You can selectively shear/prune most conifers up to a point, especially arborvitae.

In the case of this one it cannot be pruned/sheared into the shape of a Christmas Tree successfully and stay that way.

Dave

awwww .. come on ....

BE THE TREE ..... let it be what it will be ... why force it into your preconceived noting of what it should look like ...

yes you can force it into some direction ... but WHY????

it made your toes curl ... as you say .. fell in love with it ... and yet you walked away .. because it didn't take a form of your choice... i really don't understand this logic ... i used to be like that .... but as the collection grew.. and it always does ... i don't have time to torture every specimen into some preconceived notion of form ... i will guide grafted branches upward until the get the idea that they are leaders .... i will guide pendulous plants upwards... to give them some height.. before they hit the ground and spread ... but i will not torture a tree into a Xmas tree configuration ...

if you really want it.. and really have to do it.. mail order a one gal plant.. that is 8 inches tall ... and start from ground zero ... i do not recommend starting with an expensive larger plant ... because you are already a few years past the point of getting the shape you want. ... someone like girard's offer gold ghost ...a yellower OD for under 40$ ... i can see messing with something in that price range ... but not if we are talking 200 to 400 dollars for a 6 footer ...

my bottom line is always... if it makes your toes curl .... BUY IT ... or a smaller version .. and enjoy it... until it irritates you and then get rid of it ... if you go small ... say 40$ ... and you grow it for 10 years.. and fool around with it... is it worth 4 bucks a year??? heck you can pay that much for a cup of coffee ... and i will bet that cup of coffee.. when the time rolls around... you will never get rid of it.. because of all the joy it brought ... AND IT WILL HAVE ASSUMED ITS OWN SHAPE .... regardless of your unnecessary torture.... lol ...

go smaller .. but go for it .... lifes to short ... ken

Thanks for the info guys.

I should have figured I would get razzed by Ken! LOL I know you like them unusual... and so do I ... in the right place. I agree, the natural form would be better and it would be a major pain to try and keep it conforming to my preconceived notion of a Xmas tree shape. Unfortunately, anything I plant here really has to match our more formal landscaping and limited acreage. :(

I had the perfect spot envisioned for this specimen, to the side of my front yard, where it would be a nice contrast in front of a backdrop of 15 douglas firs. Yes, the foliage on the Dragon Eye made my toes curl for sure, and as I mentioned previously, the one in the nursery was pyramidal shaped. However... I can see I will have to pass on it if it will be a pain to maintain like that. I supposed I could always buy it to plant along our backyard fence line... But then again, I think it's a bit too expensive for that (hubby would kill me.. LOL!). I wish I had more acreage so I could have designated conifer collection beds, and just plant them without extensive thought (believe me, I am still agonizing over exactly where my only 'Hoopsii' is going to go!!).

Hi coniferfreak,

Go buy the 'Hoopsii' especially if you have your eye on a good one.

That will get you off dead center and that special place you didn't think of will come to you.

If you want a real Christmas tree conifer with dark green color, look for Picea orientalis 'Aureospicata'.

Dave

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Wow Dave, now that is nice! Looks a little like a Frazier fir we once had (it didn't like our yard). I do have the 'Hoopsii' already... it's just sitting here in its pot waiting for the "right" time and place.. At the moment, it's down by the backyard fence line, but not showing up very well against a cedar fence (need to fill in with more backdrop arbs). I have to move the pot again I guess... ya know, plants always go for a tour of our yard before finding the "right" place. The neighbors probably think I've lost it. lol