That really is their common name that almost all people use and also most information shows it as: Alaska cedar Sometimes called: Nootka False Cypress or Yellow-cypress and the best names: Nootka Cypress or Alaska Cypress. It's not correct calling it cedar like above because it's not really a cedar. It really is in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It really should be called Alaska cypress, but very rarely does anybody call it that. Another example would be the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) which is in the cypress family (Cupressaceae) and even though it is not a cedar and should not be called that, it is just the accepted common name by almost everybody. Quirkyquercus was not really wrong in a way because the ones that are wrong are the ones that started calling it a cedar many years ago.

you can do whatever you want with your tree.. its yours ... who cares what we think ... i am of the conifer school that works on the premise that the weirder the better ... others belong to the school that all conifers must look like xmas trees ... make your choice of which school you belong to ... and be happy ... conifers.. left to there own devices.. will grow in a shape wherein they develop a structure to support themselves.... when we .. or the original grower started 'training' this weirdo into an unnatural shape ... he/we are potentially creating structural issues ... do what you want.. with an eye towards creating a stable tree... and you will be all set ... so stake it for training.. and for stability .... nothing worse.. than 5 or 10 or 20 years down the line.. the thing collapses in a storm or something.. because you made it so weird ... IN MY WORLD .... i would get a lot of joy out the process ... and if it made my toes curl every time i walked by it.. then i really dont care what happens in 5 or 10 or 20 years .... my happiness is worth whatever comes of it.. and if it fails.... i will gt to try again.. or try something else ... i look at it this way ... if i spend 200 bucks on tree ... and it lives 20 years.. will it be worth 10 bucks a year ... the price of one crumby meal.. for the excitement of walking out there everyday ... i say yes .... if it only lasts 10 ... costing me 20 bucks.. or one decent meal ... etc ... its your tree ... have fun with it ... go to google.. type in the name.. find the latin name.. paste it back.. and then go to google images.. and you will see probably hundreds of pix of this very common plant ... and see where it is going over the years.. and what you can do with it .. the sky is the limit... good luck a little zen ken today.. lol

While trying to tie it before planting I broke off the central leader. ==>> been there... done that ...lol .... live and learn.. both you and the tree ... (quite devastated). ==>>> nonsense.. perhaps you feel guilty.. so what.. as i said.. live and learn .. I understand the devastation. ==>> i dont anymore.. after the first time.. lol ... listen to me... and i will yell for emphasis ... ALL TREEs WILL RE-LEADER ... period ... if it dies.. it will be from IMPROPER PLANTING ... IMPROPER WATERING... or IMPROPER AFTERCARE/MULCHING ... you will give it.. upwards of 3 years... to sort itself out.. and THEN YOU WILL 'THINK ABOUT' HOW TO TRAIN IT ... i can send you an application for the WEIRDER THE BETTER CLUB.. if you wish .. i founded said club.. after doing it myself the first time... lol ... [well.. actually after the third time... lol.. i am a slow learner ...lol] the real question here.. is why you were trying to tie it up.. BEFORE PLANTING .... i bet you were focused on training it.. rather than getting it planted.. and established .... get it to live first.. THEN worry about training it.. as the years roll by ... please refer to the link.. to insure you did everything PROPER .... and if not... lets discuss it .... lastly ... and this is why i gave you the link.. why were you planting an 8 foot tree.. in july???? .. i know there are places that are much more forgiving than MI in july/august.... but even so.. there are better times to do such .... refer to the link for PROPER WATERING... as that will determine.. if it lives.... and.. no fert EVER... it will not help a stressed plant.. ever..... and a newly planted 8 foot conifer.. is stressed..... well.. i suppose it 4 to 5 feet now ... learn to laugh at yourself... live and learn... get it to live.. we can work on it as the years roll by ... BTW.. a pic might get slightly different answers .. but not much ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

hey miss myl its hard to give pruning advice without a picture ... and without any thoughts on your part as to where you want to go with it ... you need a picture hosting site like photobucket .. to get pic in your posts .... regardless.. the happiest day of my life in my first new home.. was when i got rid of all the prior owners nightmares.. and started creating my own ... unfortunately it took me 5 years of trying to fix the old problems.. before wisdom set in ... for under 50 bucks you can be done with the monster .... and plant a babe duplicate.. and start afresh.. instead of perhaps torturing this one into a shape that it can not achieve ... all that said .... a pic might make me think it is extremely valuable.. and in need of just a little training .... who knows based on the facts you provided... so how about that pic???? [and no, i dont want it sent to my private email] ken