38 Majestic Redwood Tree Varieties

Redwood trees are synonymous with Californian forests. However, they are planted in home landscapes across a much greater region. They are some of the world’s largest and tallest trees, yet they are surprisingly adaptable to home landscapes. Apart from their mighty size, they are also valued for their unmatched aesthetic appeal. This makes redwood trees an attractive choice for expansive lawns and gardens.      

However, keep in mind that choosing a tree is akin to welcoming a new pet into your family. And if we talk about the biggest and largest trees in the world, it’s more like opting for a pet elephant. It’s unique and adorable – but gigantic.

The redwood tree is a wonderfully large and majestic species that grows to heights of 250 feet tall. They are one of the most long living trees known, with some specimens being over 2200 years old.

There are many varieties of redwoods, with their ranges varying from cool coastal areas in California to warm temperate zones in Chile.

One thing they all have in common is that they grow well in both wet and dry climates, making them excellent for landscaping purposes around homes. Redwoods also provide food for wildlife such as deer and bears, who eat the needles or seeds which fall on the ground below them.

So, before you plant a redwood tree in your garden, make sure you have space and resources to care for your beloved tree into adulthood. Choosing the right variety that goes with your landscape is very important.

Here, it is important to mention that while there are several varieties of redwood trees, they all fall under three basic types of redwood:

  • Giant Redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
  • Coast Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens)
  • Dawn Redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostrobides)

Read on to learn about the three main types of Redwoods and their several different varieties.  

1. Giant Redwood Wellingtonia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum
  • Height: Up to 310 feet
Giant Redwood Wellingtonia
Rob Andrews Giant Redwood Wellingtonia

Giant Redwoods are mighty awl-shaped trees with an average 35 feet widespread. These trees are abundantly found in the western Sierra Nevada mountain range. However, they can adapt to almost all climates. Also known as California Big Trees, these trees are among the fastest-growing conifer in existence and offer unmatched beauty.

2. Dawn Redwood

  • Metasequoia glyptostroboides
  • Height: Up to 140 feet
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Plant Image Library Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Dawn Redwoods are native to China. They were rediscovered in 1940, after being thought extinct for thousands of years. Dawn redwoods are relatively smaller in size as compared to other redwood species. Unlike the other redwoods, these trees tolerate cold and lose their leaves in winter. They require a lot of water and grow rapidly.  

3. Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens
  • Height: Up to 370 feet
Sequoia sempervirens
Tim Sheerman-Chase Sequoia sempervirens

Coast Redwoods surpass the Giants in height but can’t compete in the girth. They are native to Humboldt County and prefer the cool climate of the coastal regions of northern California. One of the tallest Coast redwood trees, Stratosphere Giant, is about 368.6 feet tall. Another, named Hyperion, reaches up to 379.1 feet. They are also long-lasting. Some of the Coast Redwoods have been documented to be over 2000 years old! 

4. Aptos Blue Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Aptos blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 feet 
Sequoia sempervirens Aptos blue
TNForest Sequoia sempervirens Aptos blue

A beautiful selection of Coast Redwood, Aptos Blue is a strong and fast-growing tree, reaching its mature height in about 10 years. It features pendant branchlets with lovely blue-green foliage. It is broad and upright – a perfect choice for home landscapes.    

5. Majestic Beauty Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Monty’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 – 35 feet 

Majestic Beauty is another Coast redwood cultivar. Its “Majestic Beauty” is often attributed to pendent branches and dense growth. It is an evergreen tree that loves moisture and does exceptionally well in fog-prone areas. Elsewhere, it will require loads of supplemental water, which surprisingly makes it a great lawn tree.   

6. Los Altos Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Los altos’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 – 35 feet

With its lacy deep-green foliage, Los Altos is a magnificent tree cultivar of Coast Redwood. It is an evergreen with heavily textured leaves arrayed on beautiful, horizontal, and arching branches. The bark is reddish-brown and fissured. Like other Coast Redwoods, it produces brown cones in winter. The tree is deer resistant and also attracts a variety of birds.   

7. Simpson’s Silver Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Simpson’s silver’ 
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 20 feet

Simpson’s Silver is a narrow pyramidal Coast Redwood variety. As the name suggests, the foliage is silvery-blue and soft to touch. The leaves adorn horizontal branches with upturned tips. The typical growth rate of Simpson’s Silver is about 70 cm per year in most areas. It is ideal for Hardiness zone 8.

8. Filoli Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘filoli’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 40 feet

Filoli is another fast-growing and sturdy form of Coast Redwood. The upright tree features loose branches and extraordinary, bright, and silver-blue foliage. With an annual growth rate of about 60cm, it is a great choice for a large landscape. The tree is deer resistant and prefers rich, moist, and organic soil.  

9. Woodside Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘woodside blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 – 40 feet

Woodside Coast Redwood, also known as Woodside Blue, is an aromatic tree with dark green foliage and soft, red-brown bark. Barrel-shaped cones generally appear after a year or two of growth. The confer tree produces small green flowers in spring. However, they are of little ornamental value. The tree is fire-prone, so be cautious when planting near your home or areas of high foot traffic.   

10. Santa Cruz Coast Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Santa Cruz’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 40- 60 feet

Native to moist and foggy coastal areas stretching from southern Oregon to San Francisco, Santa Cruz is a massive confer with horizontal branches, deeply furrowed and reddish-brown bark, and dense light green needles. In the west, the tree can reach a height of up to 300 feet. It typically prefers moist but well-drained acidic soil.  

11. Blue Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘glaucum’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 16 feet
Sequoiadendron giganteum Glaucum
Jean-Pol GRANDMONT Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Glaucum’

Blue Giant is a Sequoia with somewhat fastigiated branches and striking blue-green foliage makes for a lovely addition to any landscape. If you reside in one of the colder regions, Blue Giant is the ideal redwood for you as it is cold hardier than most other Giant sequoia cultivars. The annual growth rate is about 45 to 50 cm per year. 

12. Weeping Giant Sequoia 

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘pendulum’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 to 45 feet
Weeping Giant Sequoia
Ryan Somma Weeping Giant Sequoia

The Weeping Giant Sequoia has a massive personality that creates a unique ambiance. Every tree develops differently, growing upright in the beginning only to form a unique loop that grows downward. The foliage hangs like a curtain vertically. The end result is a beautiful narrow, upright tree with cascading branches hanging downwards. The foliage is soft grey-green.

13. Winter Blue Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘winter blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 15 to 20 feet

Winter Blue is another fast-growing conifer featuring a pyramidal, half-open crown that can reach up to 30m and even higher when grown in the ideal conditions. The orange-yellow bark complements the blue-green foliage. The colors become more intense during the winter. The leaves are arranged spirally along with the twigs. 

14. Soquel Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘soquel
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 15 feet

Soquel Redwood, sometimes known as Saratoga, is a conically shaped Coastal Redwood variety. New growth is a bright green but gradually turns darker as the foliage matures. Many people confuse this cultivar with Aptos Blue. However, the key difference lies in the color of the foliage. While Soquel is definitely green, Aptos Blue features blue leaves.   

15. Mt. Loma Prieta Spike Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Loma Prieta spike’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 20 feet

Mt. Loma Prieta Spike is an upright weeping selection of Coast redwood. While closely related to the Weeping Giant, this cultivar has a less meandering growth habit. It grows straight towards the sky, creating a beautiful exclamation point in the landscape. The annual growth rate is about 60 cm.

16. Swarthmore Hardy Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Swarthmore hardy’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 25 to 30 feet

Swarthmore Hardy is a perennial with a woody stem and evergreen foliage. It is one of the most cold-hardy cultivars of Coast redwood, which makes it the perfect choice for landscapes in colder regions. It can be planted as north as southeastern Pennsylvania. 

17. Kelly’s Prostrate Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘kelly’s prostrate’ 
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 1 to 5 feet 

Kelly’s Prostrate is a dwarf, flat prostrate variety of Coast Redwood. Instead of reaching out for the sky like most Redwoods, this cultivar hugs the ground, growing significantly wide than tall. All branches grow horizontally, making it an excellent groundcover for landscapes, particularly in Hardiness zones 7 to 9.  

18. Cantab Prostrate Redwood

  • Sequoia sempervirens ‘Cantab
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 4.5 feet

Cantab Prostrate Redwood is another unusual dwarf form of Coast Redwood. It is a slow-growing cultivar that grows in a globe or globose shape. It is a compact tree with dense branches and distinctive thick, fleshy needles. The foliage is variegated cream or white. The annual growth rate is about4 10 15 cm.  

19. Albospicata Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘albospicata’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 5 to 8 feet 

Albospicata Giant is a shrub conifer with evergreen foliage. It also goes by the name of Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Argenteum’. It is a unique slow-growing redwood ideal for planting in a pot or container. The tree grows in a compact glob shape with variegated, white, or green foliage. It grows about 15cm in a year.

20. Barabit’s Requiem Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘barabits requiem’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 40 to 50 feet 

Barabit’s Requiem Giant Sequoia has a bizarre growth pattern with more or less horizontal branches hanging down in an undulating pattern. Twigs hang straight down, creating a unique appearance. Sometimes, the trunk also grows in an undulating pattern. The tree is closely related to the Weeping Giant. However, while it is stronger in every aspect, it is more difficult to transplant.    

21. Blauer Eichzwerg Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘blauer eichzwerg’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 2 to 3 feet

With short, symmetrical branching and blue-grey foliage, Blauer Eichzwerg Giant Sequoia is a dwarf variety. The foliage changes color in the winter, turning more grey than blue once the temperature drops. The conifer is ideal for growing in a limited space. The annual growth rate is about 5 to 8 cm.

22. Bultinck Yellow Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Bultinck yellow’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 8 to 10 feet

A relatively new variety of Giant Sequoia, Bultinck Yellow grows into the Perfect wide pyramidal form, producing striking lemon yellow growth in the spring. The bright yellow color gradually fades into the light green during the summer before turning to a darker shade of green in the fall. The evergreen tree adds aesthetic value throughout the year. It is also resistant to deer and rabbits.  

23. Exceptionally Blue Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Exceptionally blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 10 feet 

Exceptionally Blue Giant Sequoia is impressively large and distinctively blue. Like almost all Redwoods, this evergreen tree loves the sun and prefers well-drained soil. It is also verticillium wilt-resistant and deer-resistant. Ideal for growing in Hardiness zones 6a – 8b.

24. Powder Blue Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘powder blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 15 feet 

A robust selection of Giant Redwood, Powder Blue features beautiful blue foliage. It grows to massive proportions following a broad upright or oval growth shape. The tree is also known to produce large seed cones. The annual growth rate is about 16 to 20 inches every year.  

25. French Beauty Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘French beauty’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 10 feet

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘French Beauty’ is an extraordinary Giant Redwood variety. The random white tips add a whimsical touch to the tree while the showy white variegation resembles snow year-round. The tree starts out rather bushy, but eventually attains a beautiful tree form. It prefers loads of sun and rich, well-drained soil. 

26. Greenpeace Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Greenpeace
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 10 to 20 feet

Greenpeace Giant Sequoia is an attractive conifer tree featuring bright green, lawn green foliage. The foliage is evergreen while the tree is resistant to birds, deer, and rabbits. The tree has a narrow growth habit and enjoys an annual growth rate of about 1 to 2 feet.  

27. Hazel Smith Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘hazel smith’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 20 to 30 feet
Sequoiadendron giganteum Hazel Smith
Jmeny Sequoiadendron giganteum Hazel Smith

Hazel Smith is a fast-growing Giant Sequoia with highly attractive and extremely blue foliage. It is selected for its cold hardiness and good vigor. It grows in a pyramidal shape at an annual growth rate of about 3 feet in most areas. Mature specimens form massive trees in due time.   

28. Lacy Blue Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘lacy blue’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 14 to 20 feet

Lacy Blue Giant Sequoia features thin powdery-blue branchlets that give this Giant Redwood a delicate, lacy look. The tree is evergreen with a pyramidal growth pattern. It is verticillium wilt-resistant, deer-resistant, and rabbit-resistant. It prefers suns and is ideal for growing in Hardiness zones 6a to 9b.

29. Luzi Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Luzi’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 10 feet

If lack of space is keeping you from growing a beautiful Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Luzi’ may be the perfect solution for you. It is one of the slow-growing cultivars with refreshing, bright green foliage. Thanks to its small size and slow growth, it fits well in smaller areas. The tree features an upright, conical form. 

30. Phillip Curtis Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Philip Curtis’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 10 to 17 feet

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Philip Curtis is a Giant Redwood variety known for its lovely conical shape and green foliage. The tree prefers full sun but also tolerates half shade. It is hardy under -20°C and enjoys dry and humid conditions. The best month to prune your Phillip Curtis is March. 

31. Von Martin Giant Sequoia

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Von Martin’ 
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 1 to 5 feet 

Von Martin is a dwarf selection of the mighty Giant Sequoia. However, it is not a true dwarf, growing at about 1/4 the rate of parent species. The distinctive seafoam-green foliage sets it apart from most other varieties. The tree is conically shaped with a uniform branching pattern. It has an annual growth rate of about 1 to 6 inches of growth per year. 

32. Pygmaeum Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Pygmaeum’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 3 feet

Another dwarf variety of Giant Redwood, Pygmaeum Redwood features medium green foliage and attains a globe or globose shape. It is a very slow-growing tree or growing which makes it an ideal choice for bonsai. It also thrives well in patio pots. Place your Pygmaeum Redwood in a sunny location for best results.  

33. Argentea Spicata Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Argentea Spicata’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 3 to 5 feet

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Argentea Spicata’ is a variegated cultivar with a broad, pyramidal growth habit. The tree is compact with thin twigs, which often causes a tangled outlook at the bottom of the trunk. The foliage has white-colored strips that add a whimsical look to the tree.

34. Bajojeka Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘bajojeka’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 3.5 to 5 feet

A dwarf variety of Giant Redwoods, Bajojeka Redwood presents a unique overhanging form. The branches spread out horizontally in a manner that makes sure that the trunk is easily visible. The foliage is green-blue in color. The tree is cold hard up to -25 ° C.

35. Cannibal Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Cannibal’ 
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 4.5 to 5 feet

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Cannibal’ is a slow-growing, conical Giant Redwood. It features an open, sparsely branched crown. Branches have slender twigs that do not split any further. The tree has grey-green foliage. The annual growth rate is about 15cm of growth every year. 

36. Little Stan Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘little stan’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 12 inches 

As the name suggests, Little Stan is a miniature evergreen conifer with upright growth. It has grey-green foliage that grows in a somewhat irregular form. The tree is a remarkably tiny form of the Giant Redwood. It prefers full sun. However, it is cold hardy up to -23 ° C.

37. Pevé Bonsai Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘pevé bonsai’
  • Average Height at 10 Years: 1 to 3 feet 

Pevé Bonsai Redwood is a bonsai variety. It prefers moist soil and moisture. However, refrain from overwatering your plant. Choose a sunny spot for your Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘pevé bonsai’ to see the best results.

38. Variegatum Redwood

  • Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘variegatum’
  • Average height at 10 Years: 1 to 3 feet

Variegatum Redwood is a big, conical tree featuring fragrant, needle-like foliage. The leaves are a refreshing shade of yellow – perfect to add bright colors to any landscape. These trees prefer deep, moist soil with a high level of air humidity. They also appreciate loads of sun.