Dawn Redwood Gold rush

A must for every arboretum or large garden. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a beautiful deciduous conifer and a tree worth growing for its many ornamental features. Gold rush is a golden leaved cultivar of the standard Metasequoia. Thought to be extinct and only known from fossil records dating back 100 million years, until the 1940's when a small number of living specimens were found in the in Sichuan province of China. The Dawn Redwood is a vigorous grower attaining heights up to 30 metres. The soft, feathery foliage turns from a bright golden yellow to a mid yellow during Summer. In the Autumn, the foliage takes on a light brown to orange in colour, before dropping and covering the ground in a pleasing carpet of leaves. In later years the conical crown turns more rounded. Long pendulous cones and the textured cinnamon-coloured fibrous bark adds further interest.

Site: Average exposure
Soils: Well draining moist soils
Position: Full sun, some shade when young
Season of interest: Year round interest exceptional Autumn colour
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Size: 15ft in 10 years and eventually up to 100ft (30m) + Spread: 20-30ft (6-9m)