I live in coastal VA in a climate that is similar to Charleston. Like you, I'm a fair novice when it comes to conifers. I'll give you some general advice, then will include a list of conifers that are succeeding in the heat and humidity of Zones 7 and 8. (The list was posted by another member several months ago). Preparation and planning are the keys to success. As Dave said, draw a detailed site plan (a good landscaping book will show you how), then develop a preliminary planting plan. Research, research, research. If you skip this step, you are likely to find that you did a lot of work and spent a lot of $$, but the outcome is not what you expected. Join the ACS! Seek out other conifer lovers. You need trees and shrubs - deciduous in addition to conifers - to provide structure and interest. I second Karini's advice about getting "Gardening with Conifers" by Adrian Bloom. I also recommend "Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates" (Timber Press) for reliable information about what grows and thrives in your area. Dirr is a professor of horticulture and expert on woody plants who teaches at the University of Georgia. Atlanta is famous for clay soil. Get a soil sample(s). Your county extension office will analyze it and tell you what steps you need to take to improve your soil. They can probably give you good advice re: conifers that do well in Atlanta. This list of conifers was posted by sandyhill. Since he lives on the coast, he has challenges you do not have (wind and salt mist) - the plants on this list are survivors: 3 to 8+ years on these in the open with few problems, NC humid zone 8a: Cryptomeria japonica Cupressus macrocarpa Cupressus glabra Cupressus arizonica Cupressus macrocarpa x nootkatensis Cupressus arizonica x macrocarpa Taxodium distichum Taxodium ascendens Juniperus virginiana Juniperus silicicola Juniperus scopulorum Juniperus chinensis Juniper communis Pinus palustris Pinus taeda Pinus glabra Pinus elliottii Pinus palustris x taeda Pinus rigida x taeda Pinus rigida Pinus virginiana Pinus thunbergiana (beware of PWN) Pinus pinaster Pinus nigra Pinus heldreichii var. leucodermis Pinus strobiformis Some others doing ok in a slightly sheltered area: Taxus baccata Taxus cuspidata T. bacata ? cuspidata (Taxus x media) Amentotaxus argotaenia Podocarpus macrophyllus Cephalotaxus harringtonia Cephalotaxus fortunei Araucaria bidwillii Araucaria heterophylla (moved inside in cold spells) Callitris oblonga Callitris rhomboidea Chamaecyparis obtusa Chamaecyparis thyoides Also have 2+ years outside on some small Taiwania, so far so good, but these have been mild winters. No luck with any Tsuga or Picea, as our wind and salt mist are killers. Cunninghamia lanceolata is still alive, but browns pretty bad. Cedrus deodora has had some salt burn, but comes back, same for some of the pines. Cryptomeria go bronze in winter, but look great by April... stronger trees than most people think IME. Others to consider: any Taxodium (Bald Cypress, Pond Cypress, Montezuma Cypress) Taiwania cryptomeroides Fokienia Sequoia sempervirens (Coastal redwood -- it really likes our climate; Giant Sequoia, by contrast, struggles here) Glyptostrobus Araucaria angustofolia Deodar cedar Florida Torreya Good luck, Pam

Barbara, Thanks for the vote of confidence! I do not recommend causing anymore injury/open wounds on the basil end and/or stem of the cuttings as this is an avenue for infectious diseases to enter the stem tissue. Always use very sharp pruning clippers when taking the cuttings. Sterilize these clippers also. A clean cut leaves no ragged tissue upon which disease can enter the cuttings. The chemical rooting compounds generally do contain a fungicide. I prefer liquid rooting compounds which normally require soaking the basil end of the cuttings for a given period of time. There are different strengths/concentrations of these compounds depending upon whether you are propagating herbaceous or the many stages of woody materials. Powdered rooting compounds tend to excessively clump on the basil end of the cutting which burns the tissue and disease sets in which can contaminate your other cuttings in the propagation media. Follow the instructions on the label. When collecting cuttings, do not let the basil end of the cuttings become contaminated. Think clean from beginning to end. For those of you who want the no nonsense advice, use my e-mail address above.

I purchased it as P. Pungens 'baby blue' (you know the tags, "blue is cool blue is cool blue is cool blue is cool blue is cool"). It was only after a year or two that I noticed its branches were weeping. I think I planted it Nov 2014, but maybe Nov 2015. I do remember when purchasing it, it was different (I looked at every single one they had, probably over 200) but weeping never crossed my mind even though in thinking back I remember it looking about what it currently looks like. When I compared it to my 7 or so other P. Pungens 'baby blue', it was clearly different. I guess it would be considered a seedling with a mutation (or a mutated seedling?) ? The baby blue are grown from seed.

Beutiful photos from Conifers. Also, you are right-Thuja occidentalis is grown throughout the Atlanta area. wrt comments from Pineresin.Thank you for the corrections in nomenclature. Would like to add a few comments: 1. Taiwania flousiana vs. cryptomeriodes-I have read that flousiana grows a leader very easily and has a less blue green color, and this is the same behavior I have seen in the specimens I have grown. Can't comment on whether flousiana is actually a distinct species. 2. darjeelingsensis vs. cashmeriana vs. pseudohimlaicia-I have acquired several Cuppressus "darjeelingsensis" and a couple of "psuedohimalaica" from a US supplier (these are the names used by the supplier). The supplier calls the seed-grown trees darjeelingsensis and trees grown from cuttings, pseudohimalaica, and the pseudohimalaica have the weeping bluish branchlets that I have seen on trees called cashmeriana in botanic gardens in the US. The two pseudohimalaica I have, have only survived one mild winter here, so I don't know if they are viable in Atlanta, but they will be a wonderful addition to the local landscape if they are hardy here. (The Atlanta Botanic Garden grows their "cashmeriana" indoors in pots). The ABG "cashmeriana" and the "cashmeriana" grown at the Huntington Botanical Garden in Pasadena have the same appearance as the pseudohimalaica). 3. I have seen that Cunninghamia "unicaniculata" listed as lanceolota in almost all references as you indicate. Some suppliers in the US distinguish between them, perhaps because of the appearance, which is quite distinct, and climate preferences. In terms of climate preferences, the unicaniculata sold commercially in the US have behaved more like konishi than lanceolata for me. I understand that there is also controversy as to whether konishi shoud be a separate species (from lanceolata). 4. Chamaecyparis thyoides var. Henryae-quite right.