Scientific name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Common name: Dawn Redwood
Native: No
Native range: Its distribution once covered North America, and it was believed to be extinct before its rediscovery in China - the dawn redwood's current native range [2,4].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for M. glyptostroboides.
USDA Zones: 5A-8B [1]
Maximum age: Lives to 100 years on average, but may live up to 400 years [2].
Ecology: Its ecological significance in North America is unclear, but it does not seem to be utilized by native wildlife, although invasive Japanese beetles may browse the foliage [1,3].
Ethnobotany: Its ethnobotanical uses are lost to time. The tree was believed to be extinct until 1941 when a relict population was discovered in central China by Japanese paleobotanist, Shigeru Miki [1,2,3,4].