Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Now there is a Latin name that rolls of the tongue! This shapely, fast-growing deciduous conifer will grow to 200 feet. In spring it acquires beautiful light green ferny foliage, which then turns a coppery or amber colour in autumn. The one pictured here is to be found in Lauriston Park, Leamington; look out for others around the town but do not confuse it with the swamp cypress which is also a deciduous conifer with similar foliage.
The only remaining species of its genus, the dawn redwood is regarded as a living fossil. During the Mesozoic age when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth it was widespread, but was thought to have been extinct for at least 5000 years. And then in 1941 three of these trees were discovered half way up the Yangtze River in China. It is still endangered in its natural habitat; there are only small stands remaining in Sezchuan and Hubei provinces, where it is known as water larch and was often fed to cattle. Since 1948 seed-grown specimens have become widely distributed throughout other temperate areas of the world. It prefers to grow in damp sheltered sites and has become a popular tree for parks.
