Coast Redwood or Sequoia
Sequoia sempervirens (TAXODIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Coast Redwood Trees
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow coast redwood or sequoia trees in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Foliage, cones, and seeds of coast redwood or sequoia
- Growing conditions for coast redwood or sequoia
- When to plant coast redwood or sequoia
- How to plant coast redwood or sequoia
- How to prune coast redwood or sequoia
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of coast redwood or sequoia
- Landscape uses of coast redwood or sequoia
- Pest and disease control for coast redwood or sequoia
Growing Coast Redwood Trees
Single species of fast-growing, pyramid-shaped, narrow, coniferous, evergreen trees, sometimes to 360 ft. (110 m) tall but seldom more than 100 ft. (30 m) tall in landscape use, and with trunks to 50 ft. (15 m) in diameter but usually less than 5 ft. (1.5 m) wide, with shiny, flat, blue green, deep green needles, 3/4–1 in. (19–25 mm) long, with silvery undersides, and with thick, fibrous, red, fissured bark.
In landscape use, coast redwoods quickly gain both height and girth. Trees 20 years old may reach 70 ft. (21.3 m) tall and 3 ft. (90 cm) in diameter, or more.
Two related species, the deciduous conifer dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides; and the evergreen conifer giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, both with great size and similar general appearance, are ancient remnants of once-worldwide prehistoric forests. The first recognizable Sequoia redwood left its imprint in the fossil record 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic geologic period.
Coast Redwood Planting and Care Guide
Flowering and Cones
Stemless, drooping, spikelike male cones and tiny, round, chocolate brown, stemmed female cones, to 3/4 in. (19 mm) long, appear in spring, ripening in summer, containing scaly, winged, seldom fertile seed.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 7–10. Best in mild year-round climates with ample humidity.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich–average. 5.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full to filtered sun. Space 7–12 ft. (2.2–3.7 m) apart.Planting: Full sun. Space 5 ft. (1.5 m) apart in zones 6–8; space 8–12 ft. (2.4–3.7 m) apart in zones 9–11.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize annually. Prune suckers. Protect from heat. Propagate by burls, cuttings, seed, suckers.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, groups, screens in meadow, seaside, turfgrass, woodland gardens. Drops cones, needles, requiring maintenance. Shallow rooted. Pest and disease resistant. Chlorosis susceptible.