Lovers of Sequoia sempervirens have attempted to grow coast redwoods all over the world.  While some have been successful, the majority of attempts have ended in failure.  By summarizing the trials and tribulations that many of my readers have suffered after planting redwoods in non-native habitats, I hope to alert others to the problems such cultivations pose.

Coast redwoods are adapted to the wet winters and cool, foggy summers of the northern California and southern Oregon coast.  The summer fog is held in by the coastal mountain range which also serves to catch the winter rains. Therefore, the natural distribution of coast redwoods is limited to a narrow geographical belt only 5-30 miles in width. In addition to their dependence on moisture, coast redwoods are also susceptible to frost damage if subjected to extended periods below freezing.  Prolonged periods of hot weather above 100 degrees can also be lethal.  This lack of adaptation to temperature extremes limits the natural north-south range of the species from southern Monterey County to just over the Oregon border into Curry County.

There are always exceptions to the rule.  Although the summers in the Central Valley of California can be scorchingly hot, ornamental redwoods can be grown there as long as they received adequate irrigation in their younger years.  Once they have matured and their root systems are well established, they will be able to tap the ground water.  I have received e-mail from California readers in Stockton (Central Valley) and Palmdale (western edge of the Mojave Desert) wondering why branches of their small redwoods turned brown and died.  It is very difficult for small trees to get a good start in these hot, dry environments, especially if they get full sunlight most of the day.  Even in the native regions, hotter than average summers can cause otherwise healthy trees to shed some branches.  

Readers from the Pacific Northwest and Connecticut have lost, or are losing, redwoods to sub-freezing climates.  Again, there are exceptions, such as those brought to my attention by Dr. William Libby, Professor Emeritus at UC-Berkeley.  He described some healthy ornamental coast redwoods growing in Seattle, British Columbia, and Denmark, and some tenacious redwoods in very cold regions of Germany and Croatia.  There could be a genetic component to this cold-hardiness or pehaps there is some peculiarity about their planting location that affords them some protection from the elements.

I received an e-mail from a gentleman who told of his 40-year-old redwood in Greenville, South Carolina which is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  In that particular region there is ample year-round rainfall and only occasional frost.  In spite of the warm humid summer climate, it is rare for temperatures to exceed 100 degrees for weeks on end.  Greenville is also far enough inland to be protected from hurricane-force winds that could topple a redwood.  Of all the non-native regions in the United States, the southeast is probably the most promising area for growing coast redwoods.

There are a number of places in the world that have a climate similar to California's north coast.  In fact, commercial redwood plantations have been successful in New Zealand.  However, attempting to cultivate redwoods in extreme climates can be like raising polar bears in Texas or monkeys in Alaska -- it might be possible, but you cannot just put a redwood in the ground and expect it to grow unassisted.