They've done alright for like 100 million years. They are pretty proven. Fast, vigorous growers. Get one. I plan on planting a Dawn Redwood "Ogon" this fall.

Would you recommend planting them in the fall?

Yep...fall would be a great time.

Yeah, I planted this tiny stick of one Arbor Day sent me in the fall, it has done great.

What climate zone are you in?

Are you planning on leaving the lower branches on or limbing it up? Limbed up the trunk stays smoothed and it looks more formal. Lower branches on and it gets them cool gnarly arm pits and bumps.

They do generally like moister than dry. During our record hot and dry July 2012 I actually had to water mine. In a way they are easy in this regard. It is difficult to over water them.

I'd recommend if you are in zones 6b and above to plant in the fall, however, if you're in a colder zone, wait until spring to do your planting.

My experience is a 2.5' tree planted in 2002 that is now 50' tall at a previous home.

This property I live at now I have (9) planted from 6-month old plugs in 2008 in horrid-clay-soil and these are only 10' tall.

I've planted thousands of trees during my lifetime in zone 5 and I don't care what it is including how hardy it is... the size of the tree at planting time.. I always spring plant and at the time the first bulbs begin blooming in my area or any other early sign of plant life while everything is dormant. And you would need a dormant Dawn Redwood to plant. That's important.

So depending on your climate and/or zone... you really should consider when to plant.

Dax

I am right on the line of 6b/7a in the mountains of East Tennessee. I was more than likely gonna get at least one of mine from Arbor Day as well. As far as limbing it or leaving it goes, I am just not sure. I'll have to look at some more pictures to determine that I guess.

The variety Ogon colors up better in the sun.

Mike

Nice tree conifer. Obviously it has done well in your warmer climate than mine!

Nothing like metasequoias to get ppl talking.

A fast growing tree to plant. Should do fine for you in your location. A temperate tree but a bit partial to more coastal, less extreme climate, however your climate seems ideal given location. Not fond of excessively arid conditions but forgiving to excessively wet. Also not fond of early spring heat or frost as leaves are developing. Tolerate of some shade. Generally healthy tree, not prone to insect or disease but is sensitive to salt. Tree shows good fall coloration. Oh, and did we said that it grows..., FAST!

All this talk has me excited to get mine! How far apart do you think I should plant them if I got two?

From what I've seen, they don't do well with competition so I'd probably plant them 30' apart if you have the room.

I planted mine as an Arbor Day stick in the spring of 2010. It was about 6" tall and it is now about 25+ feet tall. The trunk at the end of last season was 10" diameter but is definitely larger now. It definitely will grow mighty fast if it's happy. It's a beautiful tree but the Japanese Beetles have been after mine the last couple years. It's odd because I don't notice many others in the area with browning from them.

Conifer 50 - That's beautiful. When did you plant that thing?

Can anyone comment on the growth rate of Ogon? I figure it's slower than the regular DR...but wondered just how much slower?

If any of you happen to pay a visit to Niagara Falls, there are two large, majestic DRs on the Ontario side, right near the flowerbed-studded parkside area. These two trees, subject as they are to constant spray from the big waterfall, have done remarkably well, I think. Had to walk right up to them to ascertain what they were. From any distance at all, resemble very large arbs, like full-grown Green Giants or something. Only upon getting closer does one realize what they are.

+oM

That is the amazing thing about this tree. (Knowing that it used to 'native' but is now extinct to North America, except as an introduced exotic.) The species seems to do fine from Nova Scotia to North Florida! I was surprised to find specimens growing up in northern Maine last summer at Bar Harbor.

My Ogon grows almost as fast as my species tree. I have it in a better drained area and just a bit of shade. My species tree did not need staked, none of them in pots either. My Ogon did. Maybe because it was planted in an area filled with dead white ash roots.

Ogon seems more narrow and, now mind you I have not seen a mature one, seems to have a less interesting trunk. BUT, boy is it an attention getter with its foliage! Mine's foliage is excellent quality all year. It does not burn on me. MAYBE further south but not herr. The overall effect for Ogon in fall isn't quite as good as the species IMO but any individual decidious stem can be extremely unique and pleasing. I am happy it is up close to the house where I notice them.

My two are not paired up. They are 180 feet apart. I guess if I put one on each side of the driveway I'd want a matched set. Its neat having different trees though.

Of side interest. I have been able to root 2 of ~12 cuttings from my species tree. I was 0 of 10 off my Ogon this year.

"When did you plant that thing?"

jalcon: I think it was in the spring of 1973, I planted three and they were purchased from a nursery named Mellingers located in Lima, Ohio. The other two have a much smaller dbh but are considerably taller...probably in the 110'-115' range.

wisconsitom, I was at Niagara (Canada) & saw what I THOUGHT was a large, beautiful baldcypress in the parking lot in sight of the falls. Now you've made me wonder...

Well, now you've made me wonder! At the time we were last there-this is at least ten years ago-there were two of these things, some distance from the actual falls, but not too far away to be misted by it. I felt certain at that time that I was looking at DRs, but come to think of it, I don't recall looking that closely at the needle arrangement-opposite in DR, alternating in BC. Hm....?

Now that I think upon it, I'm pretty sure these two twin trees were labelled as DRs. Or is this all phantom memory, lol?

+oM

Conifer: That's awesome. Do you have pictures of your other two? Part of what draws me to trees is their steadfastness and how, after all those years of change in the world....things coming and going - trees just remain resilient and are just "there" for it all. Hard to explain. Large, beautiful trees like that have to be earned as well. You have to "do the time" if you will haha. And you did just that, 40 years ago. So cool to me. I wish some day, I could have a tree I could say I planted over 40 years ago. That's why the best time to plant a tree is like today, because we ain't getting any younger! LOL.

Absolutely marvelous dbh and tree Johnny.

Dax

Tom, maybe there's a google street-view of them? Anyway, first thing I looked at was the trunk form/color & from that I guessed it was a BC.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the two trees I reference-not really on a street per se-were indeed dawn redwoods, each having a little plaque on their trunks.

+oM