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A very newbie question: can you recommend a blue-foliage conifer?

15 years ago

I am attempting to landscape a back corner of my lot. We just moved into a newly built house so I am starting with a pretty blank slate.

In the corner, we plan to put in a weeping Nootka cypress. I would like something tall (but not as tall as the cypress will eventually get) and narrower than the cypress in front of it, and I was thinking of a blue-foliage conifer. My knowledge of blue conifers is limited to junipers, Colorado blue spruce and Vanderwolf's pine (would that be a good choice?)

The area is full sun and backs onto several large pines my neighbour has planted. Clay soil that I hope to amend well over time.

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Comments (3)

firefightergardener
15 years ago
Colorado spruce, Picea pungens will be a common recommendation here. I think the soil might give it(and most conifers) fits, but if you work in some sandy material you can probably do OK.

Typically weeping Nootka cypress are very narrow trees already, but if a narrow upright is what you are looking for, Picea pungens 'Blue totem' and 'Fastigiata' would both probably fit the build. Medium sized narrow uprights, Dave(dcsteg) had a couple fantastic specimens he might show you.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
very newbie???? ... how does that compare to a regular newbie ... special status of some kind ... lol

welcome to the forum ...

any pic taking and uploading capabilities??? ... go to photobucket.com .. sign up ... its free.. and pretty easy ...

you havent given us much info in the way of size of yard.. size of planting bed .... and the size of plant you want ...

do understand that your nootka.. has the potential to be giant ...

i am linking you to the Amer Conif Soc site. and the tutorial.. a great starting point ... and then look for the photo gallery across the top banner ...

and then find the latin name of your plant (try Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) .. and use the database to find out about the plant you have there .... and then decide where you want to go from there ... and if there are no pix.. take the latin to google.. and hit the images page ...

most height estimates are at 10 years.. and then.. according to the database.. find the annual growth rate of what you have.. and presume it will continue to grow at that rate for the rest of your life .... this is all very important when it comes to spacing ...

and checkout picea pungens iseli .. or p.p. fastigate .. or p. p. blue totem .. for a columnar blue spruce ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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gardener365
15 years ago
Never mix sand and clay, only organic matter with clay such as peat moss and your best route which is compost. Due it gradually.

I think of some of the Picea pungens cultivars you might like 'Iseli Foxtail' a bit more.

Then there's beauties like:
Picea engelmannii 'Lace' or 'Bush's Lace' / same plant. Might make a real nice statement in front of the cypress and a plant commonly found on the internet.

I'll recommend very stongly against 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' as it becomes a very leggy and broad almost "ugly" specimen.

In the Pine family:
Pinus koraiensis 'Oculus Draconis' would be a nice fit. Would compliment the growth rate of the Nootka being shorter and at the right height for the two of them next to each other.

Dax

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