There are no Sequoiadendron successfully being-grown in the states of IL or MI or IA or WI... take your pick. There are too many climatic dissimilarities to this (Genus/species) that make it impossible to grow in our climate. I live across the state from you, also in IL and have attempted several cultivars myself going against the grain and better judgment from others, and each time I failed miserably. If you want something yet exotic I'd recommend Picea omorika 'Kuck Weeping'. Same basic color and definitely-similar in its' form. You might also like:
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Van den Akker'.

Dax

Here is a link that might be useful:

It's Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendulum' instead of 'Pendula'.
All the Latin named cultivars of this species ends up with um, like 'Glaucum','Nanum' and 'Pygmaeum'.

Hi!

There is Seq. Gig. 'Pendulum' seedling in Hungary which shows the same characteristic /yet/ as the motherplant but it resists cold demage with more success./-25,-27 C degrees/ The plant is under observation and it will be for some colder winter. Maybe it will work in cold areas and one day it might be available in the States.

Zsolti

How many years or winters does a tree have to survive before it is considered growing on it's own?

lp

Four. (if the root-system) was at least a gallon's size to begin with.

All these little dwarfs and minis, you need to care more for these "garden-plants."

Dax

I should start by mentioning that I have less experience growing conifers, or anything else, than everybody on here.

And yet, that doesn't stop me from proffering advice. Buy a small one. Plant it in a place that is most conducive to keeping it alive in the warmer months. Come winter, cover it up with one of those styrofoam plant protector things.

Once it outgrows that, buy some 2x4s and some styrofoam wall sheething. Build four walls, maybe 3ft by 8ft. Square 'em, sheet em, and screw them together around the plant come winter. Take them apart in spring. You may need some insulation, but probably not. Voila! Zone 7 in the 312.

"But Snowden, I don't want to look at a mini-styrofoam highrise out my window all winter!" Dude, chill. I've thought of that. Every autumn take some pictures of the little bugger, get them blown up to life size, and staple them to highrise. Or, if that doesnt float your boat, build some planter boxes on the bottom of your walls and plant the climbing hardy plant of your choice. Obviously, this will make the walls much heavier. Check back with me once it outgrows 8ft, as I have more ideas.

If that somehow works, buy a lime tree. Plant it in the yard. Build another styrofoam highrise. Invite me over in summer. Serve me a marguarita with fresh squeezed limejuice and we'll both sit and admire your extra-sweet Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendulum' happily growing in Chi-town.

Or, check out giant-sequoia.com and look at pictures of dudes growing giant sequoias in the midwest. Call one of those dudes, and find out what he does to keep it alive.

I have, on occasion, seen Sequoiadendron giganteum growing in Ohio. I'm not sure how close to Lake Michigan you are in Chicago, but microclimate would definitely help. I know that Hazel Smith, and Powder Blue appear to withstand an Ohio z 5/6 winter without any problem at all. I have seen nurseries in Cleveland selling "Pendulum" and from what I know "Pendulum" will grow south of Lake Erie but not with the vigor that the other blue Sequoiadendrons do. Once and a while you will see a green form in someones yard which someone probabaly planted not knowing what it was. Soil conditions, humidity and subsequent disease can be a problem so they probably arent the best plant in the midwest, but fun to try anyways. Gees arboretum in Michigan has a large Powder Blue in its collection that lost its top to disease, but appears very hardy.

Snowden_Yesteryear: *lol* ... but not quite willing to try your idea with my indoor citrus.

I'm nearly as conifer-inexperienced: 13 P. mugo pumilios and something in the pasture about 40' tall with long needles. The previous owners' Leyland cypress (2' from the foundation) is now only a memory (nightmare).

Ohio, yes, near Cinci especially - is worth a shot.
Mine all died in the summer, never had a chance to make it thru a winter.

Take care,

Dax

it will just be a waste of your money ... but knock yourself out if you have so much spare..

why not look into green arrow ... Cham. nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' ... frankly a look alike that is bullet-proof in your zone ... see link

ken

ps: van der aker is another look alike

Here is a link that might be useful: link

snowden...lmao!!!! :) soooo cool that people still have humor! :)

ken....i have green arrow and i looove it and also regular nootk.....thinking about van den....but for some reason really like the gig.pendulum...saw pics from garden world online and they blow me away and this plant just seems differnt from the others and i can tell?????

if it can grow in michigan at gees...it can grow here????????

there are sequoia in michigan on the lake but this is a different climate than chi-town. I have one in a pot that i over winter in the garage but it will eventually outgrow that plan.

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: sequoia in michigan

Hi bill
The one you have is it a pendulum/pendula? Is it expected to grow huge or will it/can it stay smaller...any garden pics...r u in chicago proper...id like to see examples of what grows well here

Mine is the species that I got as a new seedling when we got back from camping in the sierras with our 9 month old daughter. Their fates are bound to each other :)

I grow a little of everything in Lombard with lots of conifers and japanese maples. I have a thing for the fall season & color so much of my material is geared towards that (shrubs, ornamental trees and grasses, etc) with conifers being used as specimens and as an interesting background. Always a work in progress and never enough time or money to get things exactly how I want in my head. Just took down a decent sized elm due to DED on Friday so a large area of the yard needs to get revamped this spring due to more sun. Got a good source for a yellow wood around a 10 gal?

My pics are on the other computer but nothing too special to show. Haven't been too active on the forums or with the camera lately.

Bill

but for some reason really like the gig.pendulum...

===>>> the bane of EVERY collector is the fascination with the exotic of what you have never seen before ... because it wont grow where you have been all your life ....

and that is basically the root of the disease know as zone pushing .... to have something truly unique in your garden ....

there is no downside to trying to zone push ... as long as you understand.. that the odds of failure are 90% .... in other words ... as long as you do to become emotionally attached to an experiment ....

i have found.. when zone pushing.. that you start SMALL ... not bringing in a 5 or 10 year old plant.. that mistakes your first winter for reality.. and promptly dies ...

SOMETIMES ... a small plant.. being less stressed with the whole transplant thing.. and covered by snow the first year or two.. can get established enough.. to make a fighting go of it... until that one extreme winter ... where it will give up the ghost .. not having a large investment initially.. can help at the time of loss ...

ken

The healthy sequoiadendron that I have seen in Ohio and Pennsylvania are usually the Blue cultivars. They appear to be much hardier and quite a few arboretums in Ohio have nice sized sequoiadendron. I have not personally witnessed any "Pendulum" growing in Ohio arboretums. A few years ago there were a few "Pendulum" planted in a garden near the Cleveland Clinic. I dont know their exact location but that would be a very solid zone 6 and they appear to still be there though they do not grow as fast as the blues. Iselis offers Barabits Requiem which is reportedly a few degrees hardier and has a similar shape.

Nikkie, I replied to you a while back in another post about this particular specimen, but you probably missed it. Do you remember where specifically near the Clinic they were planted? I'd love to check them out and share a few pictures.

Steg

Could it have been the Cleveland Botanical Garden? it is a few blocks from the clinic and I seem to recall seeing Sequioadendron growing there. They had a nice Sciadopitys and Cryptomeria there.

I tried on unsuccessfully in Z.5b Kansas City. It looked good going into the winter of 2008. By spring 2009 it was completely browned out.

Dave

Marco...why not try a Cupressus bakeri? A lot cooler than arizonica and more fragrant. If you've got an arizonica growing in your yard than bakeri could handle it no sweat. I've got some and I'm in town every so often, I'd be happy to get you one, I've also got some Chamaecyparis thyoides but these are seed-grown and still small, in one gallons. Do you have enough room in your yard to plant a few things or are you in cramped-city-space?

steg.. I apologize for missing your last question to me.. sorry! I actually can not tell you for sure where it is in that I was searching myself this summer. I was told by Bremecs Greenhouse in Chesterland Ohio that they were planted in a nearby garden. I dont know if it was owned by the clinic or owned by the city of Cleveland in part of the Cities economic revitalization project where they tear down old structures and plant public gardens. I know the nursery manager at Bremecs had told me that they were doing well because they had requests for the Sequoiadendron Pendulum and were going to be getting them in for Spring 2011. I have one on hold to try. My honest opinion is that *most* Sequoiadendron should be hardy along Lake Erie in that the area is fairly urbanized and increasingly Lake Erie does not freeze over which allows for more moderate temps. My own personal experience is that humidity and clay soil are much more problematic than cold to them.

I do believe that the CBG and the Holden Arb in Kirtland, Ohio have Sequoiadendron, but I dont think they are "Pendulum" rather they are the species or a blue cultivar. I have seen very large Cryptomeria throught NE Ohio as well as an increasing number of Blue Atlas Cedar and Cupressus arizonica, which are still marginal but seem to do very well in the protection of the city. There are some 30-40ft Cedrus atlantica Glauca, Cedrus deodora Shalimar, and Sequoiadendron Hazel Smith at the Stow Sancturetum in downtown Stow, Ohio (Akron suburb). This year I saw a few, young but very much thriving (must have survived 2008 coldest in 15 years), Cedrus deodora and Cedrus libani at the Israeli Garden in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens at East Blvd. and Martin Luther King Blvd., between E 88th St. and Euclid Ave. There are some larger Cryptomeria and Sciadopitys which is fully hardy at the Secrest Arboretum in Wooster Ohio. They are more known for their collection of Ilex Opaca but also have some nice conifers, though the Secrest was allegedly damaged by a tornado this past fall.. I have not seen it since August of '10, prior to the tornado, when it looked very good.

On a side note, I am very impressed to see some fairly good sized Magnolia grandiflora showing up in Ohio, especially after a very bad winter in 2008. There must be 25 planted at the Akron Zoo along with various types of conifers and unusual bamboos.

Shas:
Are u in chicago? Ppictures of my place are listed on another post chek them out and let meknow what u think. I don't have a tiny place. For being in the city proper but don't have. Acres either.....lol...p.s. punctuation is not me its my phone lol.....link to your nursery??? Pics??? Thanks

Marco,
get at me shastensis at gee mail dotcom if you're interested in anything I might have and have a spot in the ground for it.