Congrats! They really are gorgeous aren't they? I saw some amazing ones at TLC and have been thinking about them ever since. Then I saw more (not quite as good but taller) at Marcum's. I really really want one. I think if/when I get one, assuming I can water it enough and the hellish summers don't kill it, my biggest worries will be ice storms and high winds. The only reason I don't have one yet is I haven't found one small enough to fit in my Honda Civic. :)
-MB

MB,
I could only fit this tree in my truck by bending the top over. I wound up breaking a small limb off but am trying to root it. I think it surely won't need more water than my bald cypress tree, and it's done well for the past few summers, growing a lot. The trees look similar, only the Dawn Redwood is prettier, and I LOVE my bald cypress. The nursery had three of the Dawn Redwood trees and I am tempted to go back and buy the other two, I love them that much. It's one of the prettiest trees I've ever seen. But then, I guess you can tell I am a tree lover by my post, LOL!

I can tell...you remind me of me!

They really are stunning. I first saw them just a few months ago at TLC in OKC. I was looking around for J. maples and a weeping mulberry and then I saw that chartreause green out of the corner of my eye and had to go check it out. That's when I saw the bark! Then I thought..."well, the "needles" MUST be really sharp"...so I shook hands with it and they were really soft. I totally agree that they are just gorgeous. I do wonder if they keep a nice shape when they get bigger though. I'm not crazy about that pyramid shape that I think is expected with them. But I guess some pruning could be done.

*sigh* so many trees and so little space, time, and money.

If i could grow a banyan tree in Oklahoma I'd be in heaven.
-MB

Wayside Gardens, I believe, shipped me a nice young 'Gold Rush.' It arrived as a 5 feet tall 1" diameter trunk with two branches at the top. This last spring, I planted it in a raised bed of sand, black cow compost, and potting soil.

That well draining bed sits on top of some poorly draining clay soil which receives lots of runoff from my neighbor's yard.

I also staked the tree, and it seems to be establishing nicely. It seems reasonable that the roots will take at least 3 years to establish well enough for staking to be loosened or removed.

If the tree gets too dry some of the leaves begin to turn brown, but it still recovers well as long as I start maintaining it's needed water schedule better.

Mind if I jump in here? I was just contemplating planting a grove of Dawn Redwoods in an area that is really wet in early spring and constantly moist in the summer. Will the redwoods handle the constant moisture? some of it has standing water for a month or more.

gardenaddict,
You'd probably have better luck getting answers to your question on the conifers forum. I'm only guessing here, but I wouldn't plant Dawn Redwoods in an area that had standing water for up to a month at a time. I would plant Bald Cypress trees there instead. They would love the swampy soil, and would grow fast there, plus they look very similar to Dawn Redwoods, IMO. I have both trees, and though they're young, I can barely tell them apart, except my Dawn Redwood is the chartreuse colored one, 'Ogon' aka 'Gold Rush'. My only experience in growing these trees has been in dry Oklahoma soil. I have to water mine a lot but they've done well here.

Here is a link that might be useful: search for Dawn Redwood on Conifers forum