Nuggets of pure gold

My miniature container gardens have really come to life the past few weeks. All the dwarf and miniature conifers are pushing their new growth and the companion succulents and mini-heathers are performing admirably. Two of the hot spots in my containers right now are both miniature Hinoki Cypress cultivars selected for their bright gold foliage color and extremely slow growth rates.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Golden Sprite'

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Golden Sprite’ has been a favorite of mine for many years. This little nugget of gold has tiny foliage that slowly grows into an irregularly shaped mound that is broader than tall. At fifteen years old, my oldest specimen is nearly 10 inches across and approximately seven inches tall. The foliage is so tight that I can barely stick a finger into this plant. I love its unusual mounded shape – this one really has a lot of character.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Butter Ball'

Another golden nugget of conifer joy is Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Butter Ball’. At first glance, you might think it’s identical to ‘Golden Sprite’, but upon closer inspection you’ll find that it is a more open grower giving it a chance to “breathe” a little bit. The tiny foliage is more a lemon-yellow color and it is noticeably looser than that of ‘Golden Sprite’ suggesting a slightly faster growth rate. Mine is still quite young, and it will have many more years in its current container before I will need to become concerned with transplanting it into the garden.

Both these little golden nuggets are valuable additions to my container garden. As they mature, I look forward to placing them in my rock garden (which will give me an excuse to purchase a couple more small ones to re-plant into containers.)

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Garden lighthouses

Looking around my garden the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that the most intense color in my conifers is yellow. I don’t think I’ve noticed it in the past. Sure, there have been one or two gold conifers that have really popped out this time of year, but not as many as I am seeing this year. I can’t explain it, but I sure can enjoy it!

All these bright yellow conifers – from large growers to intermediates, from those with traditional foliage to those with unusual characteristics, and even the miniatures – they look fantastic this early Spring amongst the blue and green spruce and other conifers as well as the fresh new red and pink and orange foliage of some of my Japanese Maples.

Three of the larger growing Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) cultivars that are standing like lighthouses right now are Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Aurea,’ ‘Goldilocks’ and ‘Confucius.’ All three have their own unique growth rates, color intensity and overall texture. I am happy to have the space to grow all three in my garden.

Chamaecyparis obtusa Goldilocks

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Aurea’ might be considered the “granddaddy” of the golden Hinokis. Introduced in 1860, this tree will become quite large with age and stands out with its golden yellow newer foliage. Older, shaded foliage will tend to turn a nice green color which contrasts well with the brighter new foliage. Rated with a annual growth rate of over 12 inches per year, ‘Aurea’ will become a stately tree in the garden.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Goldilocks’ is a newer cultivar that is becoming more available in the local fine gardening centers. Also a large grower, ‘Goldilocks’ has intensely bright yellow foliage that reminds me of the Lemon Yellow crayon in the old Crayola 64 count box. A strong central trunk and very uniform branching habit make ‘Goldilocks’ an improved form when compared with ‘Aurea’ and it’s irregular branching when young.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Confucius’ is an intermediate grower that will form a shorter, wider and more densely foliated plant than ‘Goldilocks’. If a smaller tree is desired with a brilliant yellow color, ‘Confucius’ is a real winner; one of the best golden yellow Hinokis to be sure.

Next time I’ll compare two fantastic yellow plants with unique textural characteristics – don’t miss it!

Ed-
Conifer Lover

Raising Taxus

I think this year I have seen more discussion on the subject of taxes than any in recent history. We have a new administration voted in with the promise of “Hope” and “Change”. As April 15 draws nearer (tax day in the USA), there are a lot of Americans who are hoping to get to keep some of their change. Whatever your perspective on the new administration, and the changes to the tax code, one thing I am fairly confident in, is gold.

Perhaps investing in our gardens during slow economic times is a great investment too. As we spend time in the garden, we work our muscles and respiratory systems which help to reduce stress. Gardening helps us to invest in our future happiness by providing us with a very pleasant place to entertain and relax – or even provide food to help us cut costs. Investing in gold for the garden is a great way to add interest and excitement and using gold conifers is the way to add bright color to your garden all year-round. 

Taxus cuspidata 'Nana Aurescens'

This year, I am pleased that I will be raising Taxus in my garden; specifically, Taxus cuspidata ‘Nana Aurescens’. This is an incredibly useful plant with its low spreading habit and bright gold foliage color, Zone 4 hardiness and being somewhat deer resistant. On a dark, dreary, cloudy, rainy day like today, ‘Nana Aurescens’ glows in the garden providing such an outstanding sunny-yellow color that you almost feel warmer just looking at it. A compact grower, it responds well to shearing if you are so inclined, but with thoughtful planning before planting, it shouldn’t outgrow its space for many, many years.

In my book, unlike raising taxes, raising Taxus is a very good thing.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

It’s the ‘Mother Lode’!

Imagine, if you will, you’re walking along one of the rivers or streams near the Mother Lode Highway 49 in the state of California. You can hear birds singing and a mild breeze rustles the leaves of the trees all around you. You deeply breathe in the calming aroma of the forest. Suddenly you see a glimmer of gold sparkling just under the surface of the water. Your heart jumps, you dash into the water and grasp that little shimmering nugget of gold!

Now, imagine that you are walking along a huge production of recently potted ‘Wiltoni’ juniper. Literally tens of thousands of identical clones of bluish green prostrate plants appear as a flowing river of conifers. Suddenly, you catch a glimpse of what looks like a small golden branch on one of the multitude of one gallon containers. Your heart jumps and you dash into the massive group of plants to grasp that little oddity with the one blue branch and one gold.

That’s what happened when Juniperus horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’ was discovered at Iseli Nursery in 1980.

Mature planting of ‘Mother Lode’ with other great conifers.

Jean Iseli always encouraged his employees to keep an eye out for unusual mutations on the plants growing at his wholesale nursery. A great many sports, witches brooms and other oddities have been collected, inspected and evaluated over the years, but few ever become something viable for the nursery industry. ‘Mother Lode’ is one of those selected mutations that has proved itself to be a winner in the garden.

‘Mother Lode’ featured in a hypertufa container.

Its bright golden yellow color is sure to attract attention and its prostrate habit makes it a valuable accent in the garden. Plant this beauty near any of the blue spruce or other dark green conifers for a terrific color contrast. Use it near other exciting garden plants like a deep red Japanese maple and the effect is stunning. The bright golden color becomes influenced by the same plum tones that make ‘Wiltoni’ turn almost purple giving ‘Mother Lode’ a unique pinkish orange color during the cold winter months.

‘Mother Lode’ is a great plant to use in containers, in the rock garden, in mass plantings for a dramatic color statement or even grafted on a standard to create a delightful golden cascade. Hardy to Zone 3, it will perform best in well-drained soil. Its best color will develop in full sun, but in harsh summer conditions, some shade may be advisable to prevent sunburn.

Ed-
Conifer Lover

For the love of gold

We enjoyed our first heat wave after what seemed like an endless weather pattern that was not quite winter and not quite spring. Then, suddenly we found ourselves with temperatures in the 90’s for two days. Today, it’s back to rain, but at least it’s more typical of May in western Oregon with temps in the 60’s rather than the 40’s!

With our crazy weather the past several weeks, the conifers are running a few weeks late with their push of new growth. Even so, they are beginning to “wake up” and the color of their fresh spring growth always brightens my mood. One conifer that gives a double color show this time of year is Picea orientalis ‘Skylands.’

‘Skylands’ is a beautiful golden yellow oriental spruce with short, soft, glossy needles. It forms a very tidy large tree with stunning color all year-round. The first sign of life is during the spring when small reddish pollen cones begin to develop all over the tree adding great color interest. A few weeks later, the buds will break forth with bright yellow foliar growth that is simply stunning. The color of this tree is something you really need to see in person for its full impact. The yellow color seems to intensify through the summer and matures to a rich golden yellow tone in autumn and then fades just a bit to a golden tinged green before the whole process begins again the next spring.

Hardy to Zone 4, great color, tidy large grower, and gives a happy sense of well-being all year long. I love this conifer, and I think you will too!

Ed-

Conifer Lover