Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides, if I spelled it right) is probably hardy for your area. Bet it grows a little slower than mine due to tip die back in your most severe early and late frosts, but it should live.

Do some looking and you can mail order one for $20 to check out either.

Here is a link that might be useful: Only trust university websites. The rest are there to sell you things.

You are zone 5. Redwoods are hardy to zone 8. Sierra redwoods Sequoiadendron giganteum to zone 7.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides to 5b, so you'd have to use The Google to narrow your zone (use Arbor Day map), altho likely soon man-made climate change will make most of the LP likely.

Dan

Thanks guys..

Ken- good idea. I have a juniper I dug up from my yard.. little baby I was thinking about bonsai-ing.. don't know why I didnt think about that earlier. Maybe I'll join the local bonsai society. ;)

Thanks again.

I think you should definately listen to those more knowledgeable than me but I wanted to mention I have had good growth in zone 6 with no dieback on the big sequoia giganteum if you have a microclimate of extra protection it may be worth a try. I'm one of those who tries to stretch zones sometimes sometimes you win sometimes you don't.

Poaky1- Good idea.. the seed was like $2.00.. not like it would break me. ;) We will see what happens.. Perhaps I should try to get it to sprout first lol. Im a bit ambitious I suppose.

Thanks again!

I bet there are Sequoiadendron giganteum growing somewhere in Michigan, I thought I saw a pic of a nice one from Michigan. Sequoia Sempervirens would have to brought inside during winter, but you could try it in a pot just for the heck of it.

The eastern North American native version is Taxodium. Unless Metasequoia is more hardy, that might be your best bet.

There has been quite a bit of discussion of Sequoiadendron in the East on here in the past, blight problems seemed to be a factor even when trees had survived cold winters for years.

Even here we may see dead leaders some years on ones that have been in place a long time. I assume this to be cold related but do not know for sure. Might have something to do with our cool summers, the leaders not hardening off fully before cold comes.

I have been growing a coast redwood since 2005, and what I do, is I bring it indoors every winter. The one I have was originally 8 inches tall, now it around 35 inches. I have it spend all its spring/summer/fall outside in a large container in full sun... then when it starts to get cold, I bring it indoors, to a room that gets medium light, and is the coldest room in the house.. Surprisingly the tree has done very well using this process over the last 5 years.. I finally put the tree outside last year, and it was able to survive a winter!

If you have seeds, I would try and get them to grow over the winter, once you get a couple sprouts, have them grow indoors, under lights, for this whole winter and then in the spring bring them outside and let them grow for that whole spring/summer/fall of 2011. If you start the seeds now, you should sow them for 1000 hours (i think)... and then plant. The seedlings grow very fast, and should be put into larger pots as it gets larger. I had one last year grow from seed to 2 feet tall, in only 7 months or so.

I am still fairly new at this and im not sure if all the info given is correct.
..but good luck!

J

Locally grown taxodium, bald cypress, is your best bet percentage wise. I think metasequoia has a neater story and is a little more........ well i just like its gnarly buttressed trunk and organized opposite arranged foliage. I can see where the trunk would be a draw back in a polite suburban setting. Answer to that is limbing it up from an early age though

"There has been quite a bit of discussion of Sequoiadendron in the East on here in the past, blight problems seemed to be a factor even when trees had survived cold winters for years.

Even here we may see dead leaders some years on ones that have been in place a long time. I assume this to be cold related but do not know for sure. Might have something to do with our cool summers, the leaders not hardening off fully before cold comes"

Not cold, nor cool summers; this doesn't happen in e.g. Scotland where summers are even cooler. Dead tops do happen in England and further south in Europe, most often on isolated trees, and are usually attributed to either lightning, urban pollution, or summer drought.

Previous contributors here have mentioned there's some good Sequoiadendron at Manistee, right on the shores of Lake Michigan, where they benefit from lake effect snow to protect the roots from winter cold.

Resin

Off subject: Chamaecyparis pisifera would be a great candidate to grow. Until recently I haven't been able to find plants or seed, but I found seed this week. Same type of gorgeous reddened bark with excellent evergreen foliage as well. Here's that website if anyone is interested. I paid 15 dollars for the shipping btw and 10 dollars for the seed (100 seeds). Very expensive, however and a big however at that, when the only opportunity comes along you need to snag it. I've been looking for a seedling or seeds for probably three years. This Genus/species would be pristine in the climate(s) of Michigan as well as all throughout the Mid-west.

Dax

Here is a link that might be useful: White River Source

Your state lists a Sequoiadendron in Manistee Mi as a champion tree at 90 plus feet tall.Pineresin has a good memory,back in 2005 I visited MI just to see this tree,there were 3 other Sequoia's growing near it as well as a Dawn Redwood.
This lead me to try growing some at my place in eastern WI about 10 miles west of lake Michigan.I have had many fail but about 1 out of 10 made it through a couple of winters,with a Hazel Smith variety surviving 5 winters and is now 7feet 6inches tall.I also have a Barabits Requium,Glaucum,Bultinck Yellow and a second Hazel Smith that have all made it through at least 2 winters,and 10 Sequoia's of no particular variety that have also made it through at least 2 winters with a couple of them at roughly 5 feet tall.
I have tried many methods of protection,such as burying them in snow,mulching heavily,and with planting them in shaded wind protected areas,all with positive results.Planting in areas of good soil moisture that lasts long into the summer,but is it not swampy,also helps survival.

I also found out that there were 3 Sequias growing on the Silver Lake College campus that were in the 30-50 foot tall range.These trees were cut down due to building projects.Silver Lake College is about 25 miles north of were I live.

lp

I'd heard that Sequoia sempervirens (Redwood) was hardy to zone 7, Sequoiadendron giganteum (Sequoia) to zone 5. So the former likely wouldn't make it, but the latter has a shot if you want to try that one.

I'm trying Sequoia sempervirens at my parents in Jersey... officially they are zone 6b, but for the last 20 years have been more like 7a/b. Last winter they never dropped below 13 degrees (but still managed over 50 inches of snow). The individuals I had planted out of doors survived that winter and one did OK through the summer (with much irrigation, necessary due to this past summer being the 5th driest on record). I'm interested to see how it will handle the coming winter, which will almost certainly reach the single digits at least. It hasn't been below zero at my parents in over 16 years.

The schedel gardens in Elmore Ohio have a fantastic group of redwoods growing and they are very tall! Deffinatley worth the short trip to take a look at them!

The trees growing at Schedel gardens are Metasequoia (dawn redwood).

There are three distinct species of trees commonly referred to as 'redwoods' and their hardiness and growing requirements are equally distinct. So it is pretty critical to obtaining correct information to refer to them by their proper botanical name rather than the generic term "redwood". Coast redwood, Sequoia sempervirens (the tree the OP was asking after), is the least hardy and the most picky about its growing requirements so is far less adaptable to situations very divergent from its natural habitat. Not at all likely to survive very long in Michigan.

My Seq Giganteum died, but, I think it was my fault, I may have gotten too close with Roundup on a windy day, I know, very dumbass thing to do. I am not SURE that was it, but, our neighbors dog used to pee on it alot too. So I can't give any reports on how it is doing now. I do have to add that Dawn Redwood does look great also, gets a nice big buttressed trunk, usually it does. If you have room try more than one type of tree, the Sequoia Giganteum and the Bald Cyp. and Dawn Redw. Good Luck if you are still doing this project.

Probably best to stick to those "Redwood" kin that are adapted to humid, hot, generally wet Summers. As stated above, Bald Cypress (Taxodium) and Dawn Reds (Metasequoia) are very hardy and robust trees. (I know Dawn Reds grow from North Florida to northern Maine on the coast.) BUT, Metasequoia can leaf out early and get hit by late frosts. The native North American Taxodium may be a better selection if your climate extremes are not mitigated somewhat by water (oceans, large lakes, etc.) I grow both of these species. Both are beautiful trees. Dawn Reds offer..., FAST growth, great autumn foliage, and that Jurassic park effect. They are also more shade tolerant than Taxodium. Bald Cypress is more moderate in growth but is, in some respects, of more elegant form (in my opinion). Both are good in saturated soils. I love both and would not be able to select one over the other in my particular yard. I also have a containerized Coastal Red which I may attempt in the ground come the Spring.

Good luck, and Happy Holidays!

Old, old post. But if any one is interested in a Sequoia in Michigan. Check the Michigan State University Botanical Gardens. The north edge there is a 100'+ Giant Sequoia. You can't miss it. Massive tree, but still just a baby.

Mario, are you sure on the size of the Sequoia at MSU (100'+), or would that be a Metasequoia? IIRC, the Sequoia near Manistee is still listed as the state champion.

https://www.giant-sequoia.com/gallery/usa/michigan/

coast redwood "swarthmore hardy" and giant redwood "hazel smith" are likely the most cold hardy

"'

"There has been quite a bit of discussion of Sequoiadendron in the East on here in the past, blight problems seemed to be a factor even when trees had survived cold winters for years.

Even here we may see dead leaders some years on ones that have been in place a long time. I assume this to be cold related but do not know for sure. Might have something to do with our cool summers, the leaders not hardening off fully before cold comes'

"Not cold, nor cool summers; this doesn't happen in e.g. Scotland where summers are even cooler".

I've had some experience growing Sequoias in northern Indiana and have had blight issues that can actually be fatal. I believe it's the long, hot and very humid summers that do this. I have had good luck spraying the foliage with a systemic fungicide. That has generally taken care of it. However, it has been the combination of extreme cold and high winds that killed my trees. I have now planted a strain of Sequoia known as "Hazel Smith" that is credited with being hardy to zone 5 so we'll see. The Hazel Smiths now have only one season under their belt.

Regards,

Fred M. Cain,

Topeka, IN

They seem to love humidity, maybe just NOT hot summers. I had one growing here in Pa, but, I think it's sensitive to using Roundup around it, I may have gotten too close with Roundup, or the wind may have made for drift of it onto the tree, I know REALLy dumb move, but, if you are zone 6 or above, it should be fine as for cold. I know someone in Michigan who is zone 6, but, they are in a concrete jungle type situation.

There is a nice Dawn Redwood at the Museum of Art in Indianapolis on the Lilly Estate