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Check out this weird yellow coloration on my Green Giant.

12 years ago

Hi Guys. I noticed that one of the branches on one of my Thuja Green Giants is displaying some neat yellow coloration. I'm not sure if the branch is just going through some strange phase, if it's dying, or if this is something that might get our grafting experts all excited, so I figured I should ask.

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Comments (19)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
12 years ago
Neat John, and in the fall too.

If no one else chimes in I will venture the thing to do is watch it over the course of a year and assuming it is stable or predictable start thinking about grafting.

What's your exposure there? I have received a couple mail order plants which were yellowish after a week in a box.
johnplace
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the input.

This guy is in full sun, and has been in my yard for about 2 years now, although it was transplanted to a new location in the early spring of this year. I didn't notice the yellow in its previous location, but I wasn't really looking for it either, so I am not sure if it was there last year or not. It definitely was not there a few weeks ago or I would have noticed it for sure, so whatever it is, the fall seems to have brought it on.
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johnplace
Original Author
12 years ago
Not sure if you can tell by the pics, but the color really is a striking yellow, every bit as bright as my Yellow Ribbon Arb or my 4Ever Gold. If the color remains stable (hard to say I guess), I can imagine that an entire Green Giant with this coloration would be quite awesome.
botann
12 years ago
The heck with grafting. I'd take cuttings. Thujas root easy.
Mike
whaas_5a
12 years ago
The gold is much different than stress or fall needle loss that I've seen. To Mike's point you can just take a cutting.

Other experts might chime in but perhaps the easiest thing to do is take a cutting for now.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
i would pay to have it grafted ...

i tried.. total novice.. rooting arbs.. and more specifically GGiants .. with a 50% success rate.. i was happy ... but it was a struggle indoors.. w/o a greenhouse .. etc ...

if you took 100 cuttings.. you know.. with some certainty.. which ONE will die.. lol ...

grafting an arb.. which is nearly bulletproof with an arb.. would insure life ...but.. isnt there always one in the conversation ...

i had a smargard which had a branch with white... and never came back after winter ... it reverted to its dominant color ... i dont know if waiting is the best deal ...

ken
deltaohioz5
12 years ago
I have found a bunch of these over the years and so far they have all reverted
back to green. Here is a picture of one of several that I found this year.
I would watch it for a couple years and if it holds have it grafted.

Frank
johnplace
Original Author
12 years ago
How would I go about paying to have it grafted? And how much does something like that cost?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
call girards .. and see if they are interested ... ask to talk to jeff ...

call gee's and ask the same ...

you might be surprised how cheap it is .. WAGuess ... 20 bucks ....

i dont know any of the west coast guys well enough to know if they do such ...

dennis at bethlehem might.. i dont know ...

i figure its at least worth a few calls .... especially if you have unlimited long distance ...

ken

ps: i guess the next question is whether grafting.. will cut the odds of reversion ....
johnplace
Original Author
12 years ago
Yes, Ken, you beat me to it. :-)

Does anyone know if grafting (or even taking a cutting) cuts the odds of reversion? Or will it revert regardless? If the latter, it makes sense to wait before cutting/grafting. If the former, I should jump on it right away.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
i have a feeling.. the grafters might have the answer .... same phone call.. if no one here has any experience ..

ken
steg
12 years ago
Man, a big yellow Green Giant would be pretty awesome to see.

Have you thought of a name yet, John? Yellow Giant, heh. Thuja x 'Big Banana'?

Cool find...hope it stays that way.

Steg
gardener365
12 years ago
Have it grafted for sure. It can go on Platycladus. The odds of it reverting back to green are very strong. You gotta try though.

I'm not grafting this year....

Dax
coniferjoy
12 years ago
I'm sorry to say but one to every 500 hedge Thuja cultivars will make such a varieagation once and a while.
95% of the propagations will revert back to green.
Making cuttings of grafts doesn't make difference, both ways are easy for a proffesional nurseryman.

Never use a Platycladus understock for a Thuja cultivar.
It will grow at first but after a while the grafting union will show complications and the graft will die.
Use Thuja plicata seedlings understock, even liners of the Thuja (x) 'Green Giant' will do well for this job.

Good luck and keep us informed!
gardener365
12 years ago
Wow, appreciate the information. I was sent Thuja on Platycladus from a professional nurseryman, once.

Best Regards,

Dax
PRO
Katsura Gardens
12 years ago
Found and propagated this one about 3 years ago. Got two cuttings ,both rooted but only one plant has good variegation. the other plant has some variegation and is much taller. This one though has pretty good color as is evident in the pictures.
john

{{gwi:851932}}
gardener365
12 years ago
Keep isolating the best colored shoots as you know.

Great stuff John.

Dax
coniferjoy
12 years ago
John, that's a nice variegated one!
Till know it looks good and I hope it will keep growing this way.
Watch the green leader for next year...good luck!
gardener365
12 years ago
If were me, I'd propagate any that arise like these:

Also any that may arise that are 100% gold.

Best Regards,

Dax

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