me, so I moved it in desparation after my basement worked trashed a couple branches on it moving drywall into the basement. I moved it into a wet swale (thinking it needed more light and moisture)... in the front yard ... and it has since shown life again ... put is currently 95% twig and 5% bright yellow new growth. Similarly, the Little Giant also appeared dead, but is now putting on the first growth since emerging from a long winter of looking like a dead twig. It'll be interesting to see if these live at 6500' in Colorado or not. So far, mine look so pathethic I haven't posted any pictures.

The variance of mutations that get these cultivars started really blow my mind. I germinated probably a hundred and fifty metasequoias this summer, and some are now two feet tall while others are only inches. Some weep, some stand erect and turgid. So much variance, it's easy for me to understand how these cultivars work. I'm obsessed with this tree, that's why I germinated so many of them if anybody's interested. I also just got a book about metasequoia by Ben Lepage. It's pretty indepth, and there's a lengthy article about cultivar selection and propagation and how the current cultivars came into being. Pretty interesting. The book cost about a hundred bucks, so christ, it better be pretty interesting. -ss

Fotis, A little back ground on mine. I planted it in 2005. I am thinking about 5 ft.(1.52 m.) tall in a #10 container. It is planted in full sun. The first year it burned severely. All the foliage gone by late August. I figured it was a goner. I left it to see if it would come back the following Spring. It did as you can see with never any issues again. It is now a good 30 ft.(9.14m) tall. It makes a great contrast tree when planted in front of a green back ground. Dave

Toronado3800, I also bought my tree from Arbor Day, good stuff..(second set of pics after your original post) How old is the one you have growing? Mine is only around 2.5 years old and already 6.5 feet. Dax, the one you planted in 2001, got very large quick. Amazing! On that particular tree, do happen to remember if you cut the lower branches off for health reasons, or just to get that rounded trunk. I have heard from some people, that if you leave the bottom branches it gives more of a gnarly look. I am kind of debating wether to remove lower branches or just leave em on my tree? Can't wait to see your 2008 plantings get larger, going to be a sweet grove of them. After seeing everyones 'Ogon', I think I will be getting one in the spring. : ) J