Fire is a natural and necessary part of both the coast redwood and giant sequoia landscapes. 2009). The dawn redwood tree, also known as Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is a native of western China. How to Germinate Dawn Redwood Seeds. A fire gives them 3 things they need for regeneration. For a species with such a small native range, there have been a surprising number of fire history studies in redwood forests. While seeds are produced in enormous quantities seedlings are a great rarity in the Redwood Belt, the densely shaded forest and the ground litter of foliage, often one foot thick, offering most unfavorable conditions for germination. The first one is, it punches a hole in the forest - that allows there to be more light and more water for the sequoia seedlings. You could even buy "sample packets" for the price of 3 dollars from the F.W. Giant sequoias, found in the U.S. Sierra Nevada, require heat from fire to regenerate. Redwood’s Fire Regime . Research has indicated that fire plays an important role in the germination and survival of the giant sequoia. Purchase a packet of Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) or Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia Glyptostroboides - much more hardy than Sequoia Sempervirens)seeds. Even if fire consumes their crowns – lethal for most conifers – the trunk of a redwood can sprout back to life. Schumacher Company in Sandwich, Ma. Fire About the threat. Each of Small, green cones full of seeds awaiting germination grow near the crown of the trees, yet without fire or insects to crack open the cone, the seeds remain trapped inside. Reproduction [of the Coast Redwood] is by means of seeds and stump sprouts. If this happens, they will … Kane (these proceedings) reviewed the fire history studies in coast ... germination requirements for exposed mineral soil, and (Agee 1993, Lorimer et al. Fire helps giant sequoias in many ways. The blaze largely burned the forest floor, which allows for nutrient cycling and allows redwood seedlings to germinate, O’Neil said. When occurring frequently and at low or moderate intensity, fire sustains the health of these forests by preventing overcrowding of trees and understory vegetation; recycling nutrients; stimulating seedling germination in giant sequoia and other plants; and creating … Big Basin, in particular, has benefited from the longest, continuous program of … Our objectives were to: 1) quantify seedling germination and size, and 2) characterize environmental conditions on this site 8 years post-fire. A study of three recent fires in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California found that one site had significantly more redwood seedlings 1 year post-fire than the other two sites (Lazzeri-Aerts and Russell 2014). You can acquire them online. Green cones can live with viable seeds inside them for up to twenty years. Redwood trees are fire-adapted, so the fact that they have burnt does not mean the end of them.