Tree Spotlight: Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood

One of the best sights in the world is looking across a landscape and seeing a wide variety of trees – shapes, sizes, and colors. But not all trees are equal, and not all trees are cut out for urban landscapes.

That’s why we’re putting the spotlight on the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood—a tree that combines striking seasonal beauty with urban-ready resilience. From its golden fall foliage to its stately presence year-round, it’s a standout choice for planners, foresters, and homeowners alike.

Quick Links:

• A Quick Recap of Urban Forestry Challenges
• Redwood with a Twist: The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood
• Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood: Growing Details and Quick Facts
• Traits That Make Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood Urban-Ready
• The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood Strategic Role in a Diverse Tree Plan
• Landscape Uses for Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood
• A Four-Season Showstopper: The Beauty of the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood

A Quick Recap of Urban Forestry Challenges

In our in-depth examination of the European Hornbeam, we explored some of the challenges confronting urban forestry teams. We’ll just take a quick look at that here again as a refresher because these challenges aren’t going anywhere, and regardless of the tree you choose, we’re still all trying to solve for these concerns.

Urban forestry is a balancing act. Not only do city forestry teams need to make the right choices for long-term resilience and canopy health, but they must also balance beauty, performance, and survivability in environments that are often tough on trees.

Key challenges include:

• Limited planting space — narrow medians, sidewalks, and utility conflicts restrict tree selection.
  
  
• Heat island effects — urban surfaces intensify heat stress and increase water demand.
  
  
• Drought and water restrictions — especially in western cities where irrigation is limited.
  
  
• Soil compaction and poor quality — urban soils often lack the structure and nutrients trees need.
  
  
• Pests and diseases — reliance on too few species increases vulnerability.
  
  
• Community expectations — trees must deliver shade, beauty, and ecological services quickly.

Against these challenges, adaptable, resilient, and low-maintenance trees like the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood stand out as valuable allies for urban forestry teams.

Redwood with a Twist: The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood

The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) has one of the most remarkable histories among the world's trees. Once thought extinct and known only through fossils, it was rediscovered in the 1940s in a remote valley of central China.

From there, seeds were widely distributed to help it thrive again. Today, it’s recognized as a versatile, fast-growing, highly adaptable landscape tree.

Then there’s the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘WAH-08AG’), a modern cultivar selected for its distinctive golden-green foliage, which stands in stark contrast to the classic green Dawn Redwood.

Perhaps more important than the color itself is the fact that the color remains consistent throughout the season without scorching, a quality increasingly important in the dry West.

Its name, Amber Glow, reflects the warm, glowing tones of its foliage, which shift with the seasons and offer an ornamental touch to a tree with prehistoric roots. The modern cultivar was bred to combine the ancient lineage of the Dawn Redwood with traits that fit today’s more challenging landscapes.

Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood: Growing Details and Quick Facts

Cultivars are typically selected for unique and desirable features. In this case, the Amber Glow was cultivated for both! In short, it’s not just a pretty face (though some of its appeal is ornamental).

The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood brings both visual interest and adaptability to urban landscapes. Perhaps the most crucial element? While it carries the ancient lineage of Metasequoia, this tree is sized for today’s urban and suburban settings, which means beauty without overwhelming a site or crowding out other trees or landscaping.

Mature Height: 20–30 feet (smaller than standard dawn redwoods)
Growth Rate: Fast (2–3 feet per year under favorable conditions)
Soil Preference: Moist, well-drained soils; tolerates clay with good drainage
Sun Preference: Full sun to light shade
Water Needs: Moderate to high during establishment; more drought-resilient once mature
Strengths: Golden spring scorch-resistant foliage with a feathery texture, multi-season color, and resilience in diverse conditions
Weaknesses: Needs supplemental water early on; not ideal for extremely dry or compacted soils
Lifespan: 100+ years under favorable conditions
Tree Growing Zones: Zone 5–9

We briefly mentioned it’s an ornamental, but that doesn’t quite seem like enough. The truth is, the golden leaves in the spring grow increasingly brighter through the season, and then, in the fall, they glow with bronze to copper tones. 

Regardless of season, it’s a show-stopper. And, as noted, its upright, moderately narrow size makes it a versatile choice for cityscapes, from parks and boulevards to other urban areas where space and resilience both matter.

Traits That Make Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood Urban-Ready

Most folks see the “redwood” in the name and expect the giants we are all pretty familiar with. What sets Amber Glow apart from its ancient relatives is how well it fits into modern cityscapes. This cultivar strikes a balance between resilience and beauty, making it a strong contender for urban planting projects.

Urban-Ready Tree Traits:

• Compact Size – Reaches 20–30 feet, far more manageable than the towering species form.
  
  
• Sun & Heat Tolerance – Golden foliage resists scorching, even in the hottest summer days.
  
  
• Narrow, Upright Form – Ideal for boulevards, streetscapes, and tighter planting sites.
  
  
• Moderate Drought Resilience – Withstands dry spells better than many ornamental trees once established.
  
  
• Low Maintenance – Naturally disease- and pest-resistant, requiring fewer interventions.
  
  
• Four-Season Interest – Distinct foliage shifts from golden to chartreuse to copper, adding visual value across the year.

The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood Strategic Role in a Diverse Tree Plan

Cities tracking their urban canopies through tree inventories recognize that it’s a valuable tool in helping to ensure canopy diversity. No single species can carry the canopy, and diversity is the cornerstone of resilience, helping guard against pests, diseases, and climate extremes.

The Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood plays an important supporting role in this strategy by filling spaces (even smaller ones!) where traditional canopy trees may not thrive. And, in an increasingly hot climate, scorch-resistant leaves that provide year-round beauty are a big selling point.

How Amber Glow Supports Canopy Goals

• Adds Structural Diversity – As a deciduous conifer, it brings canopy texture usually reserved for maples, oaks, or lindens.
  
  
• Fits Challenging Sites – The compact size and upright form make it a great fit where larger shade trees are impractical, such as narrow rights-of-way.
  
  
• Extends Seasonal Value – Golden spring foliage and copper fall tones provide visual interest outside of peak leaf seasons.
  
  
• Climate Adaptability – Performs well in both cool and warm climates, helping create canopy resilience.
  
  
• Supports Long-Term Canopy Health – Low-maintenance and pest-resistant. Reduces the risk of large-scale canopy loss.

Landscape Uses for Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood

One of the best aspects of the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood is its versatility as a landscaping tree. It’s ornamental, but it’s not just a showpiece. Whether public or private landscapes, its unique form and seasonal color make them an excellent choice for a variety of goals.

Recommended Landscape Uses:

• Streetscapes & Boulevards – Upright form fits narrow urban corridors.
  
  
• Parks & Civic Spaces – Adds seasonal interest and texture to larger landscapes.
  
  
• Specimen Plantings – Works as a focal point with a dramatic foliage display.
  
  
• Mixed Canopy Projects – Supports diversity while providing mid-sized canopy structure.

A Four-Season Showstopper: The Beauty of the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood

From spring through fall, the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood brings a striking mix of form, color, and texture to any landscape. Its needles, feathery and green, emerge in spring, shift to warm golden-amber in summer, and deepen to coppery tones in autumn, creating year-round interest year after year.

Upright yet graceful, it’s all the majesty of a sequoia in a smaller form. That means it works beautifully in streetscapes or as part of a diverse urban canopy plan.

If you’re ready to make your landscape stand out, contact SuperTrees to learn more about the Amber Glow® Dawn Redwood or explore other trees for your city or property.

Fall is the perfect time to plant. It gives your trees the head start they need for a thriving future!