Petersfield - College Street (Hampshire)

These two Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) sit on the edge of a car park adjacent to the Physic Garden. The Physic Garden is a small plot, just over a quarter of an acre, that is freely open to the public. It was given to Hampshire Gardens Trust in 1988 by Major John Bowen and is partly laid out with beds of herbs in a formal geometric pattern typical of 17th century physic gardens. These were used by early Apothecarists to grow medicinal plants. In October 2008 The Petersfield Post covered a debate about the identity of these two trees. Someone had, mistakenly I believe, claimed that they were Swamp Cyprus. The fact that the tiny leaves are in opposing pairs rather than alternately spaced along the stem differentiate the Dawn Redwood from the Swamp Cyprus. Both are deciduous pines which is why they are often confused. The article includes a quote from the Petersfield Physic Garden who also believe that the pair are indeed Dawn Redwood. They also confirmed that the trees "were planted in the early 1950s by Major Bowen and they officially became part of the Physic Garden in March 1988."

Common Names and Latin Name	No.	Latitude and Longitude		OS National Grid	Elevation (above sea-level)	Height	Girth	Date Measured
		WGS84	OSGB36
Dawn Redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides	1	N51.00488 W0.93564	N51.00432 W0.93414	SU 74776 23372	199ft (60.67m)	--	2.83m	September 2007
	2	N51.00485 W0.93558	N51.00429 W0.93408	SU 74780 23368	192ft (58.54m)	--	2.77m	September 2007
Girth was measured at 1.5m from ground.