Help with decision to this tree or not

[August44]

I have been looking at web sites mentioned to me and found this Cypress that I thought looked especially interesting. Does anyone have experience with this tree or have some words of wisdom in regards to it. I live in zone 5, but would probably watch it very closely and protect as needed in the winter time. Your thoughts and input would be appreciated. Thanks, Peter

https://www.wabisabibonsai.com/evergreens/chamaecyparis-obtusa-nana

 

[0soyoung]

I think you need to have Dave send you a pic of the actual tree he would be selling to you - I think that is a generic example on the page. He will gladly do it and you should ask for it before you buy.

btw, I've bought pines from him on two occasions and am quite pleased with what I got for the price and how it was delivered.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Please be aware slow growers such as this slow to develop trunk, slow to recover from major pruning /mistakes.

 

[August44]

Thanks for the input. Yes Dave is very helpful and is sending pictures of different angles. Could not ask for a better person to work with! We will see after the pictures arrive.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I'm in zone 5b and have been wintering my Hinoki - Chamaecyparis obtusa, 4 different varieties, outdoors, under the bench, out of sun and wind, buried in snow if we get it.

C. obtusa nana is a very slow growing cultivar. It is a dwarf, and some years seems like it hardly grows at all. One inch per year if you are lucky. Other cultivars grow faster. C. obtusa 'nana gracilis' grows much faster, maybe 3 or more inches per year. I have C. obtusa 'Willamette' and it can grow 6 inches to a foot per year. Why does this matter? You need at least some growth to have the tree fill in so you have something to style. Nothing wrong with C. obtusa nana, except it may seem ''frozen in time'' and take forever to grow a branch you want.

Style very slow growing dwarf conifers by subtraction only. If the style needs the tree to ''fill out here'', ''grow a new branch there'' - probably not a good choice of style. Choose a style where you remove a little and call it done.

 

[August44]

Hmmmm...thanks for that Leo. The slow growth is not encouraging. Where would I buy a "gracilis" or a "willamette" or one similar if you know.