The Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah is undoubtedly in the most unusual climate in my study. Positioned deep in the mountainous American west, it is the only site in my study between St. Louis and California. Brigham Young University (BYU) was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young.

Metasequoias rarely grow in such a mountainous climate. Provo, Utah is on the eastern edge of the Intermountain semiarid region, a large, relatively dry area between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west. East of Provo is the Wasatch mountain range in the Southern Rocky Mountain steppe ecosystem. Provo is within Zone 5, a cooler temperate zone. While winds may be relatively light in the campus itself, the nearby Wasatch range produces very strong winds. Overall the winds in this area are likely above average. Precipitation is below average, and areas to the east and west vary drastically in overall rainfall. Of course the semiarid region to the west is drier, and the mountains to the east receive more rainfall. The dominant soil orders are Aridisols, Entisols, and Mollisols.



Provo is between two climates, a semiarid region and a mountainous region. It is unlikely that Metasequoias would grow well in the middle or either climate, yet on the fringes of both ecosystems the species does grow. The overall conditions are still not favorable. It is likely too windy and too dry for Metasequoias to grow well. But indeed one does grow here at BYU. A seedling from the Arnold Arboretum was planted in 1962 on Arbor Day. The specimen is by the North Campus Drive and is currently 67 feet tall with a base 27 inches in diameter. This is a size greater than many of those in the windy, cold areas around the Great Lakes like Chicago.

Other Metasequoias grow in the Salt Lake City area, including one at Orem and a few around Salt Lake City. This brings me to an interesting story of my Metasequoia journey. In my correspondence with BYU, I learned of a man in Salt Lake City who loves Metasequoias and other Asiatic species a great deal. I spoke with this person and talked about Metasequoias in the Salt Lake City area. The particularly interesting thing about this man is that hes actually in the process of legally changing his name to Metasequoia glytpstroboides. Oh yes, I kid you not. Someone out there is actually more into these trees than I am. I can say without a doubt that I am perfectly content with Matthew Belsky, even if it is a little more Polish than Roman. Actually, how about Cupressus lusitanica? I think it has a nice ring to it, more rings than I could count if I bore a tree open! Wow, way too many tree jokes for me.

I contacted other gardens in the mountainous west in Arizona and Colorado, and the climates there are too arid or too mountainous to harbor metasequoias. While these areas may be too extreme, Metasequoias can tolerate a certain amount of dryness. The other site in my study that is almost semi-arid, and tropical to boot is the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles. BYU and the Huntington share the distinction of harboring Metasequoias in almost semi-arid conditions. Metasequoias are indeed a hardy species.

Brigham Young University

North Campus Drive

Provo, UT 84602

http://www.byu.edu/

Data courtesy Brigham Young University

Back to the Garden Index