page 12 - American Conifer Society

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Southeastern Conifer
Volume 12
February 2013
American Conifer Society - Southeastern Region
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Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana. Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
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Inside This Issue
From The SE President
by Sue Hamilton, TN
From The President
Page 1
SE Reference Gardens
Page 2
Northern Conifers in the SE Page 2
Gardens of the Big Bend
by Gary W. Knox, FL
Pages 3,4,5
Conifer Colors in Winter
by Sue Hamilton, TN
Pages 6,7
GATOP Rendezvous
by Alan Solomon, TN
Pages 8,9
Take A Look …...
by Flo Chaffin, GA
Pages 10,11
Arizona Cypress
by Bradley Roberts, GA
Page 12
Events 2013
Conifer Rendezvous
GATOP- Alan Solomon, MD
Knoxville, TN
April 7, 2013 –2.00 PM
ACS National Meeting
Mt. Kisko, NY
August 8 - 10, 2013
ACS SE Region Meeting
Memphis, TN
October 11-12, 2013
Greetings and a belated Happy New
Year!
Mark your calendar and make plans
now to attend our annual regional
conifer conference this October 1112 in Memphis, TN. Plans are underway to make this an exciting meeting! We will visit the Dixon Gallery
and Gardens, the Memphis Botanic
Garden and several private gardens.
Memphis is a fun city and the National Geographic Traveler editors
have selected Memphis as one of 20
must-see places in the new year!
They write “there’s something newly
electric in the air” and credits are
given for the Stax Museum of
American Soul Music, Shelby Farms
Park and Central BBQ for their innovative and DIY spirit in making
Memphis great. We will announce
the host hotel and further conference
details in the next newsletter. Save
the date for now; between public and
private gardens, renowned speakers,
nurseries and garden centers, this is
sure to be a great meeting.
Mid-January finally brought beautiful
snow to Knoxville; the likes we have
not seen for a few years. The snow
accentuated the beauty and form of the
conifers in our mid-South landscape
and provided an opportunity for us to
enjoy them in a rare way. It also allowed me to see a few gaps in my garden that could use another conifer or
two. Now through March is a great
time to plant any conifers you have
been wanting to add to your landscape,
unless the ground is frozen. Early
planting will give your plants a head
start in getting established once spring
arrives and they break their dormancy.
Finally, don’t forget to regularly check
our regional website at http://
www.southeasternconifers.com/ for
information. Until next time.
Sue
Susan L. Hamilton, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, UT Garden Director
Knoxville, TN
Phone: 865-974-7972
e-mail: [email protected]
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The ACS SE Region
Conifer Reference Gardens
Florida
Gardens of the Big Bend, Quincy, FL.
Georgia
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA
Lockerly Arboretum, Milledgeville, GA
Smith Gilbert Gardens, Kennesaw, GA
State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, GA
North Carolina
JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, NC
South Carolina
South Carolina Botanical Gardens, Clemson, SC
Tennessee East Tennessee State University Arboretum,
Johnson City, TN
University of TN –Jackson West TN Research &
Ed Center Gardens, Jackson, TN
University of Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville, TN
Virginia
Al Gardner Memorial Garden –J. Sargeant Reynolds
Community College, Goochland, VA
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA
Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, VA
State Arboretum of Virginia, Boyce, VA
All of these gardens have websites with addresses,
directions and events
American Conifer Society - SE Region
www.conifersociety.org
www.southeasternconifers.com
SE President: Sue Hamilton Ph. [email protected]
SE Vice President: Tom Neff, [email protected]
SE Treasurer: John Quackenbush, [email protected]
Regional Director on ACS Board: Tom Neff-see above
Reference Gardens: Barbie Colvin, GA
[email protected]
SE Webmaster: Ben Ford, TN [email protected]
SE Newsletter Editor: Maud Henne, VA - [email protected]
SE News Techn.Advisor: Tom Cox, GA - [email protected]
About Northern Conifers in the Southeast
Some conifers perform well in the Southeastern U.S.
while others struggle. For the more northerly climate
conifers such as Spruce and Fir, hot summers and
heavy clay soils that we have a lot in the Southeast,
particularly wet soils, are the biggest enemy. High
nighttime air temperatures, along with increased soil
temperatures lead to increased respiration rates.
When clay soils are wet, air pockets are filled with
water. Therefore, the soil does not provide the oxygen level that the root system demands, due to the
plants’ increased respiration rate. The end result is
root death, and an undesirable or dead tree. When
planting conifers in the South, these conditions must
be taken into consideration. Proper siting combined
with proper planting becomes critical. This applies to
the areas outside of the Appalachian Mountains and
below 2500 feet elevation. Growing conditions of
hot/humid summers and mild winters found in such
areas as the Coastal Plain, is not conducive to the
cooler season conifers. In general except for Momi
Fir and Nikko Fir, the success of the majority of fir in
the southeast region is non existent……
The essence of this text and a list of conifers can be found
at the website of the University of Alabama
in Huntsville, AL
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Gardens of The Big Bend, Florida
ACS’ Southernmost Conifer Reference Garden
By Dr. Gary W. Knox, Quincy, FL
(SE Reference Garden #14)
Southern members of the American Conifer Society
have proved for years that ornamental conifers can be
successfully cultivated in southern States. Now, as the
newest and southernmost Conifer Reference Garden,
‘Gardens of the Big Bend’ is set to extend this success
even further to the Deep South and Florida, USDA Hardiness Zone 8b along the Gulf Coast. What we may
lack in firs, spruce and hemlock, Gardens of the Big
Bend more than makes up for with 19 other conifer
genera, including 29 species and 42 cultivars or selections totaling more than 100 specimens.
The address of Gardens of the Big Bend is in Florida,
but our location is just 10 miles south of the GeorgiaFlorida border in the so-called ‘Big Bend’, where the
Florida panhandle meets the peninsula. This results in
the Gardens being more closely affiliated with Southern culture and continental climate and soils than with
the theme parks and tropical beaches of peninsular
Florida. The Gardens are easily accessible to Gulf Coast
residents of the Florida panhandle, lower Alabama,
lower Mississippi and Louisiana thanks to our location
on Interstate 10, the primary east-west expressway for
the Gulf Coast.
As a new member of the Conifer Reference Garden
program, Gardens of the Big Bend hopes to excite visitors by displaying exotic conifer species adapted to the
Gulf Coast as well as presenting ornamental selections
of native conifers. Most specimens in our plantings are
not dwarf forms as beloved by many conifer growers;
instead our conifers aim to be shrub and tree components of Gulf Coast landscapes providing unique textures and forms as well as evergreen foliage. As a
young garden, our modest conifer collection has been
inspired by the breadth and depth of the collection
amassed by Dr. John Ruter (University of Georgia) in
Tifton, Georgia, about 90 miles northeast.
Gardens of the Big Bend formally began in 2008
thanks to the happy marriage of a new volunteer organization coupled with facilities and plant collections
at a University of Florida research facility. I have developed collections of conifers and other landscape
plants as part of research projects at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy. The volunteer organization, Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, Inc.,
formed in 2007 to support horticulture research and education. This group quickly seized on the idea of transforming and transplanting NFREC's existing plant collections
into a series of gardens. The goals of these gardens are to
evaluate new plants, promote garden plants adapted to
the region, demonstrate environmentally sound principles
of landscaping and provide a beautiful and educational
environment for students, visitors, gardeners and Green
Industry professionals. In addition to being named a Conifer Reference Garden, the Magnolia Garden has recently
been recognized as part of the National Collection of Magnolia as overseen by the North American Plant Collections
Consortium. Other major collections include crapemyrtle,
hydrangea and rose.
Gardens of the Big Bend currently occupies about 8
acres plus the 3-acre Magnolia Garden. Additional land is
available as the Gardens grow. Conifers are planted
throughout the Gardens and elsewhere on the NFREC
campus, and a new garden will focus on conifers.
Gardens of the Big Bend are free and open to the public
during daylight hours year-round; staff is available during
normal business hours. The Gardens are located just 1/8
mile north of Florida Exit 181 on Interstate 10.
Please visit us and see just how far south many different conifers can grow!
On the following two pages you will find photos of
what we grow in the Gardens of the Big Bend.
Professor Gary W. Knox is affiliated with the University of
Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center
155 Research Rd, Quincy, FL 32351
e-mail: [email protected]
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Conifers in the Gardens of the Big Bend, Florida
Left:
Abies firma: Japanese native
Momi fir, the only fir suited for
the hot and humid Gulf Coast.
Right:
Keteleeria evelyniana—one of
the most impressive conifers on
the NFREC campus.
Below:
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Aurea’ is a
mature specimen and was also relocated.
Above and Left:
Funding from our volunteer support
group allowed us to relocate some
conifers including this Araucaria
angustifolia
Tree spading did not slow the
growth. It is now the largest and
most distinctive plant in the Gardens
of Big Bend.
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Conifers in the Gardens of the Big Bend, Florida
Left:
Pinus pseudostrobus:
Mexican pine providing fabulous
texture.
Right:
Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Variegata’,
an unusual variegated form. The green
form is more commonly grown in
North Florida landscapes.
Below:
Taxodium ‘Cave Hill’ is a dwarf form
of Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
originally found as a witch’s broom at
Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville,
Kentucky, and propagated by
nurseryman Ben Cecil.
Center and Below Right:
Nageia nagi with broad glossy leaves,
2 or more inches long, grows well in
Northern Florida and along the
Gulf Coast
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Evergreen Doesn’t Have To Be Green Only:
Enliven Your Winter Landscape With Conifers Of Many Hues
By Dr. Sue Hamilton, TN
Do you think of evergreen trees and shrubs as dull green pyramids? I did, until I saw the steely blue foliage and graceful silhouette of a weeping blue Atlas cedar. Since then, I've discovered
that evergreens, specifically conifers, come in a wide array of
hues, shapes, and textures. I’ve also learned that they are some of
the best plants to enliven the winter garden. You can have such
colors as plum, blue, copper and yellow brightening up your
green winter landscape. Best of all, many newer cultivars are
bred to grow slowly, or to mature at heights that stay in proportion to the average house and surrounding plants. Actually, conifers have become my new favorite group of plants because of
their colorful beauty, their many foliage textures and low maintenance. My two dozen conifers are the backbone of my 1-acre
garden. No matter how big or small your yard is, you'll find many
beautiful, colorful evergreens to fit.
Yellow:
One of my favorites for its bright lime-yellow foliage is
‘Morgan’ Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis ‘Morgan’).
It is one of the most durable and tolerant conifers to use in the
garden. It can tolerate a range of soil conditions from extremely
dry to boggy wet. It forms an upright column of soft, flat sprays
and the tips of the foliage turn coppery-orange in the winter! It
can grow to 6' tall over time. (See also Jared Barnes’ description
of this plant in our August 2012 Southeastern Conifer Newsletter). ‘Verdon’ Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Verdon’)
is a loose, broadly conical form that features golden foliage for
great year-round interest. It is slow-growing, typically reaching
3-5’ tall in 10 years. There are quite a few yellow Hinoki cypress,
for instance ‘Crippsii‘, ‘Confucius’, ‘Fernspray Gold’,’Golden
Ceramic’, ’Golden Fairy’, ’Golden Grape’ and ’Golden Nymph’.
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Gold Mop’
looks quite cute when young but can grow to be a medium sized trees, unless
it is trimmed to shape which it tolerates very well. Same with Cham. pisifera
’Gold Mop’. ‘Sekkan Sugi’, a Japanese Cedar, (Cryptomeria japonica
‘Sekkan Sugi’) has a columnar form with foliage tipped creamy yellow
which turns a coppery-bronze in winter. It grows to about 12 –15 ft high, 6ft
wide in ten years and thrives in sun.
Maud Henne tells me that her Picea orientalis’ Skylands’ (see
above) has many admirers. There are also several outstanding yellow
-gold Junipers in a variety of different forms. A great vertical and
slender Juniper for the hot sun is Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone'. It
has striking bright golden yellow foliage and grows to just 3'-4' tall x
12" wide in 10 years. J. horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’ has a prostrate,
creeping habit but is vibrant in the landscape with its bright gold
foliage growing only 4" high x 4' wide in 10 years.
Juniperus
One of the golden selection, Cham. obtusa: ‘Elmwood Gold’,
chinensis ‘Gold Lace’ is among the best of the semi-prostrate selections. It
has bright gold foliage and grows 3' tall x 5' wide in 10 years. Golden Deodar Cedar ( Cedrus deodara ‘Aurea’ ) has a graceful and elegant look with
its noteworthy bright yellow-gold foliage. With a pyramidal form with arching branches, it grows to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide.
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Plum:
The Atlantic white cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides) is a conifer
that prefers a damp, boggy site but will tolerate drained soil.
‘Rubicon’ is an upright dense form with blue-green, star- like
foliage which turns a beautiful soft plum color in winter. Grows
to just 6' tall and 2' wide. ‘Heatherbun’ is a compact, globe
shaped form also with plum winter color. It matures to 6-8' tall.
Juniperus communis ‘Berkshire’ is a true miniature growing to
just 8" tall x 12" wide in 10 years. It forms a dense bun-shaped
mound growing green in the summer and turning plum and
bronze in the winter. See below.
Pinus parviflora ‘Cleary’ in spring
Blue:
For outstanding blue color, the Colorado Blue Spruce is hard to
beat. An outstanding selection with a conical shape is Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’ which grows 10-15' tall x 7-10' wide in 10
years. I like ‘Hoopsii’ too which is a little shorter and more slender growing to 8' tall x 3' wide in 10 years. ‘Globosa’ is a great
round, dwarf form growing 3' x 3' in 10 years. ‘Blue Ice’ cypress
(Cupressus glabra) is touted as being one of the most blue conifers available. This striking vertical plant can reach 16' tall x 5'
wide and is fast growing. Another standout choice which is tolerant of a range of soils is Cedar (Cedrus; Zones 6-9). A variety of
colors, forms, and sizes provide lots of choices. One of my favorites for form and blue color is C. atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’. This
Atlas Cedar has brilliant silver-blue foliage and a weeping, cascading form which can be quite striking. It can be easily trained
to various heights then allowed to weep into distinct forms. For a
soft, vertical form, you can’t go wrong with C. deodara. The
Deodar Cedar has a graceful and elegant look with blue gray
foliage. I also love the soft texture, blue color, and prostrate form
of Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin Blue’. Only growing to 2.5’ tall x 4'
wide, this is a nice compact Cedar.
Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’ in spring
Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin’ Blue’
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GATOP (God’s Answer To Our Prayers) Garden in Knoxville, TN
Open House on Sunday April 7, 2013 from 2 PM
ACS member Alan Solomon, MD loves to open his woodland
garden to the public. It is considered to be one of the most unusual
private gardens in the country. You will find not only conifers, but
also magnolia, ponds, waterfalls, large millstones, handcrafted
rockwalled pathways and sculptures. New areas include extensive
conifer plantings, dry stream beds with native plantings and a
‘natural sculpture’ garden composed of three hundred million year
old marble outcroppings. They also include palm, holly and
additional conifer plantings: GATOP’s pinetum now contains
over 350 specimens. GATOP has been included in the Smithsonian Institution’s ’Archives of American Gardens’.
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Dr. Solomon encourages to spend enough time to take
the various areas in, about 2 to 3 hours. And consider
good walking shoes, as the terrain is uphill and downhill.
If you want to know about how this garden came
about, please go back to Southern Conifer No 1 and 2
from June and August 2011 where Alan Solomon describes the birth and history of his woodland garden.
Address:
2705 Riverside Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914;
Phone:865-524-5097
e-mail: [email protected]
Directions:
From I– 40, exit at Alcoa Highway
and take Neyland Drive exit. Go
east on Riverside Drive for 1.5
miles, bear right at Vulkan Material
and go another 0.4 miles, to #2705.
There is a black mailbox on the left
side. Go up the driveway to the
parking area.
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Take A Look And Visit Conifer Gardens
By Flo Chaffin, GA
I love visiting gardens. I always learn something about gardening, or about the gardener, or sometimes about myself. Every garden is different, and within every garden, every day is different. It’s just great to get out and see.
The directory of the American Conifer Society can be a very good way to open doors to lovely gardens with fantastic conifers. Many private gardens are open to the membership by appointment. In addition, the list of 14 Reference
Gardens in the SE Region is also a great place to start planning a garden tour. (http://www.southeasternconifers.com/
home/reference-gardens and page 2 of this newsletter).
I have taken full advantage of that member benefit in 2012. On a trip to England in fall, I visited the very best
conifer garden I think I will ever see. It is the pride and joy of David Ward in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. I knew I would
be nearby, so I wrote to David in advance about our plans, and he welcomed us to tour his garden whenever being convenient for us. We took advantage of that, and drove straight from the airport in Manchester to his place. It was the perfect means by which to get over jet lag! What a treasure that place is, and what an honor it was to have visited. (You’ll
find photos of his garden in Adrian Bloom’s ‘Gardening with Conifers’ and many other publications.) My photos hardly
scratch the surface.
Left and Below:
David Ward and his garden in Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Closer to home, I’ve checked in this winter with some of the friends I’ve met through the regional meetings and
gatherings. I joined Kathryn Moomaw on a tour of Jerry and Lance Pailer’s amazing garden in Buckhead Georgia. It
was one of those warm sunny December days that just made their conifers shine. Jerry not only knows all her plants, but
we enjoyed reliving many a conifer meeting as she recalled which auction she got what plant from. What a lovely way to
enjoy a winter’s day!
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Left and Right:
In the garden of
Jerry and Lance Pailer,
Buckhead, GA
Another garden tour inspired by ACS auction plants came a few weeks later in Milledgeville. Barbie Colvin,
Cathy Walsh, and Lynn Graham have been dedicated auction organizers, workers, and purchasers at regional meetings
for many years. So one day, I asked to see where all those plants went! We arranged a day, and we all toured each of the
three wonderful and very different gardens, just brimming with very special plants procured at our regional ACS meetings over the years. What fun!!
And most recently- Barbie, Lynn and I headed out to a wonderful spot in Spartanburg, SC- Hatcher Woodland
Garden. I had happened upon Hatcher a year or so ago, and was blown away by the conifer display there. After communicating with Jeff Hall, their horticulturist, I encouraged them to join ACS, which he did. Finally this winter, I made the
time to return for a tour led by Jeff. The place is magically located almost in downtown Spartanburg, yet miles away in
atmosphere. It used to be an old worn out cotton field, and is now an oasis of woodland trails, quiet nooks, and an outrageously beautiful collection of some of the coolest conifers! If you are traveling anywhere near Spartanburg, you should
definitely stop in and see Hatcher.
All 4 Photos:
In the Hatcher Woodland Garden,
Spartanburg, SC
In early May 2012
I encourage everyone to make time to visit good gardens. Get together with friends, take a day trip, and maybe
start by letting your “fingers do the walking” in the ACS Directory, or on the Southeastern Conifer website. You may
see something you like, and make new friends, too!
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Cupressus arizonica var. glabra
Arizona Cypress
By Bradley Roberts, GA
I am always in search of conifers that can withstand
the extreme conditions of the summers in Central Georgia. One plant that fits the bill is Cupressus arizonica or
Arizona Cypress. The taxonomic classification of this
widely used tree is left up to much debate. Dr. Michael
Dirr refers to it as Cupressus arizonica, but there are
several synonyms that are generally accepted, including: Cupressus arizonica var. arizonica, Cupressus arizonica var. glabra, Cupressus glabra, and Cupressus
glabra var. glabra. The cultivars referred to in this article are Cupressus arizonica var. glabra
This rapidly growing tree has many uses in the landscape. It makes a fantastic windbreak or screen, and
can also be used as a textural accent in a display planting. The silver-gray foliage of most varieties offers a
break in color and tone, making it a nice choice to visually enhance a landscape.
Arizona Cypress, native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, can reach 30 – 40 feet in height
with a spread of 15 – 25 feet. It is hardy from zones 7
through 9, with a very nice columnar or pyramidal
crown. As I have already mentioned, I am always looking for conifers that will endure the heat of the southeast, and this species actually prefers hot, dry conditions.
There are many cultivars of Cupressus arizonica var.
glabra available in the trade, several of which are represented in the Conifer Reference Garden at Lockerly Arboretum: ‘Blue Ice’, ‘Carolina Sapphire’, ‘Chaparral’, ‘Golden
Pillar’, ‘Golden Pyramid’, ‘Silver Smoke’, and ‘Sulphurea’.
These different varieties make excellent specimen trees in a
collection, offering a diverse array of color to accent a
planting. ‘Carolina Sapphire’ is by far the most common
and has a more graceful habit than other cultivars.
Developed by Clemson University in 1968, this tree
grows like a weed (3 feet per year), making it a fine choice
to develop a fast growing border or screen. ‘Sulphurea’ is a
personal favorite. This slower growing cultivar (about 6
inches per year) forms a narrow, dense, pyramidal crown
with unique sulfur-yellow foliage.
If you are looking for a conifer that is heat and drought
tolerant, and fast growing, you may want to try Arizona Cypress. I have enjoyed planting different varieties of this
tree, and watching them develop over the years. Dirr does
mention that this plant is not long lived for the southeast,
so I am very curious to see how the cultivars I have planted
will age, but it has slowly become one of my favorite conifer
species.
Above: Cupresssus arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’
Top right: Cupressus arizonica ‘Sulphurea’
Bradley Roberts is Director of Horticulture of the Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville, GA, one of the Reference Gardens in the
SE. About Lockerly: see SE Newsletter April 2012.
Phone: 478-452-2112 .
e-mail: [email protected]