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Help ID'ing a Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

Chey - 6b Massachusetts

3 years ago

Would someone be able to help me ID this Dwarf Hinoki Cypress? I bought it and it did not have a tag. Need to know how big it will get and how to care for it. Thank you!

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
frankly.. i cant tell most of them apart.. lol ...

but if you can.. look very closely at this years growth.. and the previous years growth.. by studying bark maturation ... and you might be able to get a flavor of its annual growth rate ... though being BB it might be a bit wonky ...

and since you are in z6... presume a decent dormancy period during winter .... so it isnt going to get very big in the long run.. tree time anyway ...

imo.. its never going to get huge.. and you care for it.. like any other tree or conifer ... do you have much experience in that regard.. or should we get more specific??

the most important issue.. is what is your soil type.. and does it drain???

this time of year.. if you soak it in good.. and the soil drains.. and you mulch properly.. you may only need to water it one more time.. before winter ... do not water it like a water loving annual or perennial.. its a tree ...

ken

ps: dont forget how large the ball is.. and how small its going to look once its in mother earth ...when you are looking for a planting site ...

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
3 years ago
Whichever cultivar it is, it's not in great condition so unlikely to be very representative. It almost looks like a young slender hinoki ('Gracilis') so maybe not as dwarf as you think.

There are about a zillion different cultivars of Chamaecyparis obtusa and it is often hard to narrow down a specific one if there are no obvious cultivar-distinct features. And the subject plant is not really showing any distinguishing features at all.
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Wow! Thank you everyone, for all of your input. I would love to move my dwarf hinoki cypress but I fear that it may not survive. As a precaution, I want to try propagating some pieces before attempting to move it. Yes, it is rather slow growing but over the years I have trimmed off some of the top growth to keep it shorter - but it really is in the wrong spot now. The soil where it is growing is rather sandy, with good drainage. It gets good morning sun with afternoon shade. I am going to collect some cuttings and attempt to propagate them now. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for roots to appear and what should I look for so that I don't disrupt the plant while it is developing a root system? At what point will I know to remove the plant from the plastic bag? Chris
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i agree with tom ... but it is all about the MINIMIZATION of risk ... in suburbia ... on a 100 x 100 lot... i could touch/feel/water every plant.. every night... and all was good in hooterville ... on 5 acres .. pure sand... blistering sun ... plant something.. remember for a few days.. then all of a sudden ... 5 weeks later.. see this dead, nude stick ... and exclaim .. drat [well maybe something a bit more flavorful].. i forgot to follow up ... if you can apply appropriate TLC.. without killing it [too much love].. potted stock .... or even ball and burlap dug in spring ... you should be just fine... planting it whenever .... but i wouldnt go bare rooting or digging stock in .. say .. august ... i would wait ... unless you are buying from someone who will give you a warrantee ... the key .. is minimize your risk .. and there is just as much risk .. leaving them in pots too long ... mother earth has a way of tempering many of the variables we struggle with .... ken BTW: cham obt was probably found in hinoki ... the addition of hinoki adds nothing to the name... or should i say.. its a common name.. rather than proper nomenclature ....
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Not necessarily. A symmetrical house does not require a similarly symmetrically planned garden to generate a coordinated look. It depends totally on how the entire landscape is approached as well as the greater context. In fact, a distinctly asymmetrical (and by extension, a more informal or casual) landscape plan can soften the starkness that often accompanies very symmetrical architecture. Like KarinL's, my own home is extremely symmetrical - a Cape Cod style with a perfectly centered entry flanked by identical windows spaced exactly the same on the facade. The only thing NOT symmetrical about the structure is its placement on the lot - one side yard is approximately double the width of the other. And the narrow side has (had) a slight slope to a lower level. When we purchased the house, the front landcaping consisted only of a large, diseased conifer at the crest of the slope, pretty much a blank slate. The rest was lawn, bisected by the front walk. After living with the symmetry for a number of years and planting pretty much to accommodate it, it struck me that the presentation was much too static and well, boring. The walk was ripped up, the entry to the garden was relocated well to one side and a gradually curved, wide meandering walkway was installed to lead you from this offset entrance to the front door. The mirror image patches of lawn were trashed and became deep, irregularly shaped planting beds. The only concession to symmetry is the proportion and balance of the planting masses. The effect now is a much more aesthetically interesting presentation. But these are indeed landscape design issues and perhaps more appropriately addressed in the appropriate forum. But it is important to remember that there are no hard "rules" when it comes to landscaping and just because one has a home with a very symmetrical appearance, it does not necessarily follow that the landscaping must echo that symmetry. I'd venture to say that you will have a far more interesting and successful landscape if it does not.
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you find root status.. after its dead.. when you dig up a dead one.. and hose off the soil .. and look ... you need either a better landscaper.. or he needs a better nursery ... see link, especially in regard to soil and watering .... proper watering is a combination of both .... also look into what is says about TIMING ... frankly ... i rule out disease or bugs or molds or whatever ... based on the fact that you have had it for a month or 3 ... its possible.. but not probable ... imo ... when you successfully get one growing ... in 5 to 10 years.. it could easily double in each dimension ... which means its at a minimum.. a few feet too close to the house.. which makes me further question your landscapers decisions ... at this point in time.. based on presumed warranty issues.. you are stuck with him ... but i dont know if i would work with him in the future ... sooo.. in that regard .. read the link thoroughly.. and insure he makes proper decisions ... and does it right ... no tree.. ever.. needs water every day ... link again ... insert finger or use hand trowel.. and FIND OUT when the soil is drying.. an inch or two down ... it is imperative that you keep the root mass planted.. moist for a year or two ... it really has nothing to do with the top inch of soil ... nor wetting the plant itself every night ... and moist does not mean sodden ... ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
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Chey - 6b Massachusetts
Original Author
3 years ago
Okay. I am not seasoned at all with conifers and trees. I've been gardening for 16 years. It's been a learning experience, a very expensive learning experience. I've grown perennials and transitioned into roses (Don't ask - I'm still learning).

Last year I went to a nursery and it was like an enchanted forest. I decided I wanted to create the same experience. It was a combination of conifers, japanese maples, etc. with hosta's and shade loving perennials. So here I am winging it. This girl was in poor shape, I agree. I'm a sucker for rescues. I co-founded a dog rescue if that means anything and now I find myself rescuing plants and now trees.

I do belief she is Nana Gracilis. I went back to the nursery and looked at the the shrub next to where I found her.

@Ken - When you say "Do you know how you care for it?" Would you be able to give me details?
plantkiller_il_5
3 years ago
if it is enchanted forest you want......years ago I got a book , which you can buy or get from your library , that sent me down the road to addicted conifer syndrome , but also taught me a lot

Gardening With Conifers by Adrian Bloom

when ken says ..do you know...he means...plant shallow , water weekly for first year , don't fertilize

ron
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
it depends on your soil ... does it drain properly .. if you dont know.. perk it ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=perk+garden+soil&t=ffcm&iax=videos&ia=videos

if bad non draining clay.. plant high ... if good drainage.. plant the root flare at soil surface ...

water it in heavily at planting.. and dont water it again.. UNTIL IT NEEDS IT ... insert finger to find out ... in fall ... it might not need water until the heat starts in late spring.. but check every now and then ...

i NEVER fert trees/shrubs.. etc..

here is a good primer : https://duckduckgo.com/?q=perk+garden+soil&t=ffcm&iax=videos&ia=videos

bloom book is great.. but be careful with Brit books ... they are 2/3 of the way to the north pole.. yet can be z 7 to 9 [ the north atlantic drift]... so you have to interpret that to your situation ... sun intensity that far north is also very low comparatively speaking ...

its hard to believe.. with 16 years under your fingernails.. you claim to be a newb ... lol ...

bottom line.. its a tree... not a child.. plant it;. water properly.. and ignore it.. its not a child that need to be fed.. clothed or educated ... dont love it to death ... its not a water loving annual or perennial ...

ken

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