Station H

A Living Fossil  (U12)

Two of the three redwood species in the world are native to California.  The dawn redwood in front of you is native to China.  It was thought to be extinct, and was only known and studied through fossil records until the 1940's when small populations of this living fossil were found in Hubei Province in central China. 

Unlike the American redwoods, the dawn redwood is deciduous.  Its feathery green foliage turns to copper in November before dropping off by December.