This tree is a remarkable recent discovery (2012). With a diameter of 1.59m it is the third largest recorded dawn redwood in New Zealand being surpassed by a tree at 'Tupare' in New Plymouth at 1.76 diameter (see record TR/0711) and a Blenheim tree (see MR/0973). With a Champion Tree Score of 276 points this tree ranks nationally 5th equal along side the prominent Queens Garden tree in Nelson NNR/0691 and the Wanganui, Kowhai Park tree WGR/0722.

Former owners of the property from 1952 - 2010, Dr. Ron and Catherine Caughey, inherited a well established collection of trees from the previous owner. In her book 'World Wanderer' Catherine Caughey quotes the former owners having burnt off gorse in 1940. She then comments ‘The owners were keen gardeners and there were 600 different varieties of plants and trees, the rarest being the Dawn Cypress(sic)’.

It is likely that this tree is one of the first generation specimens in New Zealand following the introduction of the species in July 1948 (see the Timaru record CR/0692).

The local significance of this tree is that it substantially surpasses the tree considered in 1971 as the finest in Auckland (see record AR/1007) and another fine specimen at Auckland Domain known to be a first generation tree AR/1006.

In a 2006 international survey of cultivated dawn redwood, the largest recorded girth of a dawn redwood in the World was 620 cm (Bailey Arboretum, Lattingtown, Nassau, New
York, USA). This tree in Remuera is 500 cm and would have ranked 8th (Cadwallader, B.G. August 2012. Updated July, 2015).

References:
Caughey, C.M (1996). World Wanderer: Kenya to Bletchley Park to New Zealand.
Burstall, S.W. (1971), New Zealand Forest Service, Forest Research Institute, Mensuration Report No. 16 (unpublished), page 59.
Cadwallader B.G. (2009) A New Zealand Survey of Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Ma, J (October 2007) A Worldwide Survey of Cultivated Metasequoia.; Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 48(2)