Featuring dawn redwood. Verified occurrence recorded by Redwood World. Marshalls Park holds this example of Dawn Redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides ). Curiously though, although it has a typical, well-formed profile from one direction, viewed from the side it appears to be rather lacking in branches. Perhaps there were once other trees nearby. * * * Update - November 2011 * * * On a return visit to re-measure this tree, a closer inspection revealed that it is in fact a Swamp Cypress ( Taxodium distichum ). My excuse (if I need one) for the mistaken identity is that this was one of the first "Dawn Redwoods" to be found by Redwood World before we had become a little more astute at spotting the differences . Those differences do need a close-up look and the things to look for are that Swamp Cypress have leaves that are not alternately opposed, a trunk much less fluted and knarled, and a more overall feathery type appearance that probably accounted for the comment about the lack of branches in 2005.
Visit information
- Access
- Open to public
- Last verified
- 10 Apr 2026
- Official site
- redwoodworld.co.uk/picturepages/braintree.htm
Redwood species here
Dawn redwood is a deciduous redwood from China, known from fossils before living trees were documented in the 1940s. It reached British collections soon afterwards and is now found in parks, botanic gardens, and arboreta, where its soft summer foliage and rusty autumn colour make it distinct from evergreen giant sequoias and coast redwoods.
Present. A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relativ
Field observations
Photos
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Redwood at Braintree - Marshalls Park
About this place
About Braintree - Marshalls Park
Braintree - Marshalls Park is located in Braintree, Essex, England.
Species Present
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Native to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, giant sequoias were introduced to Britain in the 1850s during the Victorian plant-collecting era. They are the world's most massive trees by volume and have thrived in the UK's mild, wet climate, often growing faster than in their native range. Many Victorian-era plantings now rival mature specimens in California.
Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
The tallest trees on Earth, coast redwoods can exceed 100 metres in their native California. Less common in Britain than giant sequoias, they prefer sheltered, moist locations and can still reach impressive heights in the UK. The tallest known coast redwood in Britain is over 50 metres.
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
A deciduous conifer thought to be extinct until rediscovered in a remote Chinese province in 1941. Seeds were distributed to botanical gardens worldwide in the late 1940s. Unlike its evergreen relatives, the dawn redwood loses its needles in winter, turning a striking copper-bronze in autumn.
Access
This location appears to be publicly accessible. Please check locally for current opening times and any admission charges.
Data sourced from Redwood World (redwoodworld.co.uk) and enriched by Redwood Finder.