The Dawn redwood Tree
Until 1941 the Dawn Redwood was known to scientists only from its fossilised remains and was believed to be extinct. Chinese botanists found more than 100 large specimens growing in Hupeh province and seed has been collected and distributed to various institutes interested in propagating the trees.
It was discovered that the Dawn Redwood can easily be reproduced by cuttings and it is now widely planted in Britain although does not grow so well in Scotland's climatic conditions.
The historical importance of the former Craigleith Quarry was brought to the attention of Sainsbury's in 1992, when they purchased part of the Quarry site, by the Lothian and Borders RIGS Group, and Sainsbury's incorporated into their development the following:-
- Planted 10 Dawn Redwood trees along the front of the store.
- Modern day carvings of carboniferous tree stems and leaves at the entrance to the store by Rienhard Behrens (artist)
- Commissioning James Ritchie, Sculptor to produce the stone alphabet located on the curved wall at the entrance to the retail park from Craigleith Road.
- Geological Trail at the back of the store.
- Leaflet on Craigleith Quarry.
The story is told that Sainsbury's acquired 10 Dawn Redwoods(Metasequoia glyptrotroboides) in "root ball form" from Germany and planted them along the front of the store, commemorating the finding of several fossil trees Pitys withamii) 290 million years old in the quarried stone between 1835 and 1865.
The ten Dawn Redwood trees are well protected by iron rails and surrounded at the base with iron gratings to allow the trees to obtain water, considering their location, and compared to the Dawn Redwoods in the Botanic fossil garden they are doing well.
Close up of the leaf of the Dawn Redwood