One of only a few deciduous conifers, another being our native eastern larch (Larix laricina), dawn redwood existed only in China prior to 1941.  Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum lead an expedition in 1944 to collect seeds for purposes of propagation, and for sharing with other arboreta.  The handful of dawn redwoods that exist on campus are growing behind the Spaulding Life Science building, along College Brook - indicating their preference for a moist, if not soggy soil.  Reaching over 100' at maturity, the sight of a grove of dawn redwoods growing along side a pond or stream gives one renewed hope of nature's innate goodness.

The tiny bright green needles turn amazing shades of orange and yellow in fall, and once gone, reveals the reddish brown bark that peels away in long papery strips.