Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’

Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Goldcrest’
syn. ‘Lemon yellow’
“Monterey Cypress”
CUPRESSACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Tree

Zone: 7 – 10
Native habitat : Coastal California (Monterey area)

Conditions
Soil: average
Moisture: well drained, moderate to regular
Light: full sun to full shade
Exposure: seaside
Plant size (h x w): to 33′ x 10′-15′
Other: tolerates stronger winds

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: upright, columnar, holds conical shape, flakey bark
Leaf: bright golden-yellow, ascending sprays, small, ,scale-like, colour persisting into winter
Flower:small, spherical female cones
Bloom: insignificant
Other: slow to grow; size can vary based on conditions

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: stake for the first year
Maintain:  no pruning is required; don’t prune top till desired height, can prune to be hedge (late spring) otherwise prune out dead; rake out needles every so often
Propagate: cutting

Uses
Landscape: specimen, winter interest, evergreen tree, hedge, screen, windbreak, seaside, accent, architectural, hedge
Companion planting: look to colors of dark greens, full bodied greens, purples 
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant; may see cypress aphid
Deer resistant: yes; deer proof hedge too

Interest
Local info,: not native,
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: small evergreen conifer tree
Identification (key features): distinct layered look to growth, foliage has a lemon scent to it
Comments: more stressed it is the more yellow it will be; very popular cultivar
Cultivars:‘Wilma Goldcrest’ – smaller at 15′ tall

Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’

Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’
“Weeping Eastern Hemlock”
PINACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Shrub

Zone: 4 – 8
Native habitat: Eastern North America

Conditions
Soil: humus
Moisture: well drained, average to moist
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: protect from wind and excessive sun
Plant size (h x w): to 20′ – 33′ wide at age 100
(height depends on how trained and initially staked)
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: gracefully weeping mound, leaning columnar, narrow, pendent side branches, messy but nice
Leaf: soft fine needles, mostly in 2 opposite rows with a few short needles lying flat along shoots, dark green on top with showing silvery underside
Flower: insignificant
Bloom: insignificant
Other: 

Treatment (how to…)

Plant: general; train to desired height by staking (tie in) and then directing growth; be sure to give it plenty of space; be sure to water when young
Maintain: low maintenance, prune dead and damaged, train if needed to direct growth (leaning or tie in) in right direction
Propagate: cutting,

Uses
Landscape: specimen, screen, wind break, can pin up to train horizontally along a fence like a curtain, shade garden, foliage garden, mixed boarder, over a stone wall,
Companion planting: see photo bellow for good color pairing ideas (would be nice trainned along the back fence in this garden); complement shrubs with larger leaves (ideas for a shady spot: rhododendrons, viburnums, hybrid mahonias, witch alders, witch hazels, camellias)

Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: native to Canada but not the island
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: unique weeping conifer tree with gracefully messy pendulous form
Identification (key features): notice the 2 shaded lines of foliage (dark needles on top laid out flat then left and right on top with white underside with green margin and edges)

Cultivars:
T. canadensis has many excellent dwarf cultivars (but note.T. c. ‘Coles’ becomes bare of needles in the center)
Comments: hemlocks are great for shade

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’

Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’
“White cedar Rheingold”
CUPRESSACEAE

Evergreen Conifer  Shrub – Sub-shrub

Zone: 2 – 7
Native habitat:  Eastern North America

Conditions
Soil: moderately fertile
Moisture: well drained, average to moist
Light: full sun (will turn green in part-shade)
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 3′ max
Other: prefers more water than less, don’t let it dry out

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: cone-shaped to dome-shaped, dwarf cultivar
Leaf: predominately juvenile, scale-like foliage, striking gold in summer becoming coppery in winter, flat, fan-shaped clusters, mealy
Flower:small knobbly oval cones
Bloom: insignificant
Other: shallow rooted

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: summer watering for the first few seasons, never let fully dry out while establishing
Maintain: low maintenance, little to no pruning needed, remove dead and damaged 
Propagate: cutting,

Uses
Landscape: specimen, winter interest, fall interest, boarder
Companion planting: can be nice planted with other conifers in a conifer mixed boarder; colors of dark green and purple contrast well 
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant, can see scale insects
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 1 g or bigger
Nature:
Identification (key features):
Interesting Facts:
Cultivars:
 T. o. ‘Ellwangeriana Aurea’ – “Thuja” – 6′ in old age, (often confused with above)
Comments: Thuja = “cedar” but is not a true cedar

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’

Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
“Emerald green cedar”
CUPRESSACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Tree or Shurb

Zone: 3 – 8
Native habitat:  Eastern North America 

Conditions
Soil: deep, moderately fertile
Moisture: well drained, average to moist
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): 9′- 25′ x 3′ – 4′
Other: prefers more water than less

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: columnar, tight growing, pyramidal
Leaf: scales flat, densely overlapping, bright emerald green (all year)
Flower: female cones ovoid, splitting open from top down,  small knobbly cones
Bloom: insignificant
Other: stays green in the winters; growth slows dramatically at about 15 feet high by 4 feet wide

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: plant 2-3′ apart for hedge; summer watering for the first few seasons, never let fully dry out while establishing
Maintain: low maintenance, don’t prune top until desired height is reached; prune dead and damaged,
Propagate: cutting, grafting

Uses
Landscape: specimen, screen, wind break, hedge, winter interest, boarder,
Companion planting: en mass in hedge, 
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: commonly used as evergreen hedge
Identification (key features): conical shrub with erect sprays of bright green foliage all year,

Interesting Facts: ‘Smaragd’ means “emerald” in Danish
Cultivars:
 T. o. ‘Pyramidalis’ – “Thuja” “Arborvitae” “Cedar”
– taller, narrower, less lacey, goes bronze in winter
– plant 1.5′-2′ apart to form hedge
Comments: Thuja = “cedar” but is not a true cedar

 

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Penulum’

Sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Pendulum’
“Pendulous giant redwood” “Dr. Seuss Plant”
CUPRESSACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Tree

Zone: 6 – 9
Native habitat :

Conditions
Soil: deep, moderately fertile
Moisture: well drained, average to somewhat less moisture (prefers a fair amount of water, especially in dry summers)
Light: full sun to 1/4 shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): to 25′ x 40′ x 4’+ (grows 12-20″ annually)
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: leaning columnar, narrow, irregular, pendent side branches, north pointing
Leaf: overlapping green scales forming cord-like foliage, scales sharp and long, branching is thin
Flower: insignificant
Bloom: insignificant
Other: greener on north-side

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: general; graft
Maintain: low maintenance, prune dead and damaged, train if needed to direct growth / leaning in right direction
Propagate: cutting, grafting

Uses
Landscape: specimen, screen, wind break, Dr Seuss garden, can pin up to train horizontally along a fence like a curtain
Companion planting: difficult to grow beneath this; nice planted in 3’s or 7’s (if space allows); effective looming over perennials, especially grasses and fine textured plants
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native but can see them around Victoria; straight species S. giganteum were planted on estates in the 1890’s and many remain
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: unique sculptural conifer tree animated by twisting / leaning form, pendulous
Identification (key features): easily discerned by form of growth, tightly pendulous thin branching, irregular leaning growth, points north; grey-green scales overlap, thin/long, cord-like
Cultivars:
Comments: S. giganteum (Sequoia) – 150′ x 50′ – tougher, takes colder zones – soft, red-brown bark, flame-shaped when young, becoming more irregular with maturity. Short awl-shaped leaves are arranged spirally on the shoots, and ovoid cones become red-brown when mature

 

Cupressus x leylandii

Cupressus x leylandii
“Leyland cypress”
CUPRESSACEAE

Evergreen Conifer Tree

Zone: 6 – 9
Native habitat : West Coast USA hyrbid

Conditions
Soil: rich, deep
Moisture: well drained, average to moist (best); can handle drier sites or wet feet
Light: full sun to part shade
Exposure: general
Plant size (h x w): to 130′ x 40’+ (age 10: 13′)
Other:

Aesthetic
Shape/stem: upright/columnar, flings its branches about, bark rough with lips
Leaf: small dark green scale leaves in flat sprays (can slightly circle branch)
Flower: cones of male ovoid, female cones round
Bloom: insignificant
Other: fast growing, vigorous; shallow rooted

Treatment (how to…)
Plant: stake for the first year; for hedge plant 3′ apart
Maintain: tolerates hard pruning/sheering, trim hedge 2-3 times a year with the last cut being in September, don’t prune top till desired height; otherwise prune out dead; rake out needles
Propagate: cutting, grafting

Uses
Landscape: specimen, winter interest, evergreen tree, hedge, screen, windbreak, too big for many residential settings
Companion planting: look to colors of variegation, dark green, silver or gold 
Medicinal: unknown

Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: cypress tip moth
Deer resistant: yes; deer proof hedge too
Other animals:

Interest
Local info,: not native, but used to West Coast conditions (from south west coast US)
Pot size (to purchase): 2 g or bigger
Nature: aggressive tree or hedge conifer
Identification (key features): (different colored forms); dense, oval or pyramidal outline; fine, feathery foliage soft, pointed leaves on flattened branchlets and are dark green when mature, soft green when young
Interesting facts: cross between Monterrey Cypress (California) (Cupressus macrocarpa) and nootka false cypress (Oregon) (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis);  From its nootka false cypress parent inherit habit, foliage and winter hardiness; from its Monterey cypress parent inherit branching pattern and rapid growth
Cultivars:
Comments: name has changed often, and may very well change again