ALL TREES RELEADER .... it will not die due to that alone ...

otherwise.. we need a pic to see whats going on ... location wouldnt hurt either ...

ken

on second thought.. even dormant.. why didnt it bend ... rather than snap off ... i wonder if the leader has been long dead ... or if it was vermin ...

where are you ??? .. is the tree budding out yet???

ken

I have had about half a dozen of these trees have the main leader broken off due to heavy snow and deer browsing. In my experience they seem to regrow a new leader pretty fast and remain healthy.

Louislinus, what part of the country are you in? Here I would be bummed but expect the tree to recover completely. I believe these are pretty rot resistant but i couldn't hurt to make sure the broken part was pruned properly. Its a potential 120 foot tree here afterall.

My big tree gets its leader bent eastward seemingly once a year amd releaders religiously. I THINK I remember actually seeing a multi leader metasequoia at Dawes. Its been five years though and for some reason all their older metaseauoias are kinda beat up looking anyway.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm in Zone 6A - Northeast Ohio.

It looks like it broke from snow or deer. I'll get a pic tomorrow.

It looks like it broke from snow or deer.

==>>> the reason i asked.. is because you have to solve the deer problem.. but there is little you can do about random snow ....

the tree will releader.. but odds are.. the deer will return ... so you have to figure out.. how to get the leader to height .... without further removal ...

three 8 foot stakes .. and fishing line.. will work for a few years ... and then by that time.. the leader will be over the deers head ... hopefully

ken

here is how i did it on my Quercus robur 'Concordia.. of course.. you cant see the fishing line ... the 3rd post is right in line with the trunk.. so hard to see ...

Its kind of an unfortunate shape but apparently was doing well enough to push new buds. I'd say see how it grows this summer. Metasequoia is fast growing and releaders with the best of them.

Bright buds. Is that regular species metasequoia or an "Ogon"? Any pictures of it with foliage from last year?

this should be rather cheap to replace ...

i dont like the two trunks... and i probably would remove one of them.. after it fully leafs out.. so you can decide which is more viable..

its a nice project to just watch how it responds over the years ... but i wouldnt rely on it ...

in the mean time.. get another .. if you want a nice specimen ...

but for sure.. you need to protect it from large vermin with white tails ...

ken

Protect it from deer. This is how I deer proof young trees in my woods.

Thanks for the update. Deer have been eating small trees forever so they are somewhat prepared for it. Sometimes though the double shock of getting eaten and transplanted can be a bit much.

Metasequoia strongly favors a central leader. In the spring I might cut that side branch off if it looks like the tree as a whole is doing well. It really will probably figure it out though.

My big metasequois I stare ar alot. If bet it has releadered 20 times between the heights of 10 and 30 feet tall. The leader gets blown sideways by wind or birds get it or something. Until it got taller than I could reach it never happened. Maybe the wind is stronger up there, the birds more secure, who knows.