Alpsdake (photographer). 2011. Metasequoia glyptostroboides Autumn Leaf Color in Kasucahi, Aichi, Japan.

The Dawn Redwood stands tall in the plant kingdom as one of earth's few "living fossils." This magnificent tree had been observed only through its fossils until its discovery in 1943. Since then, many efforts have been made to re-distribute this rare species, a sister to the great coast redwoods of California which tower over all of natures' creations at heights greater than 400 feet. As of now, the World Conservation Union has declared the Dawn Redwood as one of 21 critically endangered conifer species. Although the Dawn does not yet have much cultural significance, it is a great example of the collaborative efforts made by botanists worldwide to preserve the diversity our ecosystems. If successfully re-introduced into the wild, the Dawn Redwood could prove to be of more importance than we understand now.