What is a Metasequoia?

The Metasequoia is a large fast-growing Chinese monoecious tree having flat bright-green deciduous leaves and small globular cones. (Dictionary.com) It was originally raised in Japan and was known as the "Golden Ogi" or "Golden Mantle". It wasn't until 1993 when its name was changed to "Gold Rush" by Dutch horticulturist, Peter Zweinburg.  In the Western Hemisphere of the united States it is known as the "Dawn Redwood". The Metasequoia is names after the Temple Dawn in China where it was first discovered.
 

The Metasequoia was first described from fossil records in 1941. In that same year was the discovery of it alive. During that time seeds were collected and brought back into the United States.

    The Metasequoia is a large tree that reaches from seventy five to one hundred feet tall. Its branches grow in a horizontal direction with a fine and airy texture in the leaf. During the summer the leaves are falling off the branchlets. The foliage is medium to a bright green color. Its stems are green and consists of needles, but do not have flower buds. In the Autumn the leaves are a pink tan to a reddish bronze color before the fall off the tree in the fall. The bark of the tree is a reddish brown color. The base of the trunk is very large and tappered and grows in many different directions.

In the early spring the Metasequoia consists of both make and female flowers. The male flowers grow in clusters and have a yellow coloring while the female flowers grow seperatly and have a green coloring. The fruit on the tree takes the shape of a longated or rounded cone. It is usually a half an inch to and inch long. They are a bluish color when they are young and a browinsh color when they get older.

Additional Information

Survival of the Metasequoia

Conservation of the Metasequoia