A genus of coniferous trees of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae), formerly referred to the obsolete Taxodiaceae family. It is not evergreen, sheds needles for the winter. It is widely distributed as a garden and park culture in the USA, Canada, and a number of European countries.
An ornamental tree reaching a height of 35 m and a trunk thickness of 2 m. Characteristic features: crown - densely branched; cone-shaped in young plants, broad-conical in adults; bark - from yellow-brown to dark brown, peeling off in thin flaps in the lower part, wrinkled; branches - opposite, smooth, not pubescent; needles - soft, slightly pointed, 1-3 cm long; on shortened shoots it is arranged in two rows, on elongated ones — spirally. Spring light green needles change color to dark green by autumn. Before falling, it turns pale yellow, red, red-brown, giving the tree a particularly decorative appearance.
Metasequoia is a monoecious plant. It begins to bloom in May. Male cones are small, rounded, grouped at the base of the terminal shoot in several pieces. Female cones are solitary, hanging on long petioles, have a round-shaped shape. The average length is 2.5 cm. Cones appear on trees at the age of 6-9 years and give germinating seeds.
The metasequoia is growing quite fast. The height of the tree reaches 3 m by the age of 5, and in 10-15 years it is 10-12 m.
Shade-tolerant, but grows better in well-lit places. A place protected from cold winds is necessary. Does not like to grow in close proximity to other trees. Soil: sandy loam and loam. It is moisture–loving, prefers moist well-drained acidic soils, does not like stagnation of water, pH 4.5 - ideal acidity.