Callitropsis nootkatensis 'Pendula' - Weeping Alaskan Cedar

Great plant --- names are a mess --- one of my favorites of all time. This cultivar is distinctly weepy when compared to the species which is slightly weeping itself. Trees grow to about 30' tall by 15' wide in cultivation. The lateral branches are slightly upright or horizontal with drooping branchlets giving the tree a graceful soft look.

This tree was sitting in a large nursery box for several or more years prior to being planted. Could have been placed a bit further from the house, they make such great focal points in landscapes.

Leaves are arranged on flat sprays (branchlets). 

Leaves opposite one-another, sort of in 4 rows, scale-like, bluish green in color, no more than 1/8" with distinct white lines on the lower surface where the leaves overlap.

Cones are smaller than Monterey cypress but larger than the Lawson falsecypress. They have a sharp bract (point) on the end of each scale. Usually 4 scales. Maturing brown and opening on the tree.

Bark is thin, gray silver in color with small resin bumps.

This is the "non" weeping species showing the more upright lateral branching with drooping branchlets.

These are 'Strict Weeping' at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.

These are also 'Strict Weeping' in Chelan WA.

I mentioned at the top of this post that the plant was great, but the naming is a mess. I prefer Chamaecypress nootkatensis, but that's because it's what I call it.

Kew Garden places the plant in Callitropsis and Wikipedia lists all of the names this poor plant has been given in alphabetic order but not chronological order. Read the wiki page for an interesting history lesson in plant classification and nomenclature.

Misidentification:

Lots of Chamaecyparis look alike. You need to look closely at the foliage. Lawson falsecyparis has small translucent glands when seen if you hold the foliage up to a light or the sun.

Cone size is larger than a Lawson cypress (maybe 1/3") as well.

Location:

Aptos - Corner of Dolphin and Lagunitas Ct. Might be 102 Lagunitas Ct.

Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' - Emerald Arborvitae

The 'Smaragd' cultivar of the common arborvitae is a popular compact version of some of the old school pyramidal arborvitaes that grew too large and fell apart in the snow. Growing more conical than columnar, they make a nice hedge growing to about 12' by 5' at the base. Dark green for the most part. I was under the impression this cultivar was a hybrid, but I cant seem to find that reference any longer. The foliage resembles foliage in the oriental arborvitae group. 

Foliage is scale-like, in pairs, along an almost oval stem. Leaves tightly clasping the stem and not diverging at the tip like some others. New foliage is light green, older foliage is emerald green, which is the american name for this cultivar.

Branchlets are flattened, somewhat fan shaped and held partially vertical.

This plant is often called 'Emerald' Arborvitae in the USA, we can't pronounce foreign words very well…..

Misidentification:
Other arborvitaes that form columns. Look for the smaller size plant, nice color foliage, and the slightly vertical orientation of the branchlets.

Location:
Aptos
3595 E. Ledyard Way

601 Clubhouse Dr.

Thuja occidentalis 'Yellow Ribbon' - Yellow Ribbon Arborvitae

An uncommon cultivar spotted one day, the Gold or yellow color jumped out at me and I had to stop. Its in a line of 'Smaragd' arborivates and most likely was planted by mistake. Oh well, its nice to see. Reported growing to 12', forms a narrow upright cone with brilliant yellow leaves. Makes a nice specimen, but not sure I could handle it as a hedge.

Leaves are scale-like, very small, typical of arborvitaes, on flattened stems.

Close-up of the leaves as well as the young cones.

Misidentification:
Not the oriental arborvitae, the leaves though small are larger than the oriental and the cones are very different. There are a few yellow western arborvitaes around but they have elongated branchlets rather than fan shaped.

Location:
Aptos
3595 E. Ledyard Way

Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Aurea' - Golden Threadleaf Falsecypress

The golden threadleaf falsecypress is a beautiful conifer rarely seen in Santa Cruz. This evergreen conifer has a nice golden ting to the awl-like leaves. You are much more likely to encounter one of many of the dwarf cultivars, such as 'Aurea Nana' or 'Mops'. This cultivar is a slow grower eventually reaching about 20' tall by about 15' wider or less.

This is a shot from the National Arboretum showing how nicely they add contrast to a landscape.

Foliage is evergreen, arranged spirally on the stems. Usually more awl-shaped than scale-like, more or less pointed at the tips and diverging from the stem. Distinct white X's on the lower surface of the branchlets. The characteristic that makes this filifera is the long string like stems of the newer growth.

A closer look at the awl-shaped leaves and the white areas on the stems.

The cones are small and round, with peltate scales, resembling a small soccer ball, but this specimen produces female reproductive structures, it does not produce and cones.

Bark is like other Chamaecyparis species.

Misidentification:
Other golden falsecypress, there are tons of golden ones but not around here. Look for the awl-shpaed leaves and the X's on the backs of the foliage.

Location:
Santa Cruz
503 Ocean View Ave, Corner of Ocean View and Broadway on the Broadway side of the building.

Cupressus sempervirens 'Stricta' - Italian Cypress

The Italian Cypress is a narrow, upright, tight growing tree that's been planted in gardens for hundreds of years.  This is a popular cultivar 'Stricta', one of several upright very narrow forms available in the trade. Trees are used to direct the eye in formal landscapes. Trees grow 20-40' tall x 3' wide, narrowing to a point at the top. I have seen them used as hedges, but its a lot of trees and they don't spread very widely, I think I would choose the species for that use. Gilman and Watson called them green telephone poles. I have seen them called Pencil Pines, but I don't think that's a popular common name around here.

Foliage is scale-like, medium green, very small, in pairs, lasting 3 or so years before falling to reveal the brown stem.  The branch sprays are rounded and held upright.

Reproductive structures are stroboli. Male are small, you can see them in the above picture at the tips of some of the branches. Females are also small, as seen below.

Cones are woody, dry, oblong, about an inch, generally not longer, with peltate scales, soccer ball like. Saw a website that called the cones "Ugly Nuts".

The taxonomy on this plant confuses me. Is there really a 'Stricta' cultivar? I have seen 'Glauca' used, and we have a 'Swains Golden' in the backyard of a neighbor but I am not sure what to make of the classic Italian cypress. Cal Poly suggests this is a naturally occurring botanical variety and should be called Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta. 

The specific epithet sempervirens means evergreen. All Cupressus are evergreen. Seems odd.

Misidentifiaction: If you are looking at the plant, not likely to be missed, but if you only have a twig, bummer. Determine it is a Cupressus, most have more or less rounded stems and most have the branchlets radiating out in all directions rather than flattened sprays. Differs from the species by being much more narrow.

Location:
Corralittos
114 Eureka Canyon Rd, as seen in the top picture.

Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka Variegata' - Variegated Hollywood Juniper

The Variegated Kaizuka Juniper or sometimes called the Variegated Hollywood Juniper is an uncommon sight in SC county, with only a few registering in my travels. Growing slowly to 15' with a spread of 10', the plants are very much tighter than the green hollywood juniper and lack the wide spreading branches, though the branches do twist. Grown for its splashes of cream foliage, it makes a nice specimen.

Evergreen leaves are spirally arranged, scale like, very small with juvenile awl-shaped leaves thrown in. The cream areas lack chlorophyll completely and provide no help in growth, but look cool.

Juvenile foliage awl-shaped and some lacking chlorophyll.

Quite frequently the cream foliage dies in summer heat.

This clone has cones.

Also known a Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa Variegata'

Misidentification:
Not sure


Location:
Aptos
Corner of Soquel Dr and State Park in the parking strip of the Church, across from the Safeway gas station.

706 Clubhouse Dr.

Capitola
102 Grand Ave

Platycladus orientalis - Oriental Arborvitae

The Oriental Arborvitae species is a rare sight around here. The  most commonly planted examples are dwarf or variegated cultivars.  This evergreen large shrub or small tree grows 15-25' tall and about 15' wide. They form a rounded to spreading habit and usually an open canopy. 

Its an old school conifer. One of those trees that gets moved from one genus to another. Can be found as Thuja orientalis, Biota orientalis, or Platycladus orientalis.

Leaves are evergreen, scale-like, very small, lighter green in color. Notice the way the leaves on the sides of the branchlets wrap around the stem, and the leaf base runs down the stem. The smaller darker areas on the ends of the stems are male cones.

The leaves are held in vertical flattened sprays, which is very characteristic. This happens to be a variegated cultivar.

Being a conifer, they produce male and female cones. These are young females. Plants are monoecious, having both male and female on the same plant.

Mature female cones are about 3/4" long, with long recurved hooks on the scales.

Bark is fibrous peeling off in long narrow strips. Light brown to tan color.

You are much more likely to encounter dwarf and or variegated cultivars. There are lots of them around.

Here is a dwarf green one.

Here is a variegated cultivar.

Here is a nice hedge on 38th and Flora.

and another needing some help on Oceanview.

Aptos - Seacliff
619 Seacliff Dr (Golden cultivar)

Santa Cruz -
705 Walnut Ave.
304 Caledonia St.
Santa Cruz High School - in front of the Main Building, not on Walnut but the other front.

Santa Cruz - Pleasure Point
3230 Hawes Dr.

Soquel
2800 Porter, just in the vacant lot towards Soquel Dr. by far the largest one I have seen locally.

Cupressus cashmeriana - Kashmir Cypressus

The Kashmir Cypress is one of the most beautiful trees that you might encounter. Grown as a container plant by Suncrest Nursery, it seems to be hard to find in the landscape. The pictures below are from the UCSC arboretum. 

The tree reminds me of Chamaecyparis nootkatensis with its upright leader and primary scaffold branches and its weeping secondary branches. Growing to 40' by 20' in our area,  it makes a wonderful focal point. 

The primary scaffold branches are weekly vertical while all of the secondary branches are totally pendulous. They are arranged in flattened sprays like you see on Thuja plicata. 

Leaves are somewhere between awl-like and the typical scale-like leaves of Cupressus. They very are aromatic. White lines of stomates show the margins of the leaves.

Cones are round, scales peltate, about 1/2" diameter, brown maturing in 2 years. You can see the light green one year cone as well as the 2nd year cone.

Immature female stroboli

Bark is beautiful like so many Cupressus species. Furrowed, slightly stringy or fibrous.

Like many plants, this one comes with several names. Two common synonyms are Cupressus tortulosa and Cupressus darjeelingensis.

Misidentification:

Thuja plicata maybe due to the flattened sprays of foliage and the cones are different.

Location:
Santa Cruz
UCSC arboretum

412 Escalona is a very nice one.
119 Effey St in a container.

Cupressus arizonica - Arizona Cypressus

The Arizona cypress is/was a commonly planted tree that seems to have lost favor but should be reconsidered due to its drought tolerance. They make good screens, but get a little big for a narrow yard after years. Growing to a height of 30-40' with a pyramidal to conical shaped crown generally dense and retaining its branches to the ground. Usually narrow when young, widening with age. 

This species has several botanical varieties or is considered to be highly variable species depending on your interest in the plant. If its not a favorite, just clump them together into one large variable species, or if you really love them split them into the four botanical varieties or even into different species. Taxonomy at its best. Hesperocyparis (Cupressus) arizonica var. glabra or Hesperocyparis (Cupressus) glabra. (All new world cypress have been moved to this new genus.)

The most widely planted variety is the bluish colored ones.  There is a cultivar names 'Blue Ice' that is popular, though I do not see many planted and I see very few young plants around. 

Leaves are opposite, decussate, very small (1.5- 2 mm), scale-like, bluish green in color due to a waxy coating that is variable in quantity, and distinct white spots which are bits of resin. Stems appear somewhat square.

Foliage clustered near the ends of the branches.

Rounded or slightly elongated cone, 3/4 - 1" diameter, peltate scales 6-8 pairs, with a slightly elongated horn on the back of the scales. Green when young, silver brown maturing in two years.

Bark is attractive but variable. Peeling flakes of gray giving way to red. 

Here is an older picture of the cultivar 'Blue Ice' in Spokane.

While I have not seen any in Santa Cruz, C. 'Raywood's Weeping', is one of may favorites.

Misidentification:
other Cupressus, or even a juniper for that matter. Look for the bluish foliage with resin drops, larger cone (eliminates junipers) and flaky bark.

Location:
Aptos
7300 Mesa Dr  2 large specimens.

Capitola
in the back yard of a house on Escalona, that you can see poking over the fence from Park Ave. Maybe eventually we will see them pretty well.