Dawn redwood

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
Hello, I received this tree from a nursery as a trade. They removed a palm tree for me and I got this tree. I thought it was a larch and they confirmed that it was. I just got it home and realized it's probably a dawn redwood. Is this correct? My plan is to airlayer the top and to take cuttings to make a forest or something. I believe these tree respond to both propagations well yes?
I did a good amount of searching but does anyone know of a series or thread that I could learn these techniques from? The bottom portion I figure I would chop after the airlayer and do some carving to create taper, etc. it's about 6-7 inches across at the soil and maybe 10 feet tall.
IMG_8764.JPG IMG_8765.JPG IMG_8768.JPG IMG_8772.JPG IMG_8774.JPG
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
By the way I am familiar with airlayering techniques but would appreciate if anyone has photo or video series of cuttings and dawn redwood specific material.
 

GGB

Masterpiece
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
2,221
Location
Bethlehem, PA
USDA Zone
7a
judging by the alternating buds it is. Im no whizz tho. If it is you're lucky, they make better bonsai than redwoods, as far as I can tell. Redwoods are symmetrical and .. Clunky?? I gave up on mine and now mess soley with cypress
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Yes, you have a good eye, it is a dawn redwood. Yes, while I personally have not done it, they should respond to air layer techniques and cuttings can be rooted. I would try late summer hardwood cuttings, but not certain if there are specific techniques needed for cuttings.

If you like at the list of sub-forums available on BNut, under special interest forums one is "Grafting, Layering and Propagation". Here you will find many detailed threads discussing many different variations on layering and rooting cuttings.

Dawn redwood styling threads will be under "other conifers" or sometimes under"Other Deciduous" since this conifer is deciduous.

Nice material. You correctly saw that a 10 foot tall tree is what you need to get a trunk the right diameter for a 12 to 24 inch tall bonsai. Dawn redwoods are widely available in the nursery trade, if it were mine I would chop it low, maybe 6 to 10 inches tall, keep the bottom and pitch the rest on the compost heap. Though you could get a few nice air layers, I would skip making cuttings. But propagation is fun in its own right, even if it is not a direct bonsai activity. So have fun.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Dawn redwoods grow fast enough, and back bud well enough that following the general plan for deciduous trees like elms or maples you can "Build a Bonsai" with a series of chopping low then let grow out. Read threads in the elm or maple forums for detailed discussions if you don't find the techniques laid out specifically in a dawn redwood thread.
 

GGB

Masterpiece
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
2,221
Location
Bethlehem, PA
USDA Zone
7a
Well I'll be, wouldn't be the first, second , or even third time I was wrong here. But @Leo in N E Illinois the leaflets in that pic are alternating, is that something that can happen on dawns? Mine always grew bar branches and opposite leaves
 
Last edited:

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
Dawn redwoods grow fast enough, and back bud well enough that following the general plan for deciduous trees like elms or maples you can "Build a Bonsai" with a series of chopping low then let grow out. Read threads in the elm or maple forums for detailed discussions if you don't find the techniques laid out specifically in a dawn redwood thread.
I have elms and maple so I've done a lot with those and was kinda pleasantly surprised that it wasn't a larch but a dawn redwood.
At first I thought bald cypress but the bark wasn't right and didn't make any sense to find it here in the pacific northhwest.
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
Well I'll be, wouldn't be the first, second , or even third time I was wrong here. But @Leo in N E Illinois the leaflets in that pic are alternating, is that something that can happen on dawns? Mine always grew bar branches and opposite leaves
The leaves look like both bald cypress and redwood but the bark looks like redwood. But that's why I'm posting here to find out.
 

GGB

Masterpiece
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
2,221
Location
Bethlehem, PA
USDA Zone
7a
The leaves look like both bald cypress and redwood but the bark looks like redwood. But that's why I'm posting here to find out.
I thought the bark was a big give away, I don't ID trees by bark, because I'm not skilled enough yet. But all my redwoods have reddish orange wood where as my BC's get a light grey after their 3rd season or so. Down low on the trunk it has an orange hue but cypress roots are bright orange, so I'd argue that's another indicator. If you google "dawn redwood barK" then google "bald cypress bark" you'll see what I mean
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Well I'll be, wouldn't be the first, second , or even third time I was wrong here. But @Leo in N E Illinois the leaflets in that pic are alternating, is that something that can happen on dawns? Mine always grew bar branches and opposite leaves

I'm not at home, so I can't go into the back yard and look at mine, but you're right, the books say they have opposite leaves. Both bald cypress and dawn redwood are supposed to have opposite leaves, maybe these trees didn't read Wikipedia? And don't know they are supposed to be opposite. I have seen trees with opposite bud pattern, that only open one of the two. I'll look at mine over the weekend and get back to you.
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
I thought the bark was a big give away, I don't ID trees by bark, because I'm not skilled enough yet. But all my redwoods have reddish orange wood where as my BC's get a light grey after their 3rd season or so. Down low on the trunk it has an orange hue but cypress roots are bright orange, so I'd argue that's another indicator. If you google "dawn redwood barK" then google "bald cypress bark" you'll see what I mean
You might be right. The leaves are definitely alternating and everything I find on redwoods they are symmetrical. And the upper bark does have that grayish hue like a BC
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
Every pic I can find on BC they are alternating.
 

Maloghurst

Chumono
Messages
750
Reaction score
1,096
Location
Seattle WA
USDA Zone
8b
I was going to label this thread, please help identify but was sure it must be a dawn redwood.
Thanks for all the help everyone! Never thought I would have a bald cypress up here. Not the monster fluted trunk like JohnG BC but will still be a fun project.
 

GGB

Masterpiece
Messages
2,066
Reaction score
2,221
Location
Bethlehem, PA
USDA Zone
7a
No such thing as too much water with those, I love them because when I go on vacation I just submerge the entire pot for a week. I'm actually shifting toward flood tolerant species for worry free holidays and cheaper muddier soil mixes
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,253
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Okay, took another look at @Maloghurst photos in o.p. The bud pattern is opposite, not alternating, where it looks alter, the other bud had not developed or had been removed.

I am now leaning towards bald cypress, the link @petegreg posted was informative. Natural habitat for dawn redwoods is also quite wet, it was originally thought a swamp cypress. You could probably get away with growing a dawn redwood just like a bald cypress. So identifying the tree with certainty is not that important, treat it like a bald cypress.
 
Top Bottom