Tree Tuesday - the Dawn Redwood

The Dawn Redwood is a living fossil

I've got a very cool tree for #treetuesday by @old-guy-photos.

The Dawn Redwood is an ancient tree species dating back to the late Cretaceous period... that means the time of Tyrannosaurus Rex! It was known from fossil records but thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered growing in a remote mountain valley in China in 1944. The scientific name is Metasequoia. This tree is not an evergreen but has needles which change colour and drop off in the fall, making it a kind of a cross between deciduous and coniferous trees.

Dawn Redwood in spring (April 2015)

The story gets better... apparently, all the trees alive today are descended from a single mother tree which is part of an ancient temple. Since the 40's the Dawn Redwood has been spread around the world as a fast-growing decorative tree. It doesn't grow nearly as large as other redwood trees but still gets pretty big.

The same tree in autumn with orange needles. (Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC. Nov. 2013)

Finally, here is the same tree seen last week, waiting for new needles to sprout. Thanks for viewing my tree Tuesday photos.

Be sure to check out @old-guy-photos post from today:

https://steemit.com/treetuesday/@old-guy-photos/6v7fd4-a-terrific-tree-tuesday