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The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in Windsor, Connecticut shows that Metasequoias can grow quickly in the fairly cold area of central Connecticut. The station has three locations - at the New Haven Laboratories in New Haven, the Valley Laboratory in Windsor, and Lockwood Farm, in Hamden. The Valley Laboratory in Windsor - a town in the middle of the state - participated in my study. The CAES is a public research institution that was established in 1875. Their work includes the development of hybrid corn, which led to the discovery of vitamin A. Additionally the station has contributed to important work on understanding the diseases that ticks and mosquitoes transmit. Other work includes reducing pesticide use, controlling invasive species, and other safety issues. |
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The site at the Valley Laboratory station in Windsor received a single specimen from Hoffman's Nursery which was planted in 1973, just two years before my cut-off date. This tree has grown successfully, reaching a respectable size of 75 feet in height with a base 22 inches in diameter, in just 32 years. So while having a single tree that is 75 feet tall may not seem overtly impressive, the fact that this tree was able to grow in Connecticut is fairly significant. Along with the Connecticut College Arboretum, the CAES proves Metasequoias can grow in Hardiness Zone 5, and furthermore, can grow in areas with fairly strong winds and somewhat above average precipitation. Perhaps if the balance were tipped a bit more towards extreme conditions the trees may not have done well, but they grow well. The CAES is an institution that primarily concentrates on fixing nature’s problems and the problems inflicting nature. They are not really a public garden, but a laboratory. It has produced significant developments that have helped the people of Connecticut for over 100 years. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station 153 Cook Hill Road Windsor, CT 06095 |
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