Afrocarpus (Podocarpus) falcatus - OUTENIQUA YELLOWWOOD

$12

This is one of the largest and most special trees from southern Africa, as well as one of the largest growing members of the Podocarpaceae family. Although it can reach 180' in the wild after hundreds of years, it is usually seen in gardens as a slightly irregular yet tidy tree to 30 - 50' tall with conical form and billowy masses of soft green foliage. On older trees you may get smooth, flaky peeling bark. It is very easily grown in sun or shade, and is hardy to about 20°F or perhaps just a bit lower in hot climates.

Afrocarpus (Podocarpus) falcatus UCSC95.340 - OUTENIQUA YELLOWWOOD New Fall 2011!

$14

This is one of the largest and most special trees from southern Africa, as well as one of the largest growing members of the Podocarpaceae family. Although it can reach 180' in the wild after hundreds of years, it is usually seen in gardens as a slightly irregular yet tidy tree to 30 - 50' tall with conical form and billowy masses of soft green foliage. On older trees you may get smooth, flaky peeling bark. It is very easily grown in sun or shade. This clone of A. falcatus was noted to have thriven at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum, growing to an impressive tree size in zone 7 North Carolina. It sounds exciting, but we have to admit that hasn't exactly translated to great performance for us in the Pacific Northwest as our plants had some damage when the temperature dropped below 20°F. Whatever, we thought it was worth a shot. If your garden is sheltered be really adventurous, or else try it as a beautiful and trouble-free container plant.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Blue Surprise'

$10

Do you like surprises? An outstanding selection of our native Port Orford Cedar, this cultivar makes an attractive column of dense, fine foliage to 5' over time (perhaps 10' after many years), with excellent pale blue color. This plant has a reputation for being easy to kill (especially in over-irrigated gardens) and the running joke in Northwest nurseries is that is why "surprise" is part of the name. We feel this reputation is undeserved as long as the plant's needs are met - in fact, we haven't managed to kill one yet. It appreciates excellent drainage, a light mulch, and not too much water. For sun or part shade - plant a few behind your cactus garden. Hardy to -10°F.

Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca' - BLUE CHINA FIR New Fall 2011!

$16

This eye-catching conifer looks like a blue-cast version of monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) and is sometimes confused with it. Heavy branches of spiky blue foliage turn upwards at the tips, and mature trees have beautiful red-brown bark that peels in vertical strips. It performs well in sun or part shade and average to good soil. It is really most at home in a steamy, muggy climate but performs adequately in the Northwest with plenty of summer water. You'll want to stake it until it develops a dominant leader - this may take a few years. Native to China, it can handle winter lows to around -5°F.

Juniperus communis var. montana IB372 New Fall 2011!

$10

Juniperus communis is one of the most common junipers in the world - so why are we selling it? Because we think there are far too many overused Juniperus cultivars while it is actually very difficult to find any of the native species of Juniper available for sale. Yes, you can actually find Junipers in the wild in the Pacific Northwest and this is one of them. This collection forms a nice low mat to only about 4" tall. It is a slow grower but will gradually spread several feet wide, and it very drought tolerant. Coming from the extreme altitude of 5,800' in the northeast Olympic Mountains, it is certainly hardy to at least -20°F and probably much lower.

Juniperus communis var. montana IB383 New Fall 2011!

$10

Juniperus communis is one of the most common junipers in the world - so why are we selling it? Because we think there are far too many overused Juniperus cultivars while it is actually very difficult to find any of the native species of Juniper available for sale. Yes, you can actually find Junipers in the wild in the Pacific Northwest and this is one of them. This collection forms a nice low mat to about 4 - 6" tall with slightly more silvery foliage than other local forms. It is a slow grower but will gradually spread several feet wide, and it very drought tolerant. It comes from about 3,600' in the northeast Olympic Mountains, and we expect it to be hardy to at least -20°F and probably much lower.

Lagarostrobos (Dacrydium) franklinii - HUON PINE

$12

In the remote rainforests of south-west Tasmania is found this rare conifer. Its fine, scaly-green foliage is soft to the touch, having a plumose habit and irregular branching distinguishing it from anything familiar. Its wood has been valued for timber in the past, being of exceptional quality, but I doubt anyone is cutting them down now since they are so slow to regenerate. Although it is slow-growing it may reach immense proportions in the wild; however, I haven't seen any exceed 10' tall in the garden. It appreciates a moist, well-drained site in sun or partial shade, and is most at home in a maritime climate such as the Pacific Northwest. We are not entirely sure if we have the cultivar 'Pendula' or if that is really that is really something so different from the main species anyhow. Hardier than a lot of other plants from Tasmania, it can handle temperatures down to about the 10 - 12°F range in the Pacific Northwest.

Phyllocladus alpinus - MOUNTAIN TOATOA New Fall 2011!

$14

"Beyond weird" describes the appearance of this rare conifer that is widely distributed in the mountains of New Zealand. Starting as a mass of odd, flattened growths that might recall fasciated needles, it grows slowly to 4 - 5' over time (eventually to 20' in the wild), with a silvery sheen resulting from the glaucous new growth that eventually fades to green. Often an understory plant in the wild, it thrives in sun or part shade in a site with moist, acidic soil; and is most likely to succeed in maritime climates that do not get extremely hot in summer - great in Seattle and Portland. It responds well to being mulched with compost, and can will do great for many years in a pot where it makes an appealing curiosity. Hardy to 0 - 5°F.

Podocarpus alpinus

$9

Usually one sees various cultivars and selections of this, but the species itself is also a nice plant and quite rare. With soft little needles, this plant is green, which we have found is a color common to many plants. Variable in form, our plant seems to want to be a mounding groundcover to 1 - 2' tall. It is easily grown in sun or part shade, and likes a little water in hot sites. Hardy to 0°F.

Podocarpus alpinus 'Red Tip'

$10

Australia has a few native Podocarpus, including this species from the interior mountains of New South Wales. Growing as a dense mound of upright shoots, its leaves are deep green, and the new growth is tipped with deep reddish tones. Compact and low-growing enough for the rock garden, it is wonderfully well-behaved. It will appreciate sun or partial shade, and a little summer water on harsher sites. Hardy to around 0°F.

Podocarpus lawrencei 'Purple King'

$10

This conifer from southeast Australia looks much like a yew, but has beautiful purple-tinged new growth, as well as often turning purplish in the winter - a color not commonly seen on the true yews. Although usually advertised as a low, spreading conifer, if it's really happy it can grow into a small tree. It performs beautifully in the Northwest and is a must have for any collector of unusual or Gondwanic conifers, and even normal people too. It appreciates a little irrigation to look its best, and is hardy to around 0°F once established.

Podocarpus macrophyllus

$12

Fool all your friends. This yew relative from China and Japan looks nothing like a conifer, with long leaf-ish "needles" to 4" long, which emerge yellow-green and mature to a rich dark green. It has a pleasing, dense habit and looks quite tropical. It may reach 60' tall in hot climates when it is very happy, but in the Northwest is usually seen as a bushy large shrub or small tree to 10 - 20'. Although it will tolerate sun or part shade and a degree of drought, it grows fastest with some summer water in a site with reflected heat from a wall or pavement. Hardy to 5°F.

Podocarpus salignus

$14

This species from Chile is one of the most exciting conifers for gardeners, and a personal favorite. It resembles one of those soft, weepy, tropical Podocarpus species, but - what's this? It actually likes the Northwest's climate! In the wild it may grow into a tree of 40' or more, but in gardens a size more like 15 - 25' is to be expected: it is probably best thought of as a large, conical or rounded shrub covered in weeping broad "needles" which really suggest angiosperm leaves rather than needles. These are bright green when they emerge, then mature to a fabulous shade of deep green on rich brown stems, and are about 2" long and up to 1/4" wide. It seems to appreciate a little water in Pacific Northwest summers, though it can usually go without once well established. It is also reported to tolerate the climate of the Southeast US better than a lot of things from Chile. It has been intermittently available from specialty nurseries for a while, but it remains very rare. Hardy to around 10°F in the Northwest, possibly lower in hot climates.

Podocarpus totara 'Aurea' New Fall 2011!

$12

If you're one of those people who thinks conifers with golden foliage are ugly (and I'll admit to not being the biggest fan of yellow-needled spruces - ugh) you ought to give this plant a look. With its relatively large (to 1") yew-like needles and pleasing upright, branching habit, the golden color succeeds quite well. Although it is a large tree in its native New Zealand, where it is valued for its durable, rot-resistant timber; it grows slowly enough not to have to worry about it getting huge: ours is 9' tall after 12 years in the ground. Moderately drought tolerant, it will grow well in shade but the best coloration is in full sun and appreciates a little water on leaner soils. It has never been winter damaged for us, but we did see it killed in a colder Northwest garden on one occasion - so we will say hardiness is about 5 - 10°F.

Prumnopitys andina - CHILEAN PLUM YEW

$14

Who says conifers can't produce plums? Here's one that produces edible plums that are sweet and tasty, and can be eaten raw or used to make marmalade. The ornamental fruits start out yellow-green and mature to purple. Just don't eat the seeds, as they may be poisonous. This tree is very easy to grow, moderately vigorous, and seems to perform splendidly in the Pacific Northwest, though it remains very rare. In the wild it may reach 100', but in gardens perhaps 20 - 30 might be expected over many years. Notwithstanding the novelty of the fruit, the fresh green sprays of foliage look nice year-round. It's certainly hardy to at least 5 - 10°F, and perhaps lower. It is so easy to please that I'm guessing it would even adapt to many other parts of the country outside the Northwest.

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