Metasequoia glypostrobodies: Dawn Redwood

A conical deciduous conifer native to SW China. Known only from fossil records till 1941, now a popular garden tree. This line of Redwoods has been planted along Oxford Road next to the Aquatics Centre maybe as a failed attempt to screen the car park behind.

The trunk tapers and is buttressed at the base, becoming ridged in older trees. This along with the small tree pit has caused the pavement to rise up and crack underneath. The bark is a rich reddish brown, peeling in vertical strips.

They have 2.5cm long, flat needle like leaves, pale green at first becoming darker with age. They emerge early in spring, turning yellow, pink or red before falling in Autumn. Yellow and green clusters of flowers, male and female grow on separate clusters in Spring and produce rounded cones about 2.5cm across.