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I think I have some kind of Larch...

16 years ago

But from what I'm reading, it should have lost it's needles by now:

{{gwi:331288}}

We just bought our house in November and I have five of these right in front of the house, as you can see from the picture. I want to transplant them in spring but need to figure out how large I can expect them to grow first, and how to care for them properly.

The previous 3 owners of this house planted trees willy nilly and I'm trying to correct their errors.

If you could even just get me in the right family, I would appreciate it, so I can find them new spots.

Thank you Conifer forum!

Trish

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Comments (11)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
Picea glauca 'Albertina Conica' -- Dwarf Alberta Spruce

prone to spider mites...

vastly over sold.... vastly over planted ...

and a great tree ... go figure.. lol

try google.. and google images to confirm

ken
Embothrium
16 years ago
Larches have no leaves during the winter.
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I think I have some 'lavender'.
Q
Comments (3)
I get the impression you're evaluating this from a distance - if you don't have a clear photograph or can't see the plants in person, I'm not sure you can be certain what the plant is. Winter temps of a possible 10F should put you in zone 7/8, so there could be a number of plants with a similar appearance from a distance it could be. If it is lavender, touch would be a clear indicator - even in winter the foliage contains considerable oil. Provided a more conclusive ID is not available at the minute, lavender is a perennial and can be moved, although your best results are with younger plants. And I would not suggest to move it now. If construction is an issue, just get rid of the existing plants and replace - they are inexpensive enough and grow fast enough this shouldn't pose much of a problem.
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I THINK I have a walnut tree of some kind.
Q
Comments (3)
Spent a couple days last summer at family farm taking many down. They come right down - its the resprouting that gets you. Dan
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I think I have some 'lavender'.
Q
Comments (1)
Lavender is a perennial, if it is lavender. It does pretty well here in Northern Nevada as long as it doesn't get too wet in winter and the variety is a hardy one. It won't be easy to move mid-winter, because the soil is frozen. I'd dig a trench to hold the lavender in a well-drained area of the garden, then go dig the plants out, set them in the trench, fill with soil as best you can and then mulch over it with a mix of decomposed granite, sand and a bit of whatever soil you have to fill in the holes and crevices. Whatever you do, don't mulch with organic materials or the crowns could rot, and that would be bad. Add more egg-sized rocks if you want to hill up around the plants. Or pea gravel--that would work, too. Keep the crowns at the same level they were in the ground before. Decomposed granite and sand aren't required--they are just what I usually have to hand this time of year because I also use them to grit the sidewalks when it's icy. Basically you want good drainage, light on the organic material. Lisa
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Beetle larvae, I think I kind of have it?
Q
Comments (6)
Your could have the right ID. Beetle larva go through several molts, the size would vary. Do you ever see a adult Dusky Lady Beetles at your place? As for range, when the bugguide Data tab shows the insect from coast2coast and at your latitude, it is likely to occur in your area also. Bugguide data is limited to submitted photos and the range is often larger than the map indicates. Insects are often east-west species and the map will accurately show clusters east or west of the Plains, Rocky Mountains, etc., or will accurately show subtropical insects clustered in southern states.
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pineresin
16 years ago
Spellcheck: Picea glauca var. albertiana 'Conica'

Resin
kman04
16 years ago
They are slow growing and won't get much bigger than 5'(1.5m) tall and 3'(.9m) for many years(10 or 15 at least usually), but with time they'll eventually become larger. A 25 year old specimen down the road from me is about 9'(2.7m) tall and 6'(1.8m) wide.

Now, if someone crosses this with a Colorado Blue Spruce and comes up with a Blue Dwarf Alberta Spruce like thing, just look out for oversold records to be shattered!
greenfreak
Original Author
16 years ago
Hah! About.com and I were totally off. Thank you one and all. :)
pineresin
16 years ago
About.com is a cr@p site, full of errors and revolting pop-up ads. Definitely a site to ignore!

Resin
dcsteg
16 years ago
"Now, if someone crosses this with a Colorado Blue Spruce and comes up with a Blue Dwarf Alberta Spruce like thing, just look out for oversold records to be shattered!"

This conifer is on the market. Of course it wasn't crossed with a C.B.S. That would be a trip.

The two photos below are of my Picea g. 'Blue Wonder' in my garden in Shawnee KS.

Picea glauca 'Blue Wonder'
{{gwi:633346}}

{{gwi:633348}}
Embothrium
16 years ago
There's also 'Sander's Blue'. Neither gives the color effect of a selected blue Colorado spruce.
dcsteg
16 years ago
'Sanders Blue has a tendency to revert back to green with age.

' Blue Wonder' does not.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
16 years ago
A 25 year old specimen down the road from me is about 9'(2.7m) tall and 6'(1.8m) wide.

A pair in a client's garden are 19' and 17' tall and about 8'-10' wide. Apparently the land was at one time a conifer nursery, as there are an assortment of large conifers planted in a very systematic pattern still present. Property is quite rural but most of it has been cleared for development but the remaining trees make a very attractive mixed peripheral planting around the 7 acre site. I estimate most to be 40-50 years old.
kman04
16 years ago
Looks like the one down the road from me is on track to be about the same size as those 40-50 year old specimens out in your area gardengal! :-)

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