Jan, 'Fernspray Gold' and 'Tetragona Aurea' are 2 differend Chamaecyparis obtusa cultivars. 'Fernspray Gold' aka 'Filicoides Aurea' is a golden yellow mutation of 'Filicoides' aka 'Teddy Bear'. It's a bushy form and does have a compact branching system. 'Tetragona Aurea' is a small tree form with bronze yellow foliage. It's branching system is a more open. The cultivar 'Kojolcohiba' come's very close to this one. To solve this problem for you I took a pic from both cultivar branches. Left: 'Tetragona Aurea' Right: 'Fernspray Gold' I hope that I helped you with this info.

Hi Garcan, It just started snowing here and it may be difficult to get that shot you are looking for. The conifer garden is in a completely open area-- full sun and full wind. Because of our wet summer(and me constantly fertilizing), this year I decided to wrap some of the yellow varieties of obtusa because they forgot to stop growing. Some obtusas grew nearly 2 feet (60cm). I did take a few pictures yesterday in the arboretum and I will post them soon. I did take some pictures of Tetragona's that I have in pots also. Barbara, the Tetragona is about 12-13 years old and around 8ft (200cm+) or slightly bigger. I had it in a protected spot for a few years before moving it to the arboretum this summer. The conifer garden is about 5 acres(2 ha??) and there are about 850 different species and cultivars. In the spring we will have close to 1 000. Within the conifer garden is about 1 acre rock garden. I just started it this fall. I promise to post a few pictures soon. I think your Filicoides is getting to much shade and possibly not enough water. From my experience, they love moist soils and as much sun as you can give them with the exception of some of the yellow varieties that may burn or bleach out in full sun. This thinning on your plant what I suspect the problem is. Darren

The "Aurea" of general commerce is 'Aurea Robusta' which is a blue Atlas cedar with yellow on top. Seattle's Kubota Garden Park had one of these 69' tall ca. 2005.

I grow Daucosma laciniata . It is a larval food of the Black swallowtail butterfly. They grow easily from seed dropped by plants , sprouting in early spring and then they hang back and spring up in late spring through early summer. The annual is native to a few counties around me they are a Queen Ann's lace look alike , sort of. I never see their seed in wildflower seed sources. I got mine from a wildflower enthusiast in Medina Texas. I also grow Polytaenia texana . It is more of a mystery and is slow getting established. I bought two plants from the LBJ wildflower centers sail. It took a couple of years for it to come to a bloom and then it being monocarpic died . I collected seed but could not get it started . I tossed the seeds out in the field that it grew in and several years later I have many starting up each year. It took awhile for the seed to germinate. I had written them off, to tell the truth. They might respond to scarifying or a long period of cold stratification. . Something we do not get here in Texas.. It might be a period of cold that is accumulative over several years in the wild. I might get blooms this year . They are very nice. Also a Black swallowtail magnet. I remember them attracting lots of different beas and butterflies. They are tall large flowered pale yellow blooms on plants with a rosette of large fleshy parsley shaped leaves. I think I saw seed for this one at Native American Seed I have talked about both of these before. I can collect seed for them if all goes right. and send them to you. I will be tossing the seed farther afield to grow my patch in other places in my front field.