Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

General Information Common Name  Dawn Redwood Scientific Name  Metasequoia glyptostroboides Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  35 - 61  m (115 - 200 ft) Spread  15 - 30 m (50 - 100 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Green Type  Tree Native  USA, Asia, Europe.

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Coniferophyta – Conifers Class  Pinopsida Subclass  Order  Pinales Family  Cupressaceae – Cypress family Genus  Metasequoia –  Dawn Redwood Species  M. glyptostroboides

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides commonly known as Dawn Redwood, is native to China. Although shortest of the redwoods, it grows to at least 61 m (200 ft) in height. Previously it had been known to science only as a fossilhence, now, its odd name and fame as the ‘fossil tree’. It grows naturally only in isolated areas in East Szechwan and West Hopeh, China, Where it thrives best in shady moist localities, in ravines and on stream banks. By 1948, seedlings were being raised in Europe, and because the tree strikes fairly easily from cuttings it has since been widely planted as specimens by arboriculturists, and in a few small groves by silviculturists, as in 1953 at Leighton in Montgomeryshire, Huntley in Gloucestershire, and in 1955 at Bedgebury in Kent.

The tree has ascending branches, and persistent branchlets (reddish-brown when young) which carry green deciduous branchlets 8 cm or more in length. The small opposite winter buds are usually below the scar of the side shoot. The two-ranked needles, usually 2.5 cm or more in length, are arranged in intricate and delicate patterns. It is one of the first trees to show green in spring – a pale fresh green – later turning to bright green on the upper surface lighter green or slightly glaucous on the under surface. Throughout summer the foliage changes through various shades of greenish-bronze, often with a pinkish tinge. In year of average autumn colors, the foliage has a moderately long spell of a yellowish pink and salmon pink before going pale brown, but in good sunny years it changes from this pink through brick-red to a rich dark rust-red. In autumn the needles are reddish-brown before they are shed along with the deciduous branchlets.

The male flower is ovoid, up to 1 cm long; the female conelet is sub-globose or short cylindrical, about 2 cm long, and pendulous.

The rough bark is soft and of pinkish-buff or reddish-brown shades. The older European trees are beginning to develop the picturesque ruggedness reported from China an unfortunately for the silviculturists, to develop knotty, ridged and pocketed boles with rapid taper. The tree grows rapidly at first (up to 1 m a year) and continues to tallest are already over 20 m. (66 ft).

Dawn Redwood is proving a fascinating ornamental tree and is particularly welcome for its spring and summer foliage, and its autumn tints. Even in winter the bare stems are enriched by the red-brown flakes of bark and pale brown, smooth stem between the raised flakes. 

Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood in Autumn

The Leaves of Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood Cones Female

Female Cones of Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood Female Cones

Dawn Redwood Female Cone

Dawn Redwood Male Cones 

Dawn Redwood Cones (Male & Female)

Dawn Redwood Bark

Dawn Redwood Bark

Bark of Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood Bark

Dawn Redwood Bark

Barks of Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood in Winter

Dawn Redwood in Winter

Dawn Redwood in Autumn

Dawn Redwood in Autumn

Dawn Redwood in Autumn

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Dawn Redwood as Ornamental 

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Videos of Dawn Redwood: 

Vitis chungii - Fujian Jianxi Grape

General Information Common Name  Fujian Jianxi Grape Scientific Name  Vitis chungii Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  Over 5 m (Over 16 ft) Spread  2 -3 m (6.5 - 10 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Yellow Type  Creepers & Climbers Native  United States, Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rhamnales Family  Vitaceae – Grape family Genus  Vitis L. – Grape Species  V. chungii

Vitis chungii - Fujian Jianxi Grape

Vitis chungii common name is Fujian Jianxi Grape. It is a polygamo-dioecious species of wild grape and mainly native to China. It is a forest inhabitant, 200–1000 meters above sea-level, on hillsides, in valleys, or other areas having wild, shrubby growth. It bears globular, ruddy-purple berries, 8–10 mm in diameter. The leaves are green. Leaf blade ovate-elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, size are 4-15 x 2-8 cm. and abaxially glabrous. Also veinlets raised, glabrous, base truncate, rounded or subrounded. They are rarely subcordate. Leaves margin sparsely 7-9 toothed on each side, the teeth sharp. Panicles leaf-opposed, terete, 3.5-10 cm, basal branches poorly developed; peduncle 1.5-2.5 cm, pubescent when young, then glabrescent. Pedicel 1-2.5 mm, glabrous. It blooms yellow flowers in spring. 

Fujian Jianxi Grape Flowers

Fujian Jianxi Grape Leaves

Fujian Jianxi Grape

Prunus simonii - Simon plum

General Information Common Name  Simon Plum Scientific Name  Prunus simonii Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  5 - 8.5 m (18 - 30 ft) Spread  4.5 -6 m (15 - 20 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Early Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  China

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Prunus L. – plum Species  P. simoni

Prunus simonii, common name is Apricot Plum also known as Simon Plum, is a tree in the genus Prunus. It has been important for breeding commercial plum cultivars from crosses with other species of the genus Prunus. It is widely and commercially cultivate in china. This species is cultivated for its edible fruit and has many cultivars.

 Prunus simonii is a small deciduous tree. The green, simple leaves are alternate. They are obviating, crenate and etiolate. It is growing to about 5 – 8.5 meters (18 - 30 ft) in height. It produces cluster of white five-satellite flowers in Spring. The flowers produce almost no pollen. 

The fruit varies in quality, can be bitter or pleasant to eat, and is flat in shape. Just like an apricot, the fruit flesh clings tightly to the pit. The taste is often bitter. Fruit production is not particularly bountiful. The fruit is dark red or "brick red". The branches are slender and the leaves oblong. In appearance, the fruit is flatter than most plums, looking "tomato-like". The fruit is especially aromatic, much more so than Prunus salicina, with a relatively high level of hexyl acetate, which gives apples their aroma. The drupe fruits ripe in summer.