Plant library · Shade Trees
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Dawn Redwood is a fast-growing deciduous conifer with soft, feathery foliage and a strongly conical outline. Reaching about 85 feet tall and 25 feet wide, it belongs where its height can read as a long-term structural feature rather than a backdrop for a small bed. Its winter leaf drop changes the character of the planting area, opening the view beneath its branches after autumn.
Use Metasequoia glyptostroboides as a single focal tree in a broad lawn, at the outer edge of a large property, or beside a pond or water garden where the soil stays reliably moist. Set it well back from the house, overhead lines, patios, and narrow driveways so the tall crown and aging trunk have room to develop. Keep nearby planting lower and outside the tree’s eventual spread, preserving a clear approach for mowing, mulching, and inspection.[1][2]
Space Dawn Redwoods 25 feet apart, center to center, when planting more than one. That interval matches the expected mature width, so neighboring crowns may eventually meet rather than leave a broad gap. For a single tree, reserve a 25-foot-wide canopy zone and keep paths, seating areas, fences, and other permanent features beyond it where possible. Plan the trunk as the center of a large-scale composition, not the edge of a tightly planted border.
Give this tree full sun and a site with consistent moisture. Deep, moist, well-drained soil supports its strongest growth, while ground that is occasionally wet can also suit it. Avoid placing it in a dry, heat-reflecting strip between pavement and walls, where keeping the root zone evenly supplied with water will be more difficult. A broad mulched area can keep turf competition away from the young tree’s base.[1][2]
The soft green foliage fills out in spring and summer, then shifts to brownish copper or red-bronze tones before dropping in fall. Use that seasonal change deliberately: the tree can cast substantial summer shade while becoming visually lighter through winter. Leave enough open ground beneath and around it for fallen foliage to be managed without crowding low plantings or blocking a circulation route.[1][2]
This is a tree for a genuinely large, moist site. Its 85-foot height makes it poorly suited to compact yards, confined foundation beds, or planting pockets bounded by buildings and utilities. In USDA Zones 5 through 9, give it a permanent location from the start; moving or trying to contain a rapidly enlarging tree will compromise the layout long before it reaches its full scale.
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.