Oddball Species and Interesting Cultivars

W3rk

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As I continue to read more and look around I'm seeing quite a few specialty cultivars of different tree species. The first/most obvious to me was the incredibly wide variety of Japanese Maples.

What oddball species or uncommon cultivars do you like or own and work with?

I just swung by a nursery I don't normally visit and found this incredibly dwarfed hemlock which I thought was super cool:
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just.wing.it

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What oddball species or uncommon cultivars do you like or own and work with?
Blue Chalksticks are fun aggressive growers for me.
Repotted and cut back today.
Some good roots for less than a year from initial reduction, which was severe, basically took it back to a cutting.
I left a few radial roots this time.
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Forsoothe!

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Deadly Nightshade grows in every parking lot fence-line and I collect them periodically because they are short-lived in zone 6b. They don't really die, but they top-kill without good mulching-in. I love the flowers which are as pretty as nice plants!A DNS 20160828_124745.JPG
 

penumbra

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I just swung by a nursery I don't normally visit and found this incredibly dwarfed hemlock which I thought was super cool:
Which one is this? I have about 6 varieties of dwarf hemlocks and another few that are not dwarfs.
 

W3rk

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Which one is this? I have about 6 varieties of dwarf hemlocks and another few that are not dwarfs.
In my first post photo that is a Tsuga Canadensis - Abbotts' Pygmy. Unfortunately it had a very rough summer last year and really struggled, despite keeping it in part shade.
 

RKatzin

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I have the Jarvis and another dwarf Tsuga I can never remember the name of. Begins with an h, something like Herzog, but it grows flat out, hardly any upward growth.
My other real oddball is the Poncerus trifoliata contorta aka Flying Dragon. She's getting kinda old now, from a rooted cutting in '89. Finally going to get a pot this spring.
On the unusual cultivars I have one. It's a Hupps Dwarf Japanese maple. A true dwarf in every respect, maybe reaching 10' in forever. I've never come across another, but I have seen some on the net recently. Very difficult to propagate, very brittle wood. Very few lateral branches. Internodes so close the leaves can't unfurl. I have to go down each section and remove about half and select which sets I want to allow to grow, or none of them will. But, you know I love it, and love will make you do crazy things.
I did try to do pics,
 

penumbra

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dwarf Tsuga I can never remember the name of. Begins with an h,
You are thinking of Hebe Hemlock, Tsuga hebefolia. It is probably my favorite. It is one of the few plants that just looks like a bonsai without any help. Looks great in small groups.
 

penumbra

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Some might but I wouldn't put stock in it.
 

AlainK

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I'm seeing quite a few specialty cultivars of different tree species. The first/most obvious to me was the incredibly wide variety of Japanese Maples.

There may well be over a thousand cultivars !

The ones mostly used for bonsai are the ones with small leaves and short internodes (the "hime" family for instance), but a lot of those that can thrive on their own roots can be used as bonsai material (Orange Dream, Katsura, etc.)

The problem is when you start having different ones, either bonsai or patio plant, there's always one that you must have when you see it...

One of my favourite is "Tsuma Gaki", but it's grafted and rather touchy.



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Leo in N E Illinois

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I had a really slow growing hemlock Tsuga canadensis 'Jervis', during its 5 years or so with me grew maybe one inch.

Bursera fagaroides - Copal, is a generic for the resin of any of the Bursera species. Resin is used as incense, and for ethno-medicinal ointments. Just touching the plant, or crushing a leaf releases a really pleasant fragrance. This one is native to Mexico and New Mexico and Arizona. Makes a interesting cool tree. It is a pachycaul, meaning it stores water in a layer of tissue just under the bark. This means it always has zones of reverse taper.

It can sit for months in a dormant state. Water it, and it makes leaves. Let it dry, and it goes dormant. I've let one stay dry as long as 4 or 5 months. Usually I "force" a winter rest, dry for the 2 or 3 coldest months of the year.

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pnwnovice

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I don't have any pictures of mine right now but, since I am so new to the hobby and trying to learn on a budget, I've been mostly collecting local tree species that grow like weeds such as Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Red Alder (Alnus Rubra). I know the alder are not a long lived species but they're mostly for learning and experimenting while I try getting some Vine Maple and Japanese Maple growing in the ground. I'll try and get some pictures of them up here soon for pointers from you guys.
 

RKatzin

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I don't have any pictures of mine right now but, since I am so new to the hobby and trying to learn on a budget, I've been mostly collecting local tree species that grow like weeds such as Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Red Alder (Alnus Rubra). I know the alder are not a long lived species but they're mostly for learning and experimenting while I try getting some Vine Maple and Japanese Maple growing in the ground. I'll try and get some pictures of them up here soon for pointers from you guys.
All those trees grow around here, except the hemlock. So you must be a little north or higher in the mountains than I am.
 

pnwnovice

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All those trees grow around here, except the hemlock. So you must be a little north or higher in the mountains than I am.

I'm out on the Olympic Peninsula, mostly I collect from client's properties between 0'-200' elevation. I'd like to get a transplant permit soon and head into the mountains to collect some Mountain Hemlock.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Alder (Alnus) will live more than long enough for bonsai. Life expectancy in trees is not at all similar to life expectancy in mammals. Usually lists of life expectancy are based on utility for forest harvest or for utility for landscape ornamental use. Diseases, insects and storms are the main natural causes of death, if a tree is lucky enough to avoid these, they can live centuries longer than listed "life span".

Not a big issue, I'm in waiting room for Dr. A routine check up, and was killing time. So I responded to the "life span" point.
 

pnwnovice

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Diseases, insects and storms are the main natural causes of death, if a tree is lucky enough to avoid these, they can live centuries longer than listed "life span".

Not a big issue, I'm in waiting room for Dr. A routine check up, and was killing time. So I responded to the "life span" point.

True, as a former forester I'm just used to hearing from every one around me that Red Alders are junk trees that die around 80 years old. With proper care I'm sure they'll live longer than that. Problem is, am I capable yet of provided the proper care? I suppose we shall find out.
 
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