botanists around the world. It was widely regarded as "the greatest discovery of botany in 20th century". In 1948, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, through the help of Hu and Cheng, funded an expedition by Chinese collectors to collect seeds. Soon after, seeds were distributed to various universities and arboreta worldwide for growth trials. Presently, a number of natural Metasequoia populations exist in the hills and wetlands of Hubei's Lichuan County. Most of them are small, with fewer than 30 trees each; however, the largest of them, in Xiaohe Valley, is estimated to consist of around 5,400 trees. A few trees are also said to exist in neighboring Hunan Province. Metasequoia in gardens, parks and streets Dawn redwoods are fast-growing trees. They sometimes grow too large in smaller gardens under favorable conditions, but they can be a good choice for a wide range of larger gardens and parks. Although they live in wet sites in their native habitat they will also tolerate dry soils. Unlike most conifers, their deciduous habit means they do not cast too much shade in winter. They are grown as street trees in London and elsewhere. Strawberry Fields is a landscaped section in New York City's Central Park dedicated to Beatle John Lennon. At the northern end of the lawns are three dawn redwood trees. The trees drop their needles each fall and regrow them each spring, a symbol of eternal renewal. The trees are expected to reach a height of , making them visible from great distances. In New York City on East Houston Street at Liz Christy Community Garden, there is a very prominent dawn redwood tree. The tree is said to have been planted by Liz Christy herself in the 1970s. References Further reading Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Metasequoia and Associated Plants, August 6–10, 2006, Metasequoia: Back from the Brink? An Update. Edited by Hong Yang and Leo J. Hickey. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Volume 48, Issue 2 31 October 2007, pp. 179–426. The Reports of the Third International Metasequoia Symposium, August 3 to 8, 2010, Osaka, Japan External links The metasequoia organisation Giant redwoods in the U.K. & 1948. Bulletin of the Fan Memorial Institute of Biology, new series 1: 154. Trees of China Endemic flora of China Extant Maastrichtian first appearances Maastrichtian genus first appearances Conifer genera Deciduous conifers