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| I want to use this in combination with a dark shrub like Barberry Helmond Pilar or a dark leaved weigela.
But, I want it to stay short. Most of what I've read shays it can grown to 5 feet, but I'd like to keep it short, like 3' or so. If I trim off new growth, will this work, or will the shrub lose vigor by doing so? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 9:33
| hey mel.. since you are opent o learnin' .. i will teach ... the term shrub .. properly used .. generally refers to a group of flowering plants .... like lilac.. forsythia .. mock orange-philadelphius ..... honeysuckle... smoke bush.. etc ... there are things that need to be done with those.. like pruning rules .... that are specific to shrubs ... however.. 'shrubs' in lay use.. means anything out in front of the house that is not a tree or a flower ... your titled plant is a conifer .... go figure on that .. there is a conifer forum should you wish to further your education..though i dont care where you post ... ALL height estimates for conifers are at 10 years .... all conifers have an annual growth rate [which you can find using the database at the link below] .. like the trees they are .... once established.. they grow at that rate.. for basically the rest of your life.. and maybe for a century after.. being trees and all ... presuming you dont love them to death ... so.. a plant that grows about a foot per year.. will be about 10 feet tall in 10 years.. and 20 in 20 .. etc ... at the link is an intro to conifers.. pay special attention to the graph of growth rates.. and try the database for your named plant.. and check out the pix section ... i dont have time to research yours today.. but their are hundreds of options if that one is too big... i do not recommend planting something that is going to require pruning to maintain some magical height , because a lot of CONIFERS might not like that .. other dont care you MIGHT get other suggestions form the conifer peeps who do not visit the shrub forum... i wonder how different it is from my lemon thread .... thread refers to its neat thin needles .... and there isnt much difference between lemon and gold .... pic below is about 7 feet tall now .... how could you prune it down.. its a beauty .... have fun learnin'.. ken Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera Lemon thread |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 10:49
| Regardless of Ken's rather creative definitions (not universally held, btw), this particular plant is considered a dwarf variety of threadleaf cypress. Growth will be slow and easily managed. Mature size is listed at 3-5' (some sources reduce that to 18-14") but it's not gonna get there in any big hurry. And despite the fact that conifers continue to grow until death, once they've hit their genetically mature age and size, growth slows even further. IME, threadleaf cypress are some of the easiest of conifers to prune to maintain size or to enhance a particular growth habit. And if done carefully, does not reduce or diminish the vigor of the plant. This selection is also very sun tolerant, retaining the gold color well without scorching. It would make a stunning contrast with the columnar barberry. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 12:39
| gal said: And despite the fact that conifers continue to grow until death, once they've hit their genetically mature age and size, growth slows even further. ====>>> my point.. if i had one .. MOST Labels .. list size at 10 years ... and 10 years.. may or MAY NOT be their genetic maturity ... and gal ... if peeps are calling a conifer a shrub.. my simplistic differentiation will placate 99.9% of said peeps.. the other .01% would prefer the PHd thesis redefining the course of nature through the eons ... i have NEVER claimed to be speaking to one of your knowledge level .. all i aim for.. is to get newbies to use proper terms ... and between the two of us.. and that is presumably the point .... they can get a good education ... i will be the elementary teacher.. you the high school teacher .... and beyond if they want ... anyway .. mel .. give me a link to your barbarry ... and give me a goal for you yellow plant... shape, height width .. etc .... do you mind winter variation???? or we have some pillar.. FASTIGATE ... yellow conifers.. if you wish to make those the upright.. and go another direction ... seems like there was something else.. but the phone rang... go figure. ... ken the phone ever messed up the post structure... lol .... so here is more ... there are a number of cham obtusa that may work.. or not like you zone .... or yours might just be perfect ... i dont have it ... again.. ken
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- Posted by thisismelissa z4a-S Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Mon, Apr 12, 10 at 14:19
| Ken, Ok, here's where I'm going with this whole thing: See the Dwarf Alberta Spruce in front of the windows? It's since burnt all to heck and has to come out. I was going to plant the barberry directly under the window. Their footprint is super small 12-18" at maturity. So, I might do 5 of them. I want a chartreuse shrub/evergreen (WHATEVER!) to go in front of it. I originally spec'd a goldmound spirea, but I think I want an evergreen of some sort... 24-30" tall. The bed is about 6' deep and the rock mulch will remain, so that's why I'm thinking bush/shrub/evergreen (WHATEVER!). Just below that short retaining wall, there is a 12-18" wide area that could be utilized for "spill" if the plant would like to spill. I don't think I want a perennial there.... I could come up with a dozen or so perennials that would work there, if I was willing to remove the rock (which again, I am not). I'm not a fan of arborvitae and am doing what I can to eliminate them from my landscape. Does that give you any ideas? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Helmond Pillar Barberry
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 13, 10 at 10:38
| I think you may need to rethink the barberry.....they get much larger than you expect. Mature size is 8-10' tall and 2-3' wide. And they grow like weeds - very rapidly. They also do not keep that very columnar habit very uniformly - they can get rather dumpy and misshappen in time. |
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