Info on lemon cypress

[ABCarve]

I started this from a 3" nursery pot 3 years ago. Trunk is about 2" dia. now. I was gonna give it away, but thought there might be something in there. I've seen a couple of really nice Monterey cypress and the foliage gets very similar to shimpaku. "Lemon" are a cultivar of them, so do these eventually do the same thing??This is a first rough chop.
I've looked here for some growth habit/pruning routines but it's somewhat lacking. Anybody know anything?

 

[Vin]

Cool trees but about the only thing I know about them is they won't stay alive for long in Florida. I know this because I tried.

 

[Kendo]

I live in San Francisco and have Monterey Cypress. For caring they are just the Leyland Cypress type.

 

[ABCarve]

I live in San Francisco and have Monterey Cypress. For caring they are just the Leyland Cypress type.

Are they bonsai or yard trees? Whatsa Leyland type? Do you prune them? Does the foliage tighten up? I live in Erie PA and they don't grow around here, but this one doesn't seem to mind the weather in my greenhouse for the winter.

 

[Kendo]

I dont have much yard, they are Bonsai.

You care for them like any Leyland Cypress.

If you come here and visit the groves you will find they live in a harsh environment. Wind, saltwater, Days in fog, Coastal storms, all come together to shape them in the wild. These trees are hardy. It takes a forest fire for them to reproduce in the wild>>

Sensei Katsumi Kinoshita has a lot of good information on Monterey Cypress, he is local in Monterey and has many nice specimens and a lot to say on the subject that is valid.

http://www.phutu.com/an-appreciation-for-monterey-cypress/

 

[sparklemotion]

I can't give you much useful information about these. I bought one at a grocery store on a whim last fall and killed it in pretty short order. I did some research on it while it was still alive (obviously not enough). But... I happened upon something that told me that "lemon cypress" is another name for the Cupressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' cultivar.

And I only tell you that information so that I can show you this strange and adorable bit of whimsy:

As far as what is what... cupressus macrocarpa is the latin name for the Monterey cypress. I don't know how much different the Lemon (or Goldcrest) cultivars are from the species proper, but that is where I'd start for any care/bonsaification info.

 

[ABCarve]

Take a look at this. Haven’t seen anything since 2016 https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/monterey-cypress-from-seed.16151/

 

[ABCarve]

Well another year. The chari in front is unintentional. The bark simply died and have no ideas. Their growth habit is really vertical and wants to move back up even after wire has been removed. A lot of 18 & 20 gauge wire. I really want to make this into a flat top so the small branchlets on the top have been wired out. These are very fragile and handled too roughly will die back.

 

[ABCarve]

Update spring haircut

 

[SilverShoe99]

This is really encouraging to see. I've got a few of these in training (two Goldcrest cultivar, two non-cultivar Monterey Cypress), but similar to your experience I've found it difficult to find any good information on care and pruning techniques/schedule. I like the way you've worked this tree over the last 18 months.

How do you prune? Are you cutting the foliage back to old wood or are you just trimming back the green shoots?

 

[ABCarve]

This is really encouraging to see. I've got a few of these in training (two Goldcrest cultivar, two non-cultivar Monterey Cypress), but similar to your experience I've found it difficult to find any good information on care and pruning techniques/schedule. I like the way you've worked this tree over the last 18 months.

How do you prune? Are you cutting the foliage back to old wood or are you just trimming back the green shoots?

Just trimming back the green shoots. Wire and rewire and rewire again.

 

[ABCarve]

It keeps getting shorter but that makes the flat top seem a little closer to getting there. This stuff is a challenge to wire without breaking fragile shoots. Thinking its ready for a smaller pot.

 

[ABCarve]

This gives you an idea of how vigorous this material is. This is about two months of growth from the last post. Getting ready for more wire and a haircut.

 

[0soyoung]

It was just a figure of speech I like to use, but you are really doing it.

Lemonade!!

 

[ABCarve]

This tree is hard to photograph. But 5 years from the grocery store....... I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea for foliage color but it was the only way I could acquire something similar to a Monterey cypress. Amazing material for container growing. I’m hoping a smaller pot slows it down. I’m thinking black pot.

 

[ABCarve]

Maybe??

 

[0soyoung]

Its good, but I'd go more for a deep purple (i.e., exact digital complement of that lime green foliage).


I know just the guy to make one

 

[ABCarve]

Its good, but I'd go more for a deep purple (i.e., exact digital complement of that lime green foliage).


I know just the guy to make one

You could be right. Fall pot season is quickly approaching.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Maybe??



View attachment 326568View attachment 326569

 

[BonjourBonsai]

You could be right. Fall pot season is quickly approaching.

The tree looks great. I'm really impressed. I tried a lemon cypress but couldn't keep my hands off of it and it, well, you know.

I like how the shape of the pot and the of the trunk speak to each other. I think a muted color like this works well because the green is so vibrant, but @0soyoung may have a point that I'm not trained to see.