Metasequoia Plant Fossils
The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is a genus that dates all the way back to the age of dinosaur it is related to the California Redwoods and was thought to be extinct until living specimens were discovered in central China in 1944. First called a “fossil tree” because it was believed extinct, the fast-growing tree is now a favorite ornamental tree. It was (and is) a deciduous conifer. Today’s Metasequoia has a full pyramidal shape, grows to 120′ high.