OCMGT26: deciduous conifers

Hello everyone

I really enjoyed this module, especially talking about woody plants and trees. We have planted several of the species that were talked about. we have a very wet area adjacent to our hayfield' About 5 years ago, we planted 5 Dawn redwoods. only 3 survived due to rodent damage, so we planted more the following year and protected the new ones with the white spiral collars against rodents and a wire cage to protect against deer. Those did well so last year we planted 10 Bad Cypress in another wet area adjacent to our hayfield. Those trees got both the white spiral collar and a wire cage. I am hoping that we had a good survival rate and will know in the next month or so. Both these species are deciduous conifers as they shed their needles. Does anyone else have any experience with these types of trees?

Re: deciduous conifers

por Roberta Andrews - domingo, 15 de marzo de 2026, 22:27

Hi Margaret,

Thank you for sharing your experience, it was really interesting to read about your project. I don’t have a property large enough to plant trees on the scale that you have, especially in wet areas like the ones you described near your hayfield. That said, I really enjoyed learning about your journey with the Dawn redwoods and Bald cypress, and it’s fascinating to hear how you’ve been working through the challenges with rodents and deer.

It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thoughtful effort into protecting the trees with the collars and cages. I’d definitely be interested in hearing how they do this spring and what your survival rate ends up being. It must be exciting to watch them establish over time.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!