I grow Dawn Redwoods from seed. It’s a truly unique tree - been around for 100 million years and was almost lost to extinction. This video describes how I do this so if anyone would like to try, they can.
Every person growing and planting ancient trees is a hero to humanity. People have no idea how much every single old tree is worth. Earth is heating up. Pests in combination with mono culture makes our forests and woods very fragile. On top of that we’re cutting down the jungles at a crazy rate. Every tree counts. You sir are a hero, thank you for your great contribution to humanity. 🙏🏾🫡
Thank you for the informative video. I have a Dawn Redwood I planted in 2000. It’s now 40’ tall and over the past few years it has begun dropping cones. I’m hoping to start growing some seedlings myself to pass them out to friends and family and on to the kids.
I have been contacted by lots of folks looking for seeds. Unfortunately, I have no more and this fall I found very few cones on the ground for some unknown reason (and therefore will have few seeds to plant next spring). So I do not expect to be able to distribute any. Thanks for your interest in these trees.
How can I go about receiving one of your trees. My wife and I have purchased a home and would love to plant one or two of these in our yard. Do you have anything available?
Hi Tom. Thank God no one ever trimmed the lower branches off of your tree. The first six feet or so of the branches contain a reproductive method that creates the wonderful burls that are so unique. The pathetic specimen in front of the Peabody Museum is a perfect example of what happens when someone doesn't understand this tree. There are several nice trees in and around Colchester if you get out that way. I can tell you why your seedlings died off when you first started. They were rediscovered in the Shui Sha Pa, or Water Fir Valley in Sichuan Province of China; a Zone 9. They thrive in 7 and 8, but 9 is actually too warm. It's great for seedlings, but the tree evolved in colder climates, and this is one way they weed out the weaker ones. Babying those seedlings will leave them more susceptible to freezing rain, which is a big killer of dawns under twenty feet in height. I have actually killed hundreds of dawn redwoods over the years by deliberately drying them out in the summer and exposing them to shade and extreme cold. This leaves only the strongest and most drought tolerant specimens alive. My seed sources are native Chinese as well as second and third generation American trees, and a few hundred seedlings from Heritage Seedlings. It will take a few hundred years, but as these trees cross pollinate, the Crescent Ridge strain will become the strongest strain out there. I applaud your efforts. Very few of us have made this tree our life's work. Something else you may be interested to hear, is that I have grown them completely submerged in water. They didn't thrive, but they grew. They also sent out tons of roots into the water from the portion of trunk that was submerged. I also had one in a pot that I gave a little too much acid to, and it was also surviving in a pH of 3.8! For those who don't understand what that means, water has a pH of 7, vinegar is 3.5 and battery acid is 1. They thrive in 4.5, but will obviously take much more acidity; comparable to peat moss and Venus flytraps. Again, keep up the good work! Special Ranger Doug Hänks; chief conservation officer with the Crescent Ridge Dawn Redwoods Preserve in NC.
Hey Doug, you clearly know your stuff so I'll ask you this question that I as about to leave as a general comment: I love the story of the DR's (I used to live next to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston) but one part of it that I never understood was why, if the tree is such a prolific grower and seems very tolerant of our climate, did its range dwindle in the way that it did to such a small area? Thanks!
@@BostonBonsaiIdiot Hahaha! THAT is the million dollar question that no one seems to be able to answer. Additionally the Shui Sha Valley is a Zone 9; 1 zone too warm, which is why we have trees in OR that are approaching 200 feet in 80 years, while 600 y/o trees in China are a little over 100 feet.. Since we are currently moving to the southwest at around twenty miles per year, I would suspect this may have happened in the past as well, moving them to where they now reside. But why did they die out everywhere else? It's possible that as trees evolved, they simply out-competed them. The Wollemi pine is another example of this, as well as both coastal and Sierra redwoods, which also once covered the entire Northern Hemisphere. We have gone through a lot of climatic changes over the years that may have decimated their ranges. The only other suggestion I have, if you are into cryptids and the paranormal, is that some seeds went through a vortex and ended up there. It's fanciful, but it's an interesting one to throw out if one believes that Bigfoot is a surviving Gigantopithecus, or that Nessie is an elasmosaur. Either way, they almost went extinct for real. There were around 1,200 trees when they were rediscovered, and by the time the area was designated a preserve in the 1960s, that number had dropped below 1,000. It's entirely possible that medieval loggers were cutting them down in Europe for hundreds of years. That part, we'll never know.
I planted a seedling in Three Rivers MI, back in 1995. It was beside a forest, so once established (about four years) it shot up fast. When we sold the property in 2008, it was about 20 feet tall, I haven’t seen it since then.
If you can locate an ‘Ogon’ variety, get one! It has bright golden foliage that contrasts with the red bark spectacularly. Looking at a gorgeous specimen in my yard as I type this
Someone posted a picture of a tree in a local park of our town of Saugatuck Michigan. They were asking if anyone knew what type of tree this was. The comments poured in With the more knowledgeable stating it was a Dawn Redwood. My wife. (Dawn) and I, are tree lovers. She was fascinated by this tree, which began our search on how to grow one. Your video is fantastic! Not only are you informative, but your passion and kindness are seen in your presentation. Thanks so much for your great work. Roger and Dawn. Poel
I have one growing on my back porch here just outside of Boston. Amazing how fast they grow. Keep up the great work. The world needs more of these beauties.
I absolutely love this! I live in upper east Tennessee and I've been noticing a few these around my area. You can't miss them as they grow perfectly shaped compared to the other trees around them. I'm a huge tree hugger lol..I guess maybe some of the original hippie made into me. I was a late bloomer as being born in '67. Anyway it's mind boggling to think we have some of these here. Everything I've read and looked up mainly shows them being on the west coast. I may take you up on some seeds to grow of my own as soon as I sell my current home. You see the family decided to put in a pool and a lot of our backyard is dedicated to the pool, so very little land. Once I can find my place in the country with enough land, I'll be planting quite a few things around the house lol. Take care and God Bless 🙏🏼 ♥️
I had brain cancer last year and it affected my left side. Of course, I did everything but kick with my left side. I got a new hobby afterwards, growing different types of redwoods, including the dawn redwood and pine trees. It's turning out I'm actually pretty good at it! I have 3 acres, 90% of it is open space.
I have a giant sequoia tree, but I have never tried a dawn redwood. I'm terrible with trees from seeds. I can do pretty well with a yearling, or older.
Well done. Experimentation and patience. Qualities of a human Yoda. Excellent video documentation …. You are a special person I think. Travel well. And thank-you for this vid. Cheers Craig
They will grow female cones on trees as young as three years, but you need the male cones, or strobili. They don't appear until at least 18 years of age. You'll see them in August, as strings of green pearls on the lower branches. Viable seed will be greenish-white and pulpy. If the center is brown, trash it.
Hi Tom, so happy I found your channel. I would love if I could get some seeds from you if possible. I have one that is about a year old in my garden. But would love to try to grow some from seed at the house we are moving to. I wouldn’t mind paying for the seeds and for your help with it all.
I would love to try this either from seed or with a young tree! I already have a young redwood from my time in California that would go nicely with one of these.
I recently discovered dawn redwoods and decided to try growing one as a bonsai. It arrived yesterday as bareroot and seems very eager to grow. I really wish I could put it in the ground but I don't think the hoa would appreciate it. Hopefully we will be moving soon so I can plant some. Fascinating species.
There is a beautiful tree in Toms River, near a municipal building across the street from the Amityville Horror house. It has been left branched to the ground, and as long as someone doesn't prune it, it will be an amazing tree.
Don't know how I fell upon this video but I continued to watch because you seem like such a decent, thoughtful and good man. Makes me want to try to grow a Dawn Redwood. 😊
Just wanted to thank you for this. I’m trying to grow saplings I collected on a work trip this summer. I lost most of them already due to animal disturbance
Beavers will decimate them. We lost about 15% of the trees at CRDRP due to beavers; like 150 trees. They love the sugar in the bark, which was distressing to learn, as that area was to have about 1,000 trees planted along the creek and in a flood plain. Deer also like the foliage.
I just learned about these trees a couple weeks ago while I was researching giant sequoias. I plan on planting one. We'll see how it does in East Texas. I have a feeling that while it's getting established with a premature root system I'll have to water it a lot during the summer, but I think it'll do alright.
Check out bald cypress trees. They look similar and might grow better in your area. Im in houston and have been growing bald cypress from seed. I Might get a redwood to compare
They thrive in zones 7 and 8, but 9 is too warm. Do you know your USDA zone? BTW, you can't overwater these trees. Full sun, acidic soil and lotsa water is what they crave.
Thanks for the video. I was told it's very important to keep seeds slightly moist but not overwater. And you say to set the seed trays in water! My guess both methods work!
This is absolutely astounding that you’ve been so successful at growing these from seed. Germination rate tends to be pretty low. I have some success with seeds, and some success with cuttings, and I would like to know how I can get some of your seeds.
I've been planting some giant sequoia seeds that ive been finding in cones near my house here in eastern PA, but I don't know exactly where the tree is. I would love to try some dawn redwoods too!
This tree is awesome, one of my favorites, I have 5 planted along with a bald cypress and pond cypress near our grain bins in central Iowa, they are growing at Jack & The Beanstalk speed. I throw some chicken manure around the base of these trees and then water it in the ground pretty good, it seems like growth just springs out of them over the next 3 or 4 days after doing that. One of the five trees looks noticeably different than the other four, which is pretty cool. I'm going to plant 18 more in the SW corner of the farm. Just my 2 cents, but in Zone 5, from my experience this tree ends up more healthy if planted in the spring, as opposed to the fall, also, the Japanese battle will descend upon them in mass. Definitely have to watch out for that.
@@unreconstructed9172 oh, no kidding? I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. Those beetles also seem to hang out on the Austrian pine trees in my NW windbreak, but not in mass like they will do to the fruit & nut trees in the orchard. Is it a similar situation then, they also won't harm the Austrian pine trees? I wasn't sure if I needed to spray them or not.
Would love to have some to put on my property. I have planted alot of oaks as they are a majestic tree . My proberty has some low lying ares perfect for these trees. I would like plant about 50 or so.
Tom all my cones got a white mold in the shed in the brown bag all the seeds were mush. If you have any seeds I would be happy to pay to ship them. If not I guess this spring I’ll take cuttings.
The gingko has a very similar story to the dawn redwood - extremely ancient (also living with the dinosaurs) and widespread, but gradually reduced to a limited population in Asia. It was "rediscovered" by European horticulturalists and then distributed worldwide again. Interestingly, it's extremely tough and will survive and thrive in difficult, polluted urban settings.
Thank you for the very informative video. I line in Philadelphia, zone 7 and I have 5 Dawn Redwoods growing in an 8 "' bulb pan. This spring they will be 3 years old and I received them bare-rooted. They seem very happy, bright green but do not seem to be growing very much at all. I would like to train them to be bonsai trees but have done nothing but keep them alive. What would you recommend me doing to get them to start growing?
Thanks for an excellent video. Does your winter greenhouse covering allow water (rain/melted snow) through to water the trees? If not, do you have to water them at all during the winter? Thank you!
Hi Sir. Quick question. Do you think that I can plant this tree in central America? I'm from El Salvador and I wonder if I would be able to do it. Because we only have spring and summer season. We don't have fall and winter and the temperature year around is about 80 degrees in the area where I want to plant them. If you have any advice I will appreciate it. Thanks in advance!!
Hi Tom. Just came across your video. I gave my son a couple of Dawn Redwood trees a few years ago. They are between 15 and 20 feet tall now. They are a beautiful tree. How would I get some seeds to try growing. How many years old would they need to be before they start producing seeds? Thank you!
Hey, great video and cool property I absolutely love this tree. I’ve been trying to propagate this tree by cuttings and by seed for over a year now and havnt had much luck. Do u have some small saplings or seeds to part with? I’ll pay you $ for them. Regardless, Thank you for making the video
Love your video on dawn redwoods. I purchased one from a nursery this spring. It is about 4 tall already. It grew in length and width . I live on Long Island. Should I do anything special with this winter. Again it’s about 4 fr tall looks extremely healthy and still growing.
There is a yard in Wainscot with three magnificent trees. Your tree is big enough to survive the winter. Freezing rain will kill them though, so throw something over them if an ice storm is on the way.
is it native here? if not why are you trying to plant them in the state forest? certainly that is illegal to intentionally introduce foreign species to state parks
I have about 10 giant sequoias I am attempting to grow here in Ohio and would love to try to grow a few dawn redwoods if you'd be so kind to provide some seeds or possibly a sapling or two! I will take care of them as though they are my child :)
Hi there, Thanks a lot for your grate efforts I'm growing sequoias at my location, since they are close to giant sequoias led like to start growing them as well. Please let me know if I can get some seeds from you Thanks a lot Remy
Hi Tom, thank you for sharing your grow method. I have successfully grown saplings from collected seed cones which fall from my coastal redwood trees here in Northern California. I would like to experiment with Dawn Redwood seeds. Please let me know how to contact you. Rick
I bought 5 saplings online last year and 4 survived the winter, they're short but bushy and have lots of buds on them this spring. I have a huge pile of compost from the old farmer who used to live on the property, thinking i might dig up a few cubic feet of it and plant it with the trees, think this will make any difference?
I would love to know how to get my hand on some seeds or trees! I was given a few seeds this christmas of dawn redwood but I fear they are too old or not cold activated or something. Haven't tried yet, honestly, but nothing wrong with trying more
Thank you for sharing. I just bought a couple starters this summer. They’re absolutely beautiful so far. They’re almost a foot tall. I would love to obtain some seeds and start from seed. How would I go about this? Thanks for the video and information is greatly appreciated.
I ordered from Sheffields (before I saw this) got 90% germination rate and have over 100 seedlings and sadly couldn't plant all of the sprouting seeds.
I would love to try seed starting. I planted 2 dawns in nj 30 years ago im in SC now and have 3. That donot produce seeds. Thank you how would i get in contact with you
I have tried taking cuttings from two that are in a local park. I have two that are still going strong. I would love to grow them from seed though. I wonder if they'll get through the postal system to Ireland?
I would love to have some seed pods. I grow Japanese maple trees from seed and this would be great. I just had to cut down a sycamore tree that was over 100 feet tall and this would be a great replacement as well. How do I contact you?
I’ve been growing one for 5 years and it recently died this year Please send me some seed I would be honored in growing a seedling from you’re mother tree
Hello Mr. Ouimet I am very interested in getting the tree seeds from you if that is possible. Thank you I am a tree enthusiast primordially, fruit, pine, and maple trees. TY. You can send me a PM, I look forward to communicating with you soon… Have a great day! José L. Guisado Dryden, NY
wait WHY on earth would you spread these in Connecticut?! certainly it is invasive there and not native, introducing non native species intentionally is horrible wth!
It is not considered invasive and needs a very particular environment to grow (very wet). It is found in arboretums across the country and is a very beautiful tree.
search around now you will spot them easy as they look like dead pine trees with their fall color and they usualy produce cones every year ask the homeowner if you can collect some cones that have fallen already and grow your own!
