my first thought was that it is dead .... 1st pic ... which makes me think the blinding sunshine is not a great time to capture a pic ... sans a very expensive camera .. i tend to favor after dinner to take fool proof pix ...

but on the second pic .. it looks more like bronzing .... and for sure.. the green under is in indication of such ....

i got nothing better.. but to tell you to wait and see how it comes out for dormancy.. in the next few weeks..

and do let us know..

ken

Trim it back to the green growth and wait and see.

It looks dead in the photos. Normal winter color is of a dark bronze/gold almost orange-ish.

They prefer to grow in average to wet conditions. You did not say if it was a first year planting. If so the dry season and you missing its time for a drink probably did it in.

Trim it back like I said and see if there is enough life to regenerate. Give it ample water.

Good luck.

Dave

I wouldn't do anything, it looks normal for this time of year.

Frank

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Frank, At first I thought the photo was my plant; they look identical in size and color! Wow, you've given me hope..... Either that or we both have dead plants :-).

I planted mine in late spring last year, so I have no experience with its winter color. I am surprised it hasn't changed to a "normal" color by now though. Microbiota decussata has turned green, a nearby Cryptomeria japonica is half brown / half green, and my zoysia grass lawn is greening up. Temps have spiked into the mid to high 70s on occasion here for days at a time. But like a yo yo, we go back down to colder weather, low 40s to mid 30s at night and 50s / low 60s during the days. Must be very confusing for plants....

You've to look to the underside of the branches, when there's green the plant is still alive...

In a mild climate such as you have, I wouldn't think it would change color very much in your 'winter'. It looks as if you let it dry out last summer or fall. Most conifers take a long time to turn brown. I see a sprinkler head in the picture. Check your spray pattern.
The plant looks almost dead and it may be terminal if not watered deeply right away.
Mike

It is not hardy, I lost 2 plants . You have to wait for hot days to know if it is alive.

Also, help is on the way for your area, in the form of a persistent train of rain producing storms headed your way. Good luck!

+oM

Thanks for the good luck wish; I hope the weather forecasters are right! We have considerably less than half our normal rainfall for the season. We were "rescued" a couple of years ago by some late March storms; hopefully that will be the case again this year too.

Thanks for the good luck wish; I hope the weather forecasters are right! We have considerably less than half our normal rainfall for the season. We were "rescued" a couple of years ago by some late March storms; hopefully that will be the case again this year too.

If my memory serves me right I tried this cultivar 5-6 years ago.

It came from Iseli and was a beautiful specimen. It took about 6 months to take on the appearance of yours. Hate to tell you this but mine died.

In my opinion hard to grow unless grown in the PNW. A close friend of Cham o. 'Golden Sprite' a non-starter also.

Dave

Did you check the underside???

Dave, maybe you just needed to give it some more time. I bought mine as a rooted cutting from Glasshouse Works in 2007.

They root very easy from cuttings. I planted several one gallons last year and they are doing good.

Frank

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Yes, I checked the underside for green. It was toast brown.

Probably won't try another one.

Dave

Echolane, did you also check the underside of your 'Golden Tuffet'?

Yes, I checked the underside and it has lime green needles all around underneath the russet canopy. So I await warmer weather with a watchful eye on this plant.

Happy to report is has been raining for two days! And the forecast is for more.

You don't have to worrie about it, it's healthy :0)

I have managed to kill nine of these. The original six were planted in full sun, which was a big mistake (even here). I then bough three more, planted them in dappled shade, and they curled up and died almost in front of my eyes. I did nothing out of the ordinary (that I was aware of), and they looked like they died from under watering, which makes me wonder if the planting medium was slightly hydrophobic. I did what I always do when I plant, and these guys took issue with it. They were from Iseli, but I have probably 100's of plants from Iseli. I only note this as I think it is a somewhat more sensitive variety than most others, or else I am just jinxed!

Here is a link that might be useful: Form and Foliage

Why would you buy something that looks certifiably dead all winter? Is there some redeeming quality at other times of the year that justifies the expense, room, and labor? Maybe it's the collector's state of mind that overrides common sense?
I wouldn't even consider it for my garden, and I live in the PNW.
Mike

"Why would you buy something that looks certifiably dead all winter?"

Mike, how far do you want to take that logic? It seems that this would rule out any deciduous tree such as a Japanese maple that looks like a stick for 5 months of the year. Heck, some of us spend no small amount of money for a Pinus contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst' that looks quite ordinary all year except for a couple of weeks in the spring. I recently had a life long PNW resident who's only exposure to conifers is viewing our many forests ask me if my Pinus Sylvestris 'Gold Coin' was dead. To each his own.

Bill

When it's healthy i think it looks gorgeous. It is not brown, but taffy with ochre highlights (how's that for a frou frou description) and positively glows, especially in weak winter sun. I had them around my Pinus t. 'Thunderheads' and the contrast both of color and texture was fabulous...until they croaked. And I could tell the difference between dead and live! But all who say that it is a matter of taste are correct. There are plenty of plants that fly out of nurseries at outrageous prices that I can't see the purpose of.
ps I have a 'Taylor's Sunburst', too, and love it!

I think the bottom line for most of us is this cultivar is not a good survivor in the garden place. It will hang around for awhile then be toast over night. I can only think of one other, Cham. thyoids 'Red Star', oh yes, Cham. obtusa 'Golden Sprite' that the same results can be expected. My local nursery will not even order/sell these cultivars because of the low survival rate.

If you are one that can grow these cultivars for more then 3 years consider yourself in the 1% group. If this is you get back in two years for an update.

PNW seems to be the best location. Iseli does very well with them. It would be interesting to know their trade secret.

Dave

Dave very well put. We run into similar problems (for different reasons) with California natives, where we can see them doing beautifully in the wild and they do not adapt well to typical garden conditions, even when we try faithfully to replicate their native habitat. I think that I am just too hot and dry here for the Golden Tuffets here, despite my proximity to the ocean, and shame on me that it took me so many before I gave up.

My plant from Frank:

Thuja occidentalis 'Golden Tuffet'
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Dax

Hi everyone. I have a similar question. This white cedar has green on the inside near the trunk but it is basically tan everywhere else. I have on other one that has started to do the same thing at a the same time. Are these guys dead or will they come back? Thanks!

looks dead to me ...no green.. no life...

ken

and it's not even winter yet

what's white cedar,,,most folks use latin plus cultivar name

is that a 'Top Point' ?

what was planting medium,,,did it get enough water,,or too much ?

ron