Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' (Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Ogon dawn redwood, golden metasequoia.

More about dawn redwood 'ogon'

About Dawn Redwood 'Ogon'

Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' · also called Ogon dawn redwood, golden metasequoia · flowering

The original Japanese golden dawn redwood, selected in the 1970s and sold in the West largely as 'Gold Rush' (the two are the same clone). This deciduous living-fossil conifer carries feathery sprays of glowing yellow needles that deepen through summer in sun and turn rich orange-brown in autumn. Fast, upright and luminous as a specimen.

Cold limit: USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree) · RHS H6 (-29 to 35°C)

What dawn redwood 'ogon''s hardiness rating actually means

Yes — dawn redwood 'ogon' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for dawn redwood 'ogon' as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can dawn redwood 'ogon' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree) and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when dawn redwood 'ogon' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is dawn redwood 'ogon' cold hardy?

Yes — dawn redwood 'ogon' is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree), it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' is hardy across USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree); it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature dawn redwood 'ogon' can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is dawn redwood 'ogon'?

Dawn Redwood 'Ogon' is rated USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree) and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can dawn redwood 'ogon' survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 5-8 (outdoor landscape tree) and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to dawn redwood 'ogon' below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.