Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Hamlet’s Broom’
Dawn redwood
The Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Hamlet’s Broom’ is a deciduous conifer, with a reddish brown fibrous bark, pale green in spring and summer which turns a vibrant golden yellow to deep russet in autumn.
The ‘Hamlet’s Broom’ cultivar is a dwarf variety that develops a dense, globose shape.
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Plant Biography
Described only in 1945 by paleobotanist Shigeru Miki, the Metasequoia is considered a living fossil. A small population still survives in the wild in central China.
The Metasequoia is closely related to the Sequoia family, however, the Metasequoia is one of the few deciduous conifers.
In cultivation, the plant has gained immense popularity and it helped saving the species from extinction. However, due to a small batch of seeds that have been collected from the wild and subsequently propagated in cultivation, the genetic diversity is much lower in cultivation, making propagation a difficult task.
In the UK, the plant is very popular and several specimens can be found from the first few batches of seeds sent from China in 1949. One impressive one is in Woking Park, in Surrey, reaching 22m in height and in Somerset standing at a whopping 32 m in height.
Care & Size Guidance
The Metasequoia thrives in a free draining, moist soil, in a sunny to part shade position.
As a deciduous conifer, the soil under and around the tree will become slightly acidic in time, as the dropping leaves accumulate. The thick layer can be left on over winter to protect the soil.
It can be kept in containers, provided plenty of water is provided, especially during hot summers.
