5. Metasequoia glyptostroboides The dawn redwood was thought to be extinct until it was discovered in China in 1941. Its seeds were distributed in North America, and the species was re-established. The dawn redwood is one of the few existing deciduous conifers.
Deciduous Evergreen One of the last trees of this writing is the dawn redwood (metasequoia glyptostroboides), located on the northeast corner of Rosenwald Shumway Dormitory. I had traveled to Norway Nurseries in central MA to look for a specimen Japanese maple to be planted by the water garden on campus, as well as a few other small trees; I made my choices and had them shipped out to Deerfield. When they arrived there was an extra tree—a dawn redwood! It was a surprise gift from the owner of the nurseries in appreciation of our patronage, and so generous of him. We planted it to be the eventual replacement for a huge old ash that was failing, in the hope that it would fill the hole in the canopy that the old giant would leave. The redwood was 12 to 15 feet tall at planting in 1998, and now stands at easily 35 to 40 feet, with beautiful reddish-brown bark that has fissures and exfoliates. Its bright green needles turn orange to reddish-brown in the fall and then drop. An oxymoron—a deciduous evergreen. Deerfield’s dawn redwood should grow to be 70 to 100 feet high and 25 feet wide—a worthy successor to the old ash.
40
Fall 2010
Historic Trees of Massachusetts, James R. Simmons, 1909