So which conifer is first?

15 years ago

To 'push new growth' or 'break buds', etc.

Who wakes up first in Spring? For example, will my Abies vejari specimen basking in full sun near the dryer vent wake up earlier then Chamaecyparis nootkatensis?

This is the first year that I have had hundreds of different cultivars all awaiting their first Spring in my garden and I am excited, watching every day for some notion of life.

I ask in part because in my other collected plant, Japanese maples, they have a wide range of leaf-out dates. Last year I had some leafed out by early March while others didn't even swell much until mid April.

Who wakes up first for you?

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Comments (19)

ospreynn
15 years ago
Larix potaninni is leafing out for me already.. sooner or later it will get damaged by our late frosts.
By the way, do you mind sharing your source of A. vejari.

osprey
firefightergardener
Original Author
15 years ago
Stanley and Sons. I bought a 3' specimen(3 gallon pot) for my landscape friends and a gallon pot for my own gardens. Has a beautiful turquoise blue look to it, though it is yet small.
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ospreynn
15 years ago
Thanks, I have a 2 year old graft, so far so good. I love the color.

osprey
pineresin
15 years ago
A few years ago I saw Larix gmelinii at Edinburgh RBG already out in full leaf on 3 January. It must have leafed out some time in mid to late December.

Shows the problems with growing extreme continental climate plants in an extreme oceanic climate!

Resin
sluice
15 years ago
I've noticed resin in some places. Could that be new, or maybe just thawing of last year's production?
Here's Picea pungens from yesterday morning, not sure if this is showing signs of life or not.
{{gwi:669915}}
SilverVista
15 years ago
This week I've seen several species of Larix, all varieties of Cedrus deodara, and (thought this was odd) Pinus parviflora 'Adcock's Dwarf' all pushing new growth. Except for the white candles getting a bit brighter on the Pinus thunbergii, nothing else is doing much yet. The Larix are definitely in the lead right now. Picea will be among the last to move here.
kaitain4
15 years ago
Today I noticed my Cedrus deodara 'Aurea' is pushing new growth..
firefightergardener
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm jealous. We're having a cool late Winter/Spring here and only the bulbs and a few maples are starting to yawn.
tunilla
15 years ago
Hi. It's probably best if trees and shrubs don't get fooled by a spell of early mild weather.The native ones certainly know the music.Our adopted exotics on the other hand may well have a biological memory of their homeland and start 'doing their thing' a bit earlier on,risking to get damaged by late frosts.T.
gardener365
15 years ago
Silvervista, that means the rhodos are going bonkers there and will only become better. Love zone 8 Oregon.

Dax
dcsteg
15 years ago
Well this one didn't push any new growth or break bud but it did change color...like overnight. From a bronzy purple to green.

Dave Microbiota decussata
{{gwi:669916}}

Larix kaempferi 'Pendula'
I noticed this morning was beginning to push new growth. Spruces and pines are still in limbo.

{{gwi:669919}}

Dave
SilverVista
15 years ago
No rhodos quite yet, Dax, but the Daphne odora..... OH, the Daphne odora! Heaven on earth.
pineresin
15 years ago
"Microbiota decussata"

Grafted on what, to give it the tree shape?

"Larix kaempferi 'Pendula' I noticed this morning was beginning to push new growth"

That's pollen cones you have there.

Resin
dcsteg
15 years ago
"Grafted on what, to give it the tree shape"?

Good question. I saw it at my local nursery on sale with no tag so I don't know who grafted it. Maybe some one would know compatible under stock.

"That's pollen cones you have there" Good to know...then we can agree it's pushing something...in this case pollen cones.

Dave
pineresin
15 years ago
Thought it might be one you'd grafted yourself! Its closest relative is Platycladus orientalis so that would be an obvious choice, but grafting options are fairly wide, I'd suspect anything in Cupressus or Juniperus would also be OK.

Resin
sluice
15 years ago
The Picea pungens has not changed since last month.

This morning I noticed something growing on my Picea glauca. Is this a cone? Do cones usually appear before buds?

I was particularly glad to see the new growth, having planted this last fall (first conifer planting ever!)
{{gwi:669921}}
pineresin
15 years ago
Yes, that's a cone, and yes, they do start growing before the new foliage buds.

Resin
gardener365
15 years ago
The ones that are not supposed to be in my zone. I'm going to be a daredevil and plant a 'Eisregren' Cedrus deodara this week, but the rest of my stuff is zone appropriate. Sure, I've been messing with the notion of Sciadopity's too. I think they are hardy cold-hardy enough. Abies pinsapo I too think I have a chance with.

Dax
firefightergardener
Original Author
15 years ago
I am going to have to concure with the first to push out is Larix kaempferi(or all Larix in my case). It's already in mid-Spring form while many others are snoozing away.

My first Japanese maple to leaf out was 'Ueno Homare' - about Mid-February - and it has suffered wicked frost burn - so I am glad none of my conifers woke up at the same time.

I think a close second might be Cedrus, they are all ready to burst and a few have shoots that are opening now as well.

So which conifer is first?

Comments (19)

ospreynn

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So which conifer is first?

Comments (19)

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