I rescued this guy by the side of the road. Someone had dug it up and left it in a pile of brush to be picked up and i was interested, so i potted it up and it lives. Strange thing is during the winter it turns silver and looks dead ! The foliage doesn't get crunchy, so i didn't throw it out, and once spring is here .... it's now green again. It has the same sort of trunk as our east coast native Virginia Juniper aka "Red Cedar" but i don't think it is ... What say ye about what my tree is AND how i should go about training it. Think it will back bud if i chop it lower than the lowest branch ?
Strange Juniper - Urban Yamadori - Styling suggestions please !
- Thread starter Chip
- Start date
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
I do. Looks like a very typical J. virginiana. You don't say where you are from (maybe you could amend your profile????) but since it's obviously warm where you are I'd guess the southeast or gulf states. That is J. virginiana territory.
From this one picture, I'm having a very hard time seeing a bonsai in there. Tall, straight and wispy doesn't a bonsai make -- and "red cedar" is a tough one at the best of times.
No.
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
Welcome. Where are you from? How much experience do you have? Some juniper look very dead in the cold winter.
I wouldn't recommend chopping low. I imagine it could make a nice literati one day.
I wouldn't recommend chopping low. I imagine it could make a nice literati one day.
RKatzin
Omono
Hi Chip and welcome. good ground score! I am not sure it's a juniper though, the silver foliage thing sounds more like a type of chamaecyparis. Possibly one of the Lawsoniana varieties. The foliage is similar to (same scale-like leaf) J. virginiana. There are a few silvers in the chamaecyparis species, but I couldn't find any junies with that color.
Whatever it is, do not chop below the live limbs. It will not backbud into old wood. I would keep it growing for at least a season before doing anything regardless. Rick
Whatever it is, do not chop below the live limbs. It will not backbud into old wood. I would keep it growing for at least a season before doing anything regardless. Rick
RKatzin
Omono
I gathered from your post that this was some sort of landscape tree and not a wild growing tree.?
RKatzin
Omono
Ok got it. Some of us are simple folk and it helps to spell things out, slowly.
You haven't seen any backbudding in two years I'd say you likely will not. What you see is what you have to go with.
I'm still chasing the color to get a positive id. A closeup of the foliage may help. I have some junie that are silvery blue and the new foliage emerges white, so perhaps what you describe as silver may be blue.
There's a 'Silver Queen' chamaecyparis and some of those backbud and some don't. Some trees won't backbud in tight quaters or in the shade and you have to give them some leg room and get them into the sun and they pop buds for you.
You haven't seen any backbudding in two years I'd say you likely will not. What you see is what you have to go with.
I'm still chasing the color to get a positive id. A closeup of the foliage may help. I have some junie that are silvery blue and the new foliage emerges white, so perhaps what you describe as silver may be blue.
There's a 'Silver Queen' chamaecyparis and some of those backbud and some don't. Some trees won't backbud in tight quaters or in the shade and you have to give them some leg room and get them into the sun and they pop buds for you.
Neli
Omono
some inspiration for you: Just remember never trim back branches on junipers without leaving healthy foliage at the end if you want them to stay alive. Try to get the foliage compacted and closer to the trunk...by cutting back to live branches with foliage.
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