Then I also saw one within two blocks from my house. This one is probably less than half the height of the one at the zoo. It did not have as many cones, but it did have them. They were very different in size.

Now I'm no expert on IDing the trees yet. But I figured it was them, they are turning brown/golden as Winter approaches. (I have since found a 3rd tree in Boyce Park).

I wanted to post a picture of the difference in the two cones. You would almost think they came from different species. The taller tree has a very straight and round trunk. The smaller tree is straight, but the trunk is more varied.

The cones have only been home 2 days and they already started to crack open. The smaller ones faster. Top is from the taller tree.

I'm going to attempt to grow the seeds. I also ordered one for myself to try and grow indoors until Spring. It's an 18" seedling that has lost it's leaves already (but has buds). It should arrive in a few days (5.95, not a bad price).

Any help, guidance would be helpful. I was a total bamboo nut a few years back, and I think I'm starting to find something else.

you are getting a dormant plant that is ready for winter...

and going to pot it and force it out of dormancy to try to grow it as a house plant ....

that is going to be tough ....

if its a $6 experiment to see if you can succeed.. go for it ... but dont be surprised if you have problems ...

if you want a 100% chance at success.. plant it outside like it should be at this time of year in z5 ....

i know hosta.. and i know that the have a requisite 60 day dormancy period ... i DO NOT KNOW IF TREES HAVE SUCH .... hopefully you will get an answer from the tree nuts ....

good luck.. and have fun.. and live your dreams ...

ken

ps: i cant tell the difference between taxodium and meta cones ... resin will tell us which you have.. if there is any question about that ....

I was just hoping to help it along by not planting it in this kind of weather. But if outside it must go, I'll take that route. I'm looking for guidance. I have very little conifer planting experience. I know with bamboo you can't plant this time of year around here, it just dies.

The cones looked so different, I just wanted to make sure they were both dawn redwood.

Here are some more pictures of the taller, zoo tree.

They do! Even different genera ;-))
In post #1, the first pic is Taxodium, the second pic is Metasequoia.

In post #3, all Taxodium.

Resin

As far as the tree's range, it doesn't appear to be native to Pittsburgh, where this one is located (at the zoo).

This may be yet another tree that I like/must have. Although I'm guessing it's much older than a dawn redwood could possibly be (which I believe now is about 61 years old).

Very cool. Thanks!

J

Generally Metasequoia also gets arm pit type looking depressions "buttresses" under large branches.

Both are some of my favorite trees. If you plant a Metasequoia in the open and leave the lower branches on you get one of the best trunks in the plant world!

Taxodium cones have spiral scale arrangement, with large, nearly square scales.

Metasequoia cones have opposite scale arrangement in four rows, with narrow, horizontal scales much wider than 'long'.

Resin

However, experience dictates that unless you have a brightly lit greenhouse or expensive sodium light, than growth indoors, with low indoor light conditions (even a bright sunny south facing window is still pretty low on light energy required for growth, light drastically tapers off as distance from the window increases) is always going to be far inferior and unhealthy looking to full bodied light outside. The seedling will only grow on the side that faces the window, will be weak and leggy and more susceptible to croaking in the first year, etc.

My advice is to just plant it out, mulch, maybe some grate fencing, and wait for spring. Then water non stop. It is IMPOSSIBLE to overwater this species and it will thank you for it.

Really, I figured what could I lose besides 9 bucks really. It's November, and I can't imagine the tree growing roots any better from now until April. So I'm just going to give it a try this way. If it fails, I'll just buy another in April. I really only want one tree anyway. I might even buy a taller one as well. This one is only 18".

The tree has no leaves left on it. Only buds. Which is strange, as the tree in town is still almost completely green. The tree I bought comes from North Carolina, at least 300 miles South from here.

The Bald Cyprus cones are completely dried up and split apart. The dawn redwood cones open up after 3 or so days. I've collected over 30 cones, I'm going to try more from seed over the Winter. I'll post a picture of the tree soon.

Thanks All!
Clint

Not trying to argue, but it isn't a native tree.