Sequoiadendron Late 2004 Updates (text as of Feb 2005)

Pictures by Greyneedle. Pictures taken 2004.

(Information Provided is for Recreational Purposes Only--No Liability Assumed) 

There are three Redwood species:
Coast Redwood (of Redwood Forest fame and lumber):  Sequoia sempervirens
Dawn Redwood (Chinese native, deciduous and similar to Bald Cypress in appearance):   Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Giant Redwood/Giant Sequoia (Big Trees of the Sierra Nevada interior, Yosemite and Sequoia Natl Park):  Sequoiadendron giganteum

In the NYC/Philly Area, Metasequoia grows easily, Sequoiadendron grows grudgingly and S. sempervirens generally
will not survive our winters. S.s. is seen growing in coastal Maryland, Virginia and DE (borderline zone 8 areas).

There are some tricks to growing Sequoiadendron in the area, so this site is dedicated to those interested.

So, where can we grow sequoias on the east coast? Based on observations of actual growing trees:

Here is a chart I've compiled to help indicate the best locations in the Eastern United States for growing seedlings of Sequoiadendron giganteum. It doesn't address known cultivars of the species that are cloned.

The areas in green are a "Goldilocks" climate, neither too cold in the winter nor too hot (for too long) in the summer. It does not deal with annual rainfall totals or soil conditions. The closer a prospective grower is to these areas the better, but success or failure is not guaranteed inside or outside the green zones.

This is compiled from zonal charts for both winter cold and summer heat, with the cutoff being 6b or higher for winter and summers with less than one month of extremely hot temps. This criteria was decided upon by receiving evidence of large trees in these areas but not outside them. The overall area is fairly large and densely populated (with people), being actually larger than the native zone in the West, but of course, not as large as the western planting regions.

The problem with heat is related to both disease progression and plant stress. Seedlings that have not established themselves fully (say about 5 to 10 years in their permanent location) are highly susceptible to fatal cercospora infections. Established trees can withstand moderate levels of infection and the resulting foliage loss by putting on more foliage every year than they lose. Even established trees, however, will loose too much foliage year-in and year-out to survive in places that are too hot and humid. Likewise, winter conditions in the green areas are moderate enough not to destroy too much foliage as well. Even in the green zones, the species will not do as well as it would in the Western US owing to less sunshine, lower altitudes, summer heat stress and shorter growing seasons. There are reports of trees in Florida that have done well, but southern Florida may be mostly free of cercospora blight owing to a lack of host trees growing natively.

Great-Lakes Shore Zones: Sporadic success along the shores of the Great Lakes for cold hardy specimens growing in good z6 microclimates. Heavy snows also protect smaller trees from cold and the cool summers are ideal. The large tree in Geneva, NY is about 10 miles from the shoreline at the top of Lake Seneca (another microclimate?). Well known tree in Manistee, MI.

Eastern Coastal Zone: All the largest known trees grow within site of the coast, where temps are moderated by the ocean. The middle of the zone in RI is ideal but it stretches from Portsmouth to Cape May. Late springs generally prevent good cone formation, but this is overall the best zone. Large tree at Blithewold, RI.

Eastern Inland Temperate Zone: The only low altitude inland locations in the East with the right growing conditions, particularly SE PA and along the middle Delaware River north to Allentown. A section of Ohio to Pittsburgh has a similar, if drier climate, but can have severe winters. Large tree at Tyler Arb, PA.

Mountain Peaks in the Appalachian Chain: Mirroring the native range in the West are the moderate climates along the ridges of the Appalachians, with outlier groups in VA, TN and KY. Note that this is a microclimate situation, so the map does not have the required precision. The southern end of the range high in western NC may be very wet, but could have just the right conditions for producing viable seeds. Soil conditions in TN and KY may be too alkaline. Public lands dominate this zone.

Discovery of Vermeule Park, North Plainfield, NJ Grove:

Fate intervened again! A huge traffic backup led me to take some local roads on the way to work. Enduring a bunch of odd turns and encountering another detour around road construction, I passed Vermeule Park in North Plainfield, where I just happened to glance in the right direction and quickly spotted three Sequoias! The following weekend (a cold and sunny day in Dec) I returned with a camera to find that there were actually four trees. This tree is the biggest, way in the back behind the museum/community center, but near the parking lot. It is perhaps the most well-adapted tree I've found yet, with a classic spire-top appearance. Perhaps thirty years old and forty feet tall, it has full foliage and a huge number of branches. The bottom portion is in partial shade. North Plainfield has not seen farming in 100 years but has some of the best soil in the state, otherwise one has to guess why this tree is doing well. (z7, residential/urban, easily accessible site off of Rt.22 East in North Plainfield). Med
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The base of the same tree--bigger than the picture indicates and very red (see below). It looks like they tie up a dog here, which might explain why the tree is doing so well (watch your step!). The lowest branches are out of reach. There is a mild case of cercospora on the lowest branches. No indications of cones. Med
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Looking up through the tree into a thicket of branches radiating outwards. One of the most heavily branched trees I've found. Med
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The same tree from the other side. Gives a good indication of the lighting here and the dense top. The tree has been able to keep its shape despite the cold winters of the late 70's and early 80's, several blizzards and tropical storm Floyd. The park is near a flood zone and the terrain is very flat. This tree is a good indication that in the right spot Sequoias can do better than much more commonly planted trees here in the East, such as some exotic spruces, firs, pines, etc. Med
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The only indication that something is wrong are a bunch of insect holes in the trunk. Not sure what is burrowing into the tree, but some sap is coming out. It does not appear to be affecting the health of the tree yet. The other three trees did not have the same holes. Med
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Here is the largest of the other three trees. It is not doing as well, probably due to blight and shade. The park has many tall deciduous trees that would shade this and the other two trees during the growing season. There also may be some stumps of removed Sequoias still in the ground, though on later trips they seem to have been removed entirely. The park also has a large Cryptomeria and a eccentrically dilapidated apple tree (I think). This was later removed. No indication on the age of this tree, but probably thirty years if one goes by height and not girth. Has a fair amount of cercospora, particularly in the lower branches, otherwise healthy.

 

Here is the smallest of the three trees in the front lawn of the park, maybe as young as fifteen years. Some of its lower branches have been pruned but is generally healthy. It probably gets the most sun of the three and has an evocative sculptural shape like a pine tree (very western in appearance). The photo doesn't do it justice, but you get a sense of how individualistic these trees can be. This may be a replacement for one of the cut-down trees. It's maybe 12-15' tall with a mild case of cercospora. There is no indication of cone production on any of the trees here. These photos were taken around noon, so the long shadows are due to the approaching winter solstice. A later trip in the summer showed that these trees are heavily shaded most of the day. Med
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Here is the third and scrawniest of the three trees in the front lawn. It probably gets the least amount of sun and has lost a lot of branches to disease. Probably as old (around 30 years) as the other tall trees, but much more slender and uncharacteristic of Sequoias in general (more like a pine). The bleached upper bark is interesting, since this is normally seen on older trees. The top may be dead.

 

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Here is a closeup of the tree above showing the extent of the infection. While occasionally pruned, it is unlikely these trees get sprayed.

 

This is a picture of the little grove, with the small tree in the middle. There is a community center and camera museum on the grounds, which extend to the streets in both directions, but the back may border on private property. Med
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Finding of the the original 'Hazel Smith' tree:

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Here is a photo from some distance of the original "Hazel Smith" tree, now about 45 years old. It is in a private garden of what is left of the Smith's original property. More easily visible from the road in the winter when the leaves are down. Photo taken in Oct 2004.

 

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This is another view of the tree from far away. Hopefully closer pictures can be taken if a tour of the garden can be arranged.

Seed germination techniques update:

Here is the late season photo of one of our leaf mold germinated seeds. It is doing well. For some reason, Botrytis was not a large problem this year for the seedlings despite all the rain, perhaps because temperatures were fairly cool and dry days had low humidity. These guys were protected with wire mesh after being stepped on by deer (largely unscathed) in Nov. One eventually did get crushed by a deer. Med
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Here is another in our group of leaf mold germinated seeds (there were about four seedlings of various sizes that survived the summer). Some evidence of Botrytis is present in the lower branches. They receive almost no sun here in the winter. There was one survivor from this group that made it through the winter (not necessary the one to the left), indicating that 1 in 3 seedlings will survive their first winter outside (excluding the one killed by deer). It grew slowly at first and then extremely well in 2007 and is always protected from wildlife in a cage.

 

Here is a late season photo (Dec 04) of the seedling growing directly in bare mineral soil. Growing conditions here are tough, with commpetition from weeds, overhanging trees, falling leaves and constant soil erosion. This seedling was last seen in Jan 05 just before the seaon's big snowstorm. Another seedling disappeared in Dec 04 soon after this picture was taken, probably by dirt. Juniper seedlings growing nearby are much tougher and better adapted to these conditions. Med
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Class of 2004 seedlings update:

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A small number of seedling were grown in tubes this year to see if the soils used affected survival and growth. In general, richer soils produced larger seedlings, but were more susceptible to Botrytis. The use of sand mixed with peat seemed to help and Botrytis was not a major issue this year. The seedlings even withstood all the extra rain quite well, though Jeffrey Pine seedlings had a very tough time. The best of the Sequoia seedlings is on the left with a smaller one to the right. These were planted in mineral soil.

 

Here is a Sequoia seedling growing in a long tube, with peat on top and various layers of soils of different types below. Not enough seedlings survived in the long tubes to evaluate soil layering. To the right was a surprise Jeffrey Pine seedling, which was from seed left over from another batch of soil that got reused! The only Jeffrey Pine seedling to do well this year. Soils in these tubes are extremely well drained. The sequoias pictured here were eventually planted in the ground late 2006 and did well during 2007, but two were badly damaged by deer late in 2007. Fencing is critical for young trees in high deer areas.

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Here is a fat and happy Calocedrus decurrens seedling growing in a bucket of bark chips, sand and small amounts of other ingredients. It withstood heavy rains that filled the bucket up a couple times before a hole was poked out near the bottom for better drainage. It was supposed to have been planted outside late in the season, but rain and work done on the yard delayed that. Hopefully not too late since it is better to get these in the ground the first year. (It was eventually planted outside but didn't survive being backed over by a lawn mower. Mark plants well when they are small.)

 

Here is a cutting, just after being "planted" in a pot in Oct 2004. It comes from the healthy 4 year old seedling outdoors. Was sprayed every other day and covered with a dome to retain moisture for 4 months and is now next to a sunny window. Very easy, really. We'll see if it roots properly in the next few months since it does not look any different now than it did in this photo. (It did root and was put outside, but the base never hardened properly and succumb to fungal infections late in the summer of 2005.) Med
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Seedling "S" from 2002 update:

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Here is seedling "S" from 2002, the last seedling alive from that year, still happily ensconced in its new, much larger, pot in Sept 2004. Tree doubled in size by end of summer, though it should be planted in the ground next spring or summer. No cuttings taken this year. Maybe next year. Currently waiting out the winter in the garage where soil temps got pretty low in January 2005. (This tree was later donated to a local rescue squad and planted in very heavy clay soil where it continues to grow behind fencing as of late 2007. Enormous trunk growth in 2007 but little height growth. Has been watered by hand during dry spells.)

Further Links:
Exotic Tree Home Page
Giant Sequoia Growing in NJ, NY and PA
More GS Photos in NYC/Philly Area
Photos of Area GS from Middle 2004
Photos of Area GS from Late 2004
Photos of GS Diseases
More Photos of GS Diseases
Conifer Winter Bronzing Photos
GS Photos from Other Photographers
Some Other Exotic Tree Species
Bald Cypress and Dawn Redwood Bark Photos

Germination Trials for growing by seed:
Summary of Tips for Growing GS from Seeds
Environmental Considerations
Germination Trials I
Germination Trials II
Germination Trials III
Germination Trials IV