The Dawn Redwood [Metasequoia]

One of the most famous specimen trees on the property would be the Dawn Redwoods which are scattered throughout the property. They were thought to have been extinct for millions of years until 1941 when living Dawn Redwoods were discovered in Szechuan, China.

Seeds from these trees were collected in 1947 by a Harvard University sponsored expedition, shipped to Boston and distributed among leading botanic gardens. It was a mark of Frank Bailey’s reputation in horticultural circles that he was among the first to receive seedlings, and in 1982 a survey of trees from the original Harvard consignment reported that the largest tree at Bailey Arboretum was the finest of the lot. In 2007, the International Metasequoia Society declared that this particular specimen has the largest girth of any Dawn Redwood in the world.

The mature trees can be enjoyed during all seasons, freshly green in the spring, they turn golden in the fall before losing their needles.  Other distinguishing features include a “ropy” trunk and a sharply pointed silhouette.