Dawn Redwood Trees at Ulysses S. Grant NHS

Dawn Redwood trees are very rare and close to extinction.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

Northwestern corner of the park grounds

Significance:

Rare tree related to popular Redwood trees in California

Amenities

1 listed

Information

While Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site does not feature any of the famous Redwood trees that can be seen in numerous National Parks in California, the park does contain several Dawn Redwood trees on the northwest corner of the park grounds next to the back entrance of the park. A relative of the famous California Redwoods, the Dawn Redwood typically grows to be about fifty or sixty feet tall and is noted for its unique, colorful leaves and distinct bark.

Originally grown in China, the Dawn Redwood was thought to have been extinct until a scientist discovered the tree in the Sichuan province of China in 1941. Further studies were conducted and in 1948 a group of arborists found several thousand Dawn Redwoods near the same area. Family lore suggests that the Wenzlick family, the last to privately own Ulysses S. Grant’s White Haven estate, acquired Dawn Redwood saplings from the Missouri Botanical Gardens at some point after the tree was rediscovered in 1941.

The scientific name for Dawn Redwood trees is Metasequoia glyptostroboides.