6. South of Steinhardt Conservatory

Dawn Redwood grove (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Dr. Ma with specimen in China.

Until 1941, botanists believed the dawn redwood was an extinct prehistoric species; only fossil remains had been found. Imagine their surprise that year when a stand of dawn redwoods was discovered growing in China—it was like finding a living dinosaur in Yellowstone Park. Among the scientists closely studying this critically endangered tree is Dr. Jinshuang Ma, a plant taxonomist at BBG and one of the foremost scholars of the dawn redwood.

Notable Neighbors:

• 6A. Dawn redwood grove (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
• 6B. White willow (Salix alba 'Tristis')
• 6C. Yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava)

Inside the Conservatory:

• Akee Tree (Blighia sapida)
• Dragonsblood Tree (Pterocarpus officinalis)
• Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
• Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
• Mesquite Tree (Prosopis glandulosa)