thuja

Thuja gets no respect; most conifer collectors see them as second rate Chamaecyparis. It is true that they lack the delicate graceful presence that many Chamaecyparis bring to the garden, however Thuja excels in other areas. As huge specimen plants they are unbelievable, rivaling giant redwoods in size lending an almost primordial look to the garden. Ok, I admit it; it does take forever to achieve this look but even as younger plants they are not without merit. The genus offers an impressive array of forms and textures and best of all they are as close to indestructible as conifers get. They will grow in nearly standing water or in dry sand beds, in full sun or dense shade and survive. They may not like it, but they live. It is not surprising that landscapers who offer plant guarantees love them.

 

Thuja koraiensis glauca prostrata    S. P. -1@ $15.00

A rare low growing glaucous form of Korean Thuja, one of only a handful of cultivars of this seldom offered species.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Bowling Ball' G. -1@ $19.00  S. P. -1@ $15.00

A magnet for corrupted labels we have seen ‘Boiling Ball’ and ‘Bolling Ball’, on tags at other nurseries, not to mention Linesville, which is apparently synonymous as well. Considering the plant is a round witches broom with no apparent effect on the temperature of nearby liquids and we are a bit unclear as to the Bolling reference (which sounds like some kind of British sex slang) we will go with 'Bowling Ball' although its utility in that sport is somewhat questionable. To complicate matters yet further there is also a ‘Bobazam’ aka ‘Mr. Bowling Ball’ which may or may not be different.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘COLUMBIA’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

Outstanding slender columnar form to 15 meters high with white branch tips.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘DEGROOTS SPIRE’   BAP. -1@ $29.00

Narrowly columnar specimen plant with twisted foliage and growing 6-12" a year, it is by far the best fastigiate form and perfect for building mazes that will look like something out of the Shining, or screening out the neighbors.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘ELEGANTISSIMA’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

A dense, conical form with creamy tips in the spring, it changes to bronze in the winter.

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green variegated’           S. P. -1@ $19.00

My current favorite when it comes to variegated Thuja occidentalis cultivars excellent green color with lots of splash, these are spectacular.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Filiformis' BAP. -1@ $49.00 S. P. -1@ $15.00

A thread stemmed juvenile form, there are a number of these stringy cultivars and it is nearly impossible to tell one from the next. I find myself strangely drawn to these every time I visit the Harper Collection, despite the presence of other more exotic specimens.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘GOLDEN GLOBE’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

Quickly forms a globe without shearing, outstanding golden color doesn't burn.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Minima' BAP. -1@ $24.00

One of the smallest forms from a distance you could mistake it for one of the small Hinoki clones but it is immensely tougher, great for difficult sites.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Ohlendorfii' BAP. -1@ $29.00

Raised by Ohlendorff nurseries in Hamburg in 1887 it features quadrangular stems of imbricated scale like leaves with tufts of protruding adult foliage at the tips.

 

Thuja occidentalis Pendula S. P. -1@ $15.00

A stiffly weeping form that dates to the mid 1800’s, as a young plant it is somewhat unimpressive however it becomes an imposing specimen with age if I could just get that teleporter working I could beam a hundred and fifty year old specimen next to our pond.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Rosenthalii' BAP. -1@ $24.00

Rather rare in the nursery trade, Van Hoey Smith considers it one of the best slower growing columnar forms; see the photo in the Conifer Encyclopedia.

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Sherwood Frost ‘            BAP. -1@ $29.00

Upright growing semi-dwarf; conical with attractive creamy variegation.

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Sherwood Moss’   BAP. -1@ $29.00

A dwarf cone shape with green, juvenile foliage; bronzing somewhat in the winter.

 

Thuja occidentalis ‘Teddy ‘ S. P. -1@ $15.00

An outstanding little bun a bit taller than wide, this is the only Thuja we grow that is small enough for a trough. Teddy hardly resembles a Thuja due to the extremely compact juvenile foliage.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘TINY TIM’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

One of the dwarfest Thuja that we've seen, broadly globose 16"w.  X 12"h. in 10 yrs.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Umbraculifera'     S. P. -1@ $15.00

A slow growing umbrella form with bluish green foliage that has been around (in Germany at least) since 1892, however it is almost never seen in American gardens, which is strange given the popularity of Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera'.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘WANSDYKE SILVER’            BAP. -1@ $29.00

Dense low pyramid; slow growing, light green foliage with creamy white variegation.

 

Thuja occidentalis ex Watanong BAP. -1@ $39.00

A dwarf form that we have grown for years, originally from Watanong, it probably has a better name; if anyone knows its history let us know.

 

Thuja occidentalis 'Wareana' S. P. -1@ $15.00

This dates back to Coventry England around 1821, nurseryman’s name was ware, the plant is a bit reminiscent of t. orientalis but is actually T. occidentalis var. sibirica.

 

THUJA OCCIDENTALIS ‘WOODWARDII’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

A fast growing, globose form; Woodward retains its shape as it ages without pruning.

 

THUJA ORIENTALIS ‘FRUITLANDI’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

Upright conical form with a rich green color looks as if it will soon get quite large.

 

Thuja orientalis 'Van Hoey Smith' G. -1@ $19.00  BAP. -1@ $39.00

I like this even better than ‘Emerald Green Variegated’, finer textured with a lacy open look, orientalis is generally a bit tender here however we have it on an exposed south western corner of our shipping building in a very windswept barren spot in full sun and it does just fine. The original plant is in Trompenburg not under the name 'Van Hoey Smith'. The name came about through a mix up; Van Hoey Smith who is sort of curator emeritus sent a cutting to the states with only his name on the label, oops.

 

Thuja orientalis 'Van Hoey Smith sport’      BAP. -1@ $49.00

We were walking around Gees in the middle of last winter freezing our asses off with Gary when we noticed this mutation on his 'Van Hoey Smith' it is variegated but different; he was going to prune it out and trash it (probably the cold had shut down his high brain functions) we rescued it from oblivion.

 

THUJA PLICATA ‘COLLYER'S GOLD’ BAP. -1@ $29.00

 A 1976 introduction by Wansdyke, if is slow growing forming an upright bush, foliage is green tipped with gold.

 

THUJA plicata ‘GEORGE WASHINGTON’ G. -1@ $19.00  BAP. -1@ $29.00

A large, broad pyramid with bright gold variegation in the center of its leaflets.

 

Thuja plicata 'Holly Turner' G. -1@ $19.00

We got this from Heronswood years ago, several people have seen it in the stock house and asked about it (everyone wants the thing you didn’t propagate), as far as i know it was named for Holly Turner from the National Arboretum. 

 

Thuja plicata ‘Stoneham Gold’ S. P. -1@ $15.00

A slow growing upright form, the bright golden orange new shoots are a nice contrast to the dark green interior.

 

THUJA PLICATA ‘SUNSHINE’   BAP. -1@ $29.00

A nice golden selection it doesn't burn in full sun, and really stands out in the landscape.

 

Thuja plicata 'Whipcord' Pan-1@ $29.00   S. P. -1@ $19.00

Similar in general appearance to Thuja occidentalis 'Filiformis' with the leaves reduced to scaly lizards tails, dangling downwards as if hung by Shrikes in Hitchcockian numbers it is a horror to some.

 

Thujopsis dolabrata var hondai S. P. -1@ $15.00

The rarely available Northern Japanese variety of this curious monotypic Thuja relative, it has the same thick flattened branchlets but with improved cold tolerance, this will eventually become a tall monoecious tree, perfect for landscaping imported car dealerships.

 

Thujopsis dolabrata Nana S. P. -1@ $15.00

In cultivation since the 1800’s, it is a dwarf-rounded clone that will eventually form a ball several feet across. If you insist on meatball landscaping at least do it with style.

 

Thujopsis dolabrata 'Variegata' BAP. -1@ $49.00

Irregularly variegated with large patches of white, it can be a spectacular specimen especially if pruned to enhance its variegation, but generally looks great even with no pruning whatsoever.

 

Torreya california ........... S. P. -1@ $15.00

I remember planting Ratko’s pecan-like seeds, never really expecting to see plants, but come up they did and grew quickly in to nice little plants, which given time and a climate warmer than Michigan may reach 30m in height. Foliage is aromatic when crushed. Related to Cephalotaxus there are only a half dozen or so species worldwide, and all are rather rare in the wild as well as in cultivation.

 

Torreya nucifera var sphaerica S. P. -1@ $12.00

Probably the hardiest of the Torreya species this Japanese botanical relic is highly desirable at least to conifer collectors the nutmeg like fruits are supposed to be edible, I’m sure they are delightful when served with raw octopus and sea urchin eggs.

 

Torreya yunanensis 'Rock' S. P. -1@ $19.00

Currently placed as Torreya grandis v fargesii it is a legend by any name, Torreyas are rare and ancient relicts only surviving in small areas of Asia and the east and west coasts of the United States, however they once ranged much more widely. Thanks to the efforts of Joseph Rock, this one is once more growing in parts of its former range.

 

Tsuga

One of my favorite conifers always graceful and elegant, Hemlocks tolerate both sun and shade, they take to shearing well but considering the beauty of their natural shapes it seem a sacrilege to whack them. Dirr said it best, if he could only have one conifer in his garden it would certainly be Tsuga canadensis. Wooly adelgid has been a major pest on both coasts in recent years; fortunately, we have been free of it here in Michigan, if you grow hemlocks keep an eye out for it and spray if it shows up. Time to play got-it, got-it, need-it because you do need at least one of each of the following. The plants marked s.p. are 1-2yr cuttings, this means they are indeed small and will require patience, if you need instant gratification please look elsewhere.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Armistice' G. -1@ $29.00

A dense irregular conical plant with dark green foliage it is confused in cultivation with ‘Muttontown’.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Aurea' S. P. -1@ $12.00

An old golden form dating back to 1855 in England, more than one clone may circulate under this name.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Beehive' S. P. -1@ $8.00

A Mitch introduction from the early 80’s, Beehive is fine textured and forms a dense beehive shaped mound.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Burkett's Dwarf'     G. -1@ $24.00

A nasty disease caused by oncogenes associated with the Epstein Barr virus, no wait that is Burkett’s Lymphoma, Burkett’s dwarf is a congested irregular broomish thing of obscure origin that is much more desirable than Burkett’s Lymphoma.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Cole’s Prostrate'   S. P. -1@ $12.00

Very prostrate, slow growing, much lower than ‘Pendula’, beautiful when staked, (we are talking bonsai bondage not the Buffy turned to dust staking) Coles is the smallest of the weeping types and a true gem for the rock garden. A thirty-year-old plant unstaked was 4” high by 25” across.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Creamy' S. P. -1@ $8.00

Dwarf form originating from Otto Gentsch and with cream colored tips, not white.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Curley' S. P. -1@ $8.00

A compact irregular upright form with short curled leaves found in 1969 by Harold Epstein. It is a bit like Verkades recurved but a better grower.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Dawsoniana' S. P. -1@ $8.00

A compact multi-stemmed bushy form, rather regular in outline, it was selected by Dawson at the Hunnewell Arboretum in 1927, and is the most attractive of the wide leafed cultivars.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Geneva' S. P. -1@ $8.00

Dwarf upright somewhat open, slow growing plants 16'x16' after seventy-five years.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Gentsch White' S. P. -1@ $8.00

Dwarf globe to mound shape; silvery white tips on new growth becoming green with age, heavy shearing is advised for compactness and best color 18"h x 36" w @ 12 yrs.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Gracilis' S. P. -1@ $8.00

Dense growing mound, branchlets drooping at the tips, often sold as ‘Nana Gracilis’.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Greenbrier' S. P. -1@ $8.00

Chopped out of the maze while Jack Nicholson was filming The Shining? Trampled by Congressional representatives trying to get to a not so secret bunker on September 11? Hell I don’t have a clue where this originated I could call Talon and get the facts but why destroy the myth, feel free to embellish either of the above stories as you wish.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Humphry Welsh' G. -1@ $24.00

A very unhemlock- like plant with short slender needles, somewhat adpressed, showing off their undersides, annual growth is vigorous and upright with pendulous branch tips, the entire plant has an almost filiform look.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'JACQUELINE Verkade'        S. P. -1@ $12.00

Very nice upright ovoid with short needles, it is one of my favorite hemlocks.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Jeddeloh' S. P. -1@ $12.00

A dense hemispherical plant with gracilis like foliage, it was seed raised by Jeddeloh in Germany in the mid 1960’s

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Jervis' S. P. -1@ $8.00

This was actually found by G. Nearing (and cutting grown in our Nearing frames) and first distributed under the name ‘Nearing’; I believe Bergman is responsible for the name change to ‘Jervis’.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Lewis' S. P. -1@ $12.00

A 1965 selection made by Clarence Lewis of Skyland, Sterlington Ny it is a stiffly irregular upright plant with rather brittle stems, it is slow growing and these are young cuttings, you have been warned.

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Muttontown' S. P. -1@ $12.00

Another choice hemlock, supposedly two forms in cultivation under the same name

 

Tsuga canadensis 'Watnong Star' S. P. -1@ $8.00

A globose plant with soft almost white foliage found in a wood in New Hampshire by Robert Clark and introduced by Watnong Nursery in 1970, semi-dwarf, irregular upright, ends of branches a bit twisted showing silvery reverse.

 

Widringtonia nodiflora S. P. -1@ $15.00

Krussman considers it part of Widringtonia cupressoides and calls it zone 6 hardy, its known locally as Sapree Wood, and is somewhat similar to Callitris. I never expected this rare South African conifer to root but it did, adding yet another obscure plant for your gardening enjoyment. We think this should be much more widely used especially in the south and southwest, it really is a cool looking plant .