Skywatch - Golden Dawn Redwood

Golden Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Goldrush'
(met-uh-see-KWOY-uh) (glip-toh-stroh-BOY-deez)
Synonym: M. gly. ‘Ogon’
Skywatch Friday

A while back I posted that I had bought this tree and didn’t know if the marketing hype had got me or it was good decision. It has worked out nicely as the tree has already grown a couple of feet and is starting to shed it’s ‘nursery' shape with a nice branching structure. Its color is stunning and even in the fall the needles turn a nice rusty brown before falling off. It is a Deciduous Conifer. There aren’t too many of those around and I can only think of Larches (Larix), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia), Bald Cypress (Taxodium) and Golden Larch (Pseudolarix). I am sure that is not a complete list.

If you click the Dawn Redwood label you can see the original picture I took of the foliage. It seems to be a very photogenic tree. I took this and the next picture with Skywatch Friday in mind. Yellow and blue is a nice combination in the garden.

I am not sure if anyone really knows how tall this tree gets. I did read 2/3’s of the size of a regular Dawn Redwood, which is still really big. Luckily I envisioned it getting real big and gave it enough space. It is growing on very wet soil and seemingly loves it.


Golden-leaved Boxelder
Acer negundo 'Kelly's Gold'
(AY-ser) (neg-UN-doh)
Synonym: Ash-leaved Maple, Cutleaf Maple, Stinking Ash

This is another golden tree growing at work. It has turned out okay and does add a chartreuse element to the partly shady area it is located in. I have seen it growing out in the open and it really does turn gold. It is nice since the inside leaves are a bright green so the contrast between the two is beautiful. Box Elder isn’t my favorite tree but some of the specialty ones are nice. There are two different variegated ones at work and both are handsome and almost dainty trees. One is 'Aureomarginatum' and the other is 'Variegatum'.

‘Kelly’s Gold’ gets up to 35 to 40 feet tall but mine is going to be shorter then that. Boxelder is native to a wide geographical area (it is the most widely distributed of the North American maples) and is considered an invasive species in some areas. It can grow on almost any soil type. It is extremely cold hardy.

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