Coastal Redwood

[benboo]

I have a 4 year old coastal redwood tree in a pot that is getting too big to bring indoors over winter, and I am considering planting it outside next spring. Is it worth pushing its climate to a zone 6 winter? I would not mind if it stayed short every year, but i do not want to kill it...

[Alan_L]

The question is: what will you do with it if you don't put it into the ground? Often times I try a plant in the ground only because I don't have any other options.

I think zone 6 is pushing it for the coast redwood (Arborday.org lists it as zones 7-9), but that's just what I've gleaned from reading other people's posts (like on GardenWeb).

Do you have a sheltered area for it? Have you thought about trying a bald cypress or dawn redwood instead (or in addition)?

[benboo]

Yeah, Last year I bought four dawn redwoods on ebay and two of them survived the winter and are doing fine.

I got the Coastal redwood in california as a little experiment. I really want to plant it in the ground, because after being indoors for so many winters, it started to look a little funky, and its a little too big.

[marcat]

Plant it wrap it in X-mass lights for severe cold events and cross your fingers.
Just an Idea.
MarCat

[needmore]

I know that Metasequoia can thrive here in 5b/6. A friend has one well over 50 feet tall, it inspired me to try and germinate some old seed he had left but no luck.

[Alan_L]

Yes, Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood) does just as well here as bald cypress, and can get BIG. Missouri Botanical Garden has some huge specimens right next to bald cypresses of the same size:



That's dawn redwood in the front.

More photos in this post: http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2 ... art-2.html

[Bamboo Outlaw]

Yes, Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood) does just as well here as bald cypress, and can get BIG. Missouri Botanical Garden has some huge specimens right next to bald cypresses of the same size:



That's dawn redwood in the front.

More photos in this post: http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2 ... art-2.html

I wish I had read this before going to thr Missouri Botanical Garden yesterday.

[Alan_L]

Did you enjoy the visit anyway?

The dawn redwoods are back by the evergreen maze, next to the mirrored office building. Did you make it back there?