Dawn Redwood – Losing Leaves

Q: I bought a dawn redwood through the Arbor Day website two years ago. It seemed to be thriving until recently. After Thanksgiving, I noticed all the needles had fallen off. But the branches seem to be alive still.

A: It can be troubling when a tree unexpectedly loses its leaves. But unlike a lot of needled trees, dawn redwood is deciduous: it is normal to become bare for winter, just like a maple. Bald cypress is another deciduous needled tree. You can tell them apart because bald cypress had alternate leaves while dawn redwood has opposite leaves. Both will regain their needles in spring.