Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Metasequoia glyptostroboides or dawn redwood is a species that was considered to be extinct until a living tree population was found in 1941 in China, making it a ‘living fossil’. It is also the only living species of its genus and its presence in the fossil record makes it an ideal candidate for comparing modern and past plant responses to environmental changes.

The dawn redwood is an endangered species [1] and it is also widely researched globally, with more than 100 of its features being studied, as retrieved from relevant databases.

The tree at the garden has an individual value as a fine specimen tree of the living collections. Voucher specimens from this tree dating to the 1980s are conserved in Trinity College Herbarium, making it also a good specimen to compare changes in the near past.

1. Farjon, A. 2013. Metasequoia glyptostroboides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T32317A2814244. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T32317A2814244.en. Accessed on 25 April 2023.