This set of pictures was fabulous, by the way. Certainly a beautiful plant! I'm glad you figured it out.

Yes picea bicolor and picea alcoquiana are 2 names for 1 species of Picea from japan.Picea jesoensis are 1 other species also from japan with the foliage more bicolored than Picea bicolor. Picea bicolor are a very,very rare species, because 95% of Picea bicolor are really Picea jesoensis. It's crazy and I work for many years for a good identification of these 2 picea. I don't understand how it's possible to mix these 2 Picea by some "specialist", nurserymen and collectors. I know some nurseries who graft Picea bicolor "Dwarf tigertail" and Picea bicolor "Prostrata" and don't see it's 2 different species ! Picea bicolor "Dwarf Tigertail" or "Howell's Dwarf Tigertail" are a cultivar of Picea jesoensis,however Picea bicolor "Prostrata" are well a cultivar of Picea bicolor ! Please,Please all, look the difference of foliage,buds,cones,and tree. How is possible to mix the 2 species ?? I show some photos on my web site : google : Anthoine pinetum. PS: it's the same about other Picea.(glauca and mariana)... Clément

Why thank you, Rina =) I've since separated it into multiple pots (the superbum, not the pup, haha) I can't tell most of them apart unless they are extremely distinct! Good to know that semps are hardy, I have had my eye on jovibarba to add to my collection but alas, I really should focus instead of adding willy nilly. Only this past year I've potted up in bark, last year and the years before, I'd just used plain ol' container soil and they were none the worse for wear. I *did* have a couple rot in less than 24 hours because I left the sprinkler on for the lawn and hadn't realized it was getting the little basket the semps were in. OOops =) Good thing they multiply with incredible speed and a twist of the wrist will have a newly plunked down chick, rooted in no time. Kayla: if you have opportunity to grow this outside, I would. I know others grow them inside but I never could get them to thrive inside. Only when outside and absolutely neglected have they thrived for me. Good luck with them, very easy plants to grow =)

the cones are definitive in my book .. here is platycladus: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Platycladus+orientalis+cones&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images and here.. the majority are thuja with..imo ... too many platycladus throw in.. to confuse : https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Thuja+occidentalis+cones&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images when i first started in conifers... i pretty sure the nomenclature police were arguing about all this ... and most of the platycladus plants were mislabeled.. especially at big box ... ken ps: if you take clippings .. and put them in a metal coffee can ... or disposable pot ... and seep them like you might do tea/potpourri .... it will fragrance the whole house ... if you dont forget and boil all the water away and burn your house down ...