Dawn Redwood

The Dawn Redwood is perhaps one of the most interesting fast-growing trees available. It grows around 2 feet a year and it will rapidly grow to a great height, eventually reaching 70 to 100 feet tall, with a spread of perhaps 25 feet across. It is a needle-tree, like spruce or pine, but unlike them it loses its leaves during the winter, so it will not throw the heavy winter shade that can be a problem with evergreen trees. It grows from zone 5 to zone 8 in most soils, preferring damp soil but tolerating both flooding and some drought. It has no significant pests and makes a beautiful addition to the garden as a specimen tree or a screening tree. It looks very effective by water and in damp soil where many other trees will not do well.