Dawn Redwood is a deciduous conifer with an extraordinary pedigree: fossil records show it thrived 50 million years ago, yet it wasn't rediscovered in the wild until 1941, when Chinese forester T. Kan found it growing near Modaoqi, China. This 'Raven' cultivar, selected as Shaw's Legacy, grows as a graceful conical tree reaching 70 to 100 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, hardy from zones 4 through 8. It tolerates wet soils and urban conditions while remaining remarkably low-maintenance, making it equally at home in rain gardens or as a street tree.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-8
1200in H x 300in W
—
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
A living fossil that was rediscovered in the twentieth century, Dawn Redwood carries the weight of prehistory in its feathery, deciduous foliage and architectural form. It handles consistently moist soil and even seasonal flooding with ease, thrives in full sun where its coloring deepens, and asks little of the gardener once established. The tree's conical silhouette adds vertical interest year-round, and its deciduous nature means it won't demand pruning or intensive care through the seasons.
Dawn Redwood excels as a specimen tree in rain gardens where its tolerance for wet soil and seasonal flooding turns a challenge into an asset. Its upright conical form and moderate mature width make it valuable as a street tree in urban landscapes, where it tolerates the compacted soils and environmental stresses of city planting. The deciduous habit means it provides summer shade without blocking winter sun, and its low maintenance needs suit public and private landscapes equally.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
No care instructions available yet for this variety.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Dawn Redwood represents one of horticulture's most dramatic resurrections. Fossil evidence showed the species flourished across the Northern Hemisphere millions of years ago, but it vanished from the living world until 1941, when T. Kan, a Chinese forester, encountered it growing wild in a remote valley near Modaoqi in Hubei Province, China. Seeds from that original discovery site were collected and eventually distributed globally, transforming a extinct-in-nature species into a garden staple. The 'Raven' cultivar and its Shaw's Legacy designation honor this remarkable restoration to cultivation.”