Why does the top of my dawn redwood have no foliage? - Ask Extension
My 10 year old dawn redwood is bare at the top of it. The rest of the tree looks healthy, but we did take off two long arms (branches) at about the lo...
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Why does the top of my dawn redwood have no foliage? #257015
Asked June 25, 2015, 11:23 AM EDT
My 10 year old dawn redwood is bare at the top of it. The rest of the tree looks healthy, but we did take off two long arms (branches) at about the lower middle off because there was no growth at all on them. The tree in the background is a 25 year old bald cypress that looks awesome. What can we do to assure that the tree is healthy all the way to the top?
Will County Illinois
Expert Response
Hi --
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, as the dawn redwood is more formally known, is an unusual species that was known from fossils and thought to be extinct until it's "rediscovery" in China in the 1940's. As it comes into wider horticultural use, its preferences and pitfalls as a landscape tree are becoming better understood. It's considered relatively pest and disease resistant, give or take some visits from Japanese beetles, and spider mites under dry conditions.
One known hazard is that this fast-growing tree is susceptible to frost damage on new growth. Dawn redwood tends to leaf out early and grow late into the season, with tender shoots succumbing to spring cold snaps and especially to sudden fall frosts. Top areas are most vulnerable. Here's the University of Connecticut's Plant Database entry for M. glyptostroboides:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/detail.php?pid=289
It's hard to say what might be going on with your tree without more information and a closer look in context! In the absence of clues that point to disease or pests, problems are more likely to be due to environmental or physical issues that can best be determined by on-site assessment. A certified arborist -- a "tree doctor" -- can best help you determine whether there are problems with the tree or with the suitability of its site, and whether they can be corrected.
If you don't already have an arborist, you might ask a tree-savvy neighbor for referrals, or check the listings at the Illinois Arborist Association: They have a new search/map feature still under development at:
http://illinoisarborist.org/services-we-provide/find-an-arborist/
The older full text list is at:
http://illinoisarborist.org/services-we-provide/find-an-arborist/certified-arborist/
Or, the certifying organization, the International Society of Arboriculture, maintains a good consumer information website, where you can search their database of credentialed arborists. Follow the "find an arborist" links (hint: when you get to this choice, search by postal code, not city/state) at:
http://www.treesaregood.org/
Listings include employers, so look for an arborist employed by a tree care company (rather than, say, a municipality). Clicking on the arborists name will return contact information, including a link to the employer website when available.
I wish we could give you a long-distance diagnosis and magic fix, but given the possibilities (not to mention the value of a specimen tree and the investment in time it represents), this patient should be seen by the doctor!
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, as the dawn redwood is more formally known, is an unusual species that was known from fossils and thought to be extinct until it's "rediscovery" in China in the 1940's. As it comes into wider horticultural use, its preferences and pitfalls as a landscape tree are becoming better understood. It's considered relatively pest and disease resistant, give or take some visits from Japanese beetles, and spider mites under dry conditions.
One known hazard is that this fast-growing tree is susceptible to frost damage on new growth. Dawn redwood tends to leaf out early and grow late into the season, with tender shoots succumbing to spring cold snaps and especially to sudden fall frosts. Top areas are most vulnerable. Here's the University of Connecticut's Plant Database entry for M. glyptostroboides:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/detail.php?pid=289
It's hard to say what might be going on with your tree without more information and a closer look in context! In the absence of clues that point to disease or pests, problems are more likely to be due to environmental or physical issues that can best be determined by on-site assessment. A certified arborist -- a "tree doctor" -- can best help you determine whether there are problems with the tree or with the suitability of its site, and whether they can be corrected.
If you don't already have an arborist, you might ask a tree-savvy neighbor for referrals, or check the listings at the Illinois Arborist Association: They have a new search/map feature still under development at:
http://illinoisarborist.org/services-we-provide/find-an-arborist/
The older full text list is at:
http://illinoisarborist.org/services-we-provide/find-an-arborist/certified-arborist/
Or, the certifying organization, the International Society of Arboriculture, maintains a good consumer information website, where you can search their database of credentialed arborists. Follow the "find an arborist" links (hint: when you get to this choice, search by postal code, not city/state) at:
http://www.treesaregood.org/
Listings include employers, so look for an arborist employed by a tree care company (rather than, say, a municipality). Clicking on the arborists name will return contact information, including a link to the employer website when available.
I wish we could give you a long-distance diagnosis and magic fix, but given the possibilities (not to mention the value of a specimen tree and the investment in time it represents), this patient should be seen by the doctor!
