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mudsnake

North Florida - golden conifers

mudsnake
15 years ago

Does anyone know of a conifer with gold foliage that would survive the hot, humid (zone 8B) summers of North Florida?

For blue-green, I think that Arizona Cypress would do OK.

Any other suggestions?

Comments (8)

  • pineresin
    15 years ago

    There are some yellowish Arizona Cypress cultivars available, so that's one option.

    Resin

  • pinetree30
    15 years ago

    There are slash pines with golden foliage for their first year in north Florida which may be available as cultivars.

  • gardener365
    15 years ago

    Dawn Redwood cultivar 'Ogon'.

    Dax

  • swake7b
    15 years ago

    Here is Cupressus arizonica glabra 'Golden Pyramid'. this has been growing for about 5 years now in hot humid conditions south of raleigh

  • salicaceae
    15 years ago

    Also add:
    Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan-Sugi' and related cultivars
    Cupressus sempervirens 'Swane's Golden'
    Platycladus orientalis - several golden cultivars, long cultivated here
    Taxodium distichum 'Peve Yellow'
    Possibly the golden cultivars of Sequoia sempervirens??
    Golden forms of Thuja occidentalis might do well as the straight species actually does quite well if given enough water.

    The golden slash pines are not in cultivation. However, there is beautiful "dragon's eye" type of P. elliotii growing outside of my building that was selected by foresters years ago. I am planning to graft some this winter...

  • mudsnake
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks everyone, for the suggestions.

    Swake7b, do you know where I can obtain 'Golden Pyramid'?

    I am intrigued by some of the other suggestions also.

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    15 years ago

    Yes, I was hoping Cupressus 'Golden Pyramid' would come up. I've seen beautiful ones in arboreta in North Carolina, and could never figure out why it was not sold by any local or mail-order nurseries on the East Coast. (when as BBoy reported in another thread, it was common on the pacific northwest coast). Perhaps the Oregon wholesalers thought it would burn-out in the hot eastern sun and therefore didn't recommend it to their eastern customers,

    I saw that Hank Schannen is growing one at Rarefind in NJ. So maybe he will offer it by mail order in the next few years.

  • plants77
    15 years ago

    north carolina, while hot and humid, isn't quite as hot and humid as florida. I would think maybe thuja occidentalis, which has some golden forms would be better than arizona cypress.

    platycladus is a good idea. I've seen meditteranean cypress become diseased in less humidity than that. But if the plain species grows there than swanes golden is a good idea. It greens in winter here. maybe pinus virginiana wates golden.