I am considering buying a Dawn Redwood. But in researching their care I learned they do not like temps below 40 degrees. I overwinter some trees in my unheated, detached garage but I know it gets below 40 degrees during our winters. I also saw they could be brought in under lights for the winter. I have no desire to do that and will pass on the tree if that's necessary. Just wondering what those of you that have cold winters do with yours. Thanks
Calling All Northern Dawn Redwood Owners
- Thread starter Carol 83
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I have a few that are outdoors all year here in New York. It gets well below 40 in my backyard. Trees were mulched in for the winter. They go dormant and lose their leaves. I wouldn’t think of bringing them in under lights or anything like that.
Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
We have one we kept outside growing out mulched in during winter for five years. It’s gotten down to 15F for a week or two before going up to low 30’s multiple times. Thinking if healthy it ought to do fine,
Cheers
DSD sends
Cheers
DSD sends
I have had two for a number of years now (3-5). They over winter in a three season porch (unheated). The temps are roughly 5-10degrees warmer than outside, and they aren’t subjected to any wind over winter.
They do just fine.
They do just fine.
Tahoebonsai
Yamadori
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Dawn redwoods are zone 4 and very hardy I leave mine in a tub of water that turns into a block of ice and he doesn’t care one bit
Michigan Tree Murderer
Masterpiece
Mine lives outside, all year long. 
Let's see a pic of the tree.
Dawn redwoods thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 4-8. They are known for their rapid growth and adaptability to various soil types and climates.
Let's see a pic of the tree. Dawn redwoods thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 4-8. They are known for their rapid growth and adaptability to various soil types and climates.
@Michigan Tree Murderer Thats good to know! I suspected they’d do ok, but wasn’t sure. I’m really finding out that the trees are much more resilient than I gave them credit for.
My only concern would be squirrels/chipmunk damage, but that can be accommodated.
Thx
My only concern would be squirrels/chipmunk damage, but that can be accommodated.
Thx
CapeCodBonsai
Shohin
I have several in pots/bonsai soil here on Cape Cod (7a). I do put them in an unheated cargo/shipping container in the winter and haven’t had any problems. There is no lighting inside the shipping containers.
Here’s a YouTube clips of Nigel Saunders driving all around Ontario, Canada filming very old Dawn Redwoods thriving in the frozen north:
Here’s a YouTube clips of Nigel Saunders driving all around Ontario, Canada filming very old Dawn Redwoods thriving in the frozen north:
Michigan Tree Murderer
Masterpiece
YW. Low temp in Jan this winter 5F and Feb low was 0F for a few days. I wasn't worried. Now, if we get a week of -10 or lower I'll pry them off the frozen tundra and drag them into the garage where it's usually 20 degrees warmer.
Zone four is good up to -30F.
Jetson1950
Seed
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Hi everyone! My first post. I’m down in central Florida, zone 9b. When the temp drops below 50, they lose their leaves and then come back alive when the night temperature stays above 50. The problem here is leaf scorch. We are already hitting 90 degrees and mine need to be shaded after about 11:00 am. Here is one of my babies I fragged off my big one. It’s over potted so it will keep growing.
I have two BCs that normally are ok like that, but I'm not seeing any activity yet... My Dawns were in the garage for the winter and are busting out...
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Are you sure you didn't mean coast redwood? Dawn redwoods are extremely hardy as others have already said. Coast redwood is another story.
Thanks for all of the replies, I appreciate it. Apparently the Nuts are much more knowledgeable than Google, that's why I asked here. I feel confident it will be fine here and something different than my usual tropical tree. Trying to "branch out" 
.
.It's just a tree from Brussel's, I have a gift card. I just thought I'd roll the dice with something I'm not familiar with for once.
Michigan Tree Murderer
Masterpiece
Not trying to derail your thread but today I found a way to "trick" Google AI. There's a joke in the show The Simpsons about Grampa Simpson talking about wearing an onion on his belt as it was fashionable at the time. I asked AI about it and instead of onion I said Bonsai. This is the response I got. If you don't know already, Grandpa Simpson doesn't have a bonsai.
Michigan Tree Murderer
Masterpiece
Gotcha. Brussels is famous for not having pictures.
Keep your secrets Carol "83"
shohin_branches
Chumono
Yep, typical hallucination. My manager keeps asking me to use AI to speed up writing test automation but it hallucinates so much that it's useless. It keeps trying to test the shopping cart our website doesn't have.Not trying to derail your thread but today I found a way to "trick" Google AI. There's a joke in the show The Simpsons about Grampa Simpson talking about wearing an onion on his belt as it was fashionable at the time. I asked AI about it and instead of onion I said Bonsai. This is the response I got. If you don't know already, Grandpa Simpson doesn't have a bonsai.
View attachment 593908
After seeing your post, I read a number of articles on DR bonsai care. I was very surprised by the articles’ suggestion that these are somehow afraid of the cold. This was really news to me. Im no expert, but As far as my personal experience with the tree, I found they are very hardy and really have no issue with the cold. I have two in grow boxes (roots have now escaped in the ground) and one in a pot. They are the most aggressive growers in my garden and the roots grow like crazy. They grow so fast that I was able to grow a 6 inch trunk on one of them in under 3 years from a stick. The one in the pot gets a repot every year as the roots fully colonize the pot. Roots can be cut aggressively and the tree does not care. They are very thirsty and I water them like my BC. They will also back bud hard after a chop. I chopped my big guy this year from about 20 feet to less than 20 inches and it’s now covered in new growth.
DR survived extinction. They are much tougher than the articles give them credit for.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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I have wintered them just set on the ground, only a little leaf litter mulch. I'm north of Chicago, south of Milwaukee. Zone 5b or 6a depending on which USDA map you look at.
I've only had a couple winters with this species, so this is a 3 year reference, not a 20 year reference. We have had -10 F for one night or so , That is -23 C for the rest of the world.
Most of the time we were above 0 F or above -18 C
Surface of our smaller lakes do freeze most winters, though the "great lakes"; Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, etc rarely if ever freeze.
The winters I've had recently have been zone 6a winters
I've only had a couple winters with this species, so this is a 3 year reference, not a 20 year reference. We have had -10 F for one night or so , That is -23 C for the rest of the world.
Most of the time we were above 0 F or above -18 C
Surface of our smaller lakes do freeze most winters, though the "great lakes"; Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, etc rarely if ever freeze.
The winters I've had recently have been zone 6a winters
