Dawn redwood





The Dawn Redwood is a tree that was discovered in China, but now grows in many places in the world. Known by its scientific name of Metasequoia glyptostroboides, it was known only by its fossil remnants until 1941, when a forester discovered a new tree previously unknown to him, and in 1945 a researcher realized that the fossilized plants were the same species as the samples of the new tree. Some stands of the tree in the wild were found by an expedition sent out to search for the trees.

Since that time, many trees have been grown from seed in China and in other countries, and the Chinese have taken pride in planting the tree in many places and along avenues. Interestingly, the popularity of the tree has caused most of the wild cones to be collected so that no wild seedlings are growing. Some researchers are concerned that the wild trees might die out because of their popularity, and conservation measures are being taken.