Buchholz & Buchholz & Buchholz

Little are big news

Slow-growing It’s as if author and comedian Today, Oregon Small Trees offers Steve Martin saw into the future when 80 varieties of dwarf and slow-grow- fit the desires of sophisticated he said, “Let’s get small … real small” ing conifers, as well as Japanese during his stand-up days. maples. gardeners and those Demand is up – way up – for Tim Clarke, self-described with small yards dwarf conifers. They answer a need nut and sales manager for Garden for that will fill, but not over- World in Hubbard, Ore., made a simi- By Lisa Albert whelm, today’s postage-stamp-sized lar market observation recently. landscapes, and they satisfy the appe- “Everyone’s yards are getting Buchholz & Buchholz & Buchholz tites of a growing population of sophis- smaller and smaller … but people still ticated gardeners. want to see a variety of plants in their The combination of large homes yards,” he said. “They still want nee- and small lots, and limited dled (plants) that don’t take up their choices for small spaces, spurred Dave whole yard. Customers are starting to Leckey to establish a nursery to meet realize that you can add quite a few this market need in 1995 on his (dwarf conifers) into the landscape.” Wilsonville acreage. Awareness of this trend is spread- “I thought, given this trend, it’s ing within and beyond the industry.

too bad you can’t find trees to fit in ▲ these tight spaces,” he said. 30

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Small Statures: Conifers mark turner mark

Small statures provide a sophisticated look while keeping care and maintenance needs to a minimum. Examples include Pinus densiflora ‘Golden Ghost’ (upper left), Pinus strobus ‘Louie’ (upper right), Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ (this page), Thuja orientalis `Franky Boy’ (opposite page, top), and Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Melody’ (opposite page, bottom).

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“Everyone’s looking for what’s hot, fall. That’s where I was seeing new “There is such limitation on what what’s new,” said landscape garden varieties.” you can bring in,” Buchholz said. designer Susan LaTourette, owner of “Import limitations are more severe Creativescaping in Portland, Ore. “All “All of a sudden, since 9/11, plus there’s the Phytophthora of a sudden, (dwarf) conifers are (ramorum) scare. There’s such a wide what’s happening now. More and (dwarf) conifers range of plants that are affected, it’s more magazines are picking this up scary. It’s easy for the government to and talking about it. I’m excited about are what’s restrict something when they don’t it because it’s falling right in with the know whether it’s dangerous or not. things I like to do.” happening now.” What gets in (and what doesn’t) seems arbitrary.” The sporting life Thankfully, Buchholz & Buchholz Many look to Europe for the next Susan LaTourette and other breeders discover dwarf big – uh, make that little – conifer star. Owner, Creativescaping conifers that are of domestic origin, “Our company travels all over as well. Many begin life as sports and to acquire new plants,” said Talon Eastern Europe is another source witches’ brooms: abnormal growths Buchholz, owner of Buchholz & for new plants. Unfortunately, some that result from genetic mutations. Buchholz in Gaston, Ore. “Holland names are difficult for the Parasitic organisms – including and Germany are hot beds of coni- American tongue to wrap around. Try such things as fungi, viruses, aphids or fers – really always have been – ‘Mlada Boleslav’ on for size. It’s the mistletoe girdling a branch – may also England, also, to some degree. I name of a European silver fir cultivar. cause abnormal growth. But accord- was in Holland and Germany last But that’s not the biggest hurdle. ing to Rita Oster, co-owner of R & R

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30 NOVEMBER 2008 ▲ DIGGER SMALL CONIFERS & R

Nursery in Estacada, Ore., these should R not be considered a true witches’ and N ursery broom. They would not hold the new desirable growth characteristic, and therefore should not be propagated. L andscape “A witches’ broom is usually a bud mutation, usually shaped like a round or flat ball, on a branch,” Oster said. “It’s held on a particular branch on a and the branch continues to grow normally beyond it. It’s branch with a different growth habit. A sport occurs when the end of a branch becomes variegated or the growth habit changes and it stays that way all the way to the tip. “If we think it’s noteworthy, we take cuttings and grow it for awhile. We always try to leave the witches’ broom or sport in place … so we Cedrus atlantica ‘Saphire Nymph’ maintains its small size and powder-blue color, and it will take full

▲ sun. After 10 years it will grow to about 18 inches tall. 33

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NOVEMBER 2008 ▲ DIGGER 31 Picks

from the It isn’t hard to get growers to talk about plants. The tough part is getting them to narrow down their list of favorites to just a handful. Here are some of the varieties our PProsros sources recommended:

Dave Leckey Pinus parviflora Thuja orientalis ‘Franky Owner ‘Miyajima’ – This Japanese Boy’ – A dwarf evergreen Oregon Small Trees, Newberg, Ore. white was selected conifer with a broad upright by bonsai artists, in the form. Pretty foliage is thread- Abies koreana of ’s Miyajima like and golden. Wonderful ‘Freudenberg’ - A dense, prefecture. Upright, in winter when ‘Franky Boy’ slow growing, tidy Korean pyramidal and very dense, turns to bronze-orange. fir. This columnar, soft-to- with layered branches. Short Prefers full sun in well-drained the-touch fir eventually blue-green needles turn soil. 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide produces small, purple, upward, showing the lighter in 10 years. Hardy to -20 upright-sitting cones. It is underside. This plant is ideal for the Japanese degrees. USDA Zone 5. well suited for a container garden or rock garden, reaching 30 inches tall or small urban yard, and wide in 10 years. Tim Clarke, reaching a height of 3-4 Sales manager, Garden World feet, width about 2 feet, at canadensis ‘Frosty’ Hubbard, Ore. 8-10 years of age. Zone 5 – An upright small bushy tree with creamy white Pinus densiflora ‘Golden Cedrus deodara ‘Silver foliage that stands out in Ghost’ – Variegation shows Mist’ - A pyramidal upright, a shaded garden setting. most strongly during summer as wide as tall. Light green, Slow-growing pyramidal months when other things silvery color that’s good in form, reaches about 6 are either bloomed out or full sun but can take some feet in 10 years. Layered washed out. Will stay under shade. Height and width horizontal branches weep at 8 or 10 feet in ten years, and around 5-6 feet at 10 years. the tips. The creamy white won’t burn in full sun. Zone 6. foliage needs some shade Pinus strobus ‘Louie’ – Very Picea jezoensis protection. Find the true form of this tree, as soft needles, and pale yellow ‘Chitosemaro’ - A tight, imposters have been marketed. through the year, but turns delightful bun for a rock almost neon in the cold garden, that eventually Talon Buchholz winter months. Reaches just grows up to form a leader Owner 6 feet tall in ten years. and become more conical. Buchholz & Buchholz Nursery, Silver green in color; adds Gaston, Ore. Taxodium distichum ‘Peve 1-2 inches per year. Zone 5 Minaret’ – You just have Abies koreana ‘Green to touch this one! Foliage is Pinus koraiensis ‘Morris Carpet’ – This slow-growing tender and delicately stacked Blue’ - A fetching, informal, conifer with dark green on each branch. Can tolerate upright light-green tree needles forms a marvelous lots of water and loves full of intermediate size. dense groundcover. Prefers sun. Turns burnt orange in Soft needles, large cones sun or partial shade in well- the fall months and will reach (producing edible ), drained soil. One foot tall by 6 feet by 3 feet in ten years. and open-structured. Size at 3 feet wide 10 years. Hardy 10-12 years is 7-8 feet tall to -30 degrees. USDA Larix kaempferi ‘Diana’ – and 3-4 feet wide. Zone 3 Zone 4. All year interest with twisted branches through the winter, Picea pungens ‘Gebelle’s Golden Spring’ and bright green new growth Rita Oster – An outstanding new introduction. Its blue- bursting from small orange R&R Nursery green foliage explodes with buds in the spring. ‘Diana’ Estacada, Ore. butter-yellow new growth turns bright orange, then in spring. The “bloom” lasts Larix kaempferi defoliates for the winter, for about six weeks, then ‘Wolterdingen’ – Its leaving a lovely orange carpet needles evolve back to blue- turn orange, then bronze of soft needles. before falling, revealing green. Prefers sun/partial orange-brown branches. shade in well-drained soil. Chamaecyparis obtusa New growth emerges bright Six feet tall by 3 feet wide ‘Verdoni’ – Coloring on grass green, then becomes in 10 years. Hardy to -40 ‘Verdoni’ is that of a lemon- distinctively blue. Mounded degrees. USDA Zone 3. lime margarita! Not bright spreading habit grows to yellow like ‘Aurea Nana’ and about 36 inches wide and not green like ‘Nana Gracilis’. 30 inches tall in 10 years. This handsome Whorls of compact branches plant offers seasonal interest throughout the make this hinoki perfect for year. small spaces.

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can compare (growth). If (the witches’ ensures a longer time to bring these broom) should die suddenly, we start to plants to market, as well as steeper suspect that it was a viral broom. Then price tags. we watch our starts to see if they are “When a plant only grows 3 inches going to do the same thing. You can a year, it will take time before it’s of test for viruses but that’s an expense any size,” Leckey said. “I figured people most growers don’t do when you can wouldn’t be interested in the plants grow it and see what it will do.” until they could see what they were from witches’ brooms going to look like at 8, 10, or 12 years and sports won’t come true from , of age.” but that doesn’t mean that their seed- Leckey motioned to a plant mere lings or species’ seedlings won’t give inches tall and wide. rise to new forms as well. “We are really in the time busi- ness,” he said. “You can come to me “People want and buy a one-gallon plant and it’s only this big, and it won’t cost you more exuberant, very much money. Or you can come to me and buy a plant of the same genus, more contemporary species and cultivar that looks like a real tree – but it’s going to cost you gardens. They a lot more money. In essence, you’re buying 10 years of time.” love bold, Careful planning turns extra time into a boon, not a bust, for a nursery. architectural “I try not to grow any plant that can’t be shifted up to a larger size and shapes” sold,” Buchholz said. “There has to be a market for it, though. For example, Susan LaTourette there’s only a market for junipers up to Owner, Creativescaping a certain size. Other conifers sell at all sizes but sometimes it’s better to have “There’s a lot of variability in a (more mature) plants than (young) (seedling) crop,” Oster said. “Often, plants. They require more size to look what we grow has been selected from good.” a seedling that was particularly out- While many genus and species standing …. For instance, one (cedar offer great potential for new forms, seedling) comes up yellow. You pull Buchholz is partial to those of Japanese it from the batch, propagate it and white pine (Pinus parviflora). see if it stays yellow. If you can pro- “We cover every size and shape duce it reliably and if it stays stable you can have,” he said. enough, then you have a new cultivar to introduce.” Painting a picture Patience isn’t a virtue but a neces- Dwarf conifers offer excellent value sity for those in the plant breeding to the consumer, despite a higher price business. The trial period between tag. Sited properly, they won’t outgrow discovery and release can last seven their space, which becomes an asset to 10 years. now and at resale time. However, get- Time spent testing a new plant is ting gardeners excited about dwarf only part of the picture. Slow-growing conifers often requires overcoming plants are so popular because they ingrained expectations.

won’t outgrow their space for many, ▲ many years, but slow growth also 34

NOVEMBER 2008 ▲ DIGGER 33 SMALL CONIFERS

“Many people think conifers are these huge, tall 200-foot trees so they shy away from them,” Oster said. “But now they are realizing that they can have a 40-foot tree, or a 20-foot, 15-foot, or 10-foot tree. Or they can have a (miniature) conifer that grows inches a year.” LaTourette has had similar experi- ences with her design clients. “There’s a huge misconception about conifers,” she said. “(Customers) look around and see Western hem- locks and huge Doug firs and think that’s what conifers are.” These ideas can be counteracted by “educating customers from the ground up,” LaTourette said. “When I introduce (dwarf coni- fers) to my clients, they are struck by the texture, color or form,” she said. “Some can be columnar, others can be rather wacky shapes. Conifers, all the way down to the one-footers, offer lots of personalities to a garden (and) they offer that four-season interest …. People are becoming more educated through designers and the nurseries are starting to bring in more choice conifers.” Additionally, conifers are a good fit with current garden trends. “People want more exuberant, more contemporary gardens,” said LaTourette. “They love bold, archi- tectural shapes … Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Pillar’ is great with Phormium… when you’re doing a hot garden, blues tend to really resonate.” LaTourette, who doesn’t worry about styles and trends for her gar- den, emphasizes that dwarf conifers are key components, regardless of garden style. They work well with perennials, they’re fabulous in con- tainers, and they provide textural contrast to update established rho- dodendron-heavy gardens. Conifers are essential winter garden elements, too. ▲ 36

34 NOVEMBER 2008 ▲ DIGGER SMALL CONIFERS Buchholz & Buchholz & Buchholz

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How does your garden grow? “Dwarf” and “miniature” are relative terms. In time, dwarf conifers can achieve a respectable size, although at a much slower pace than the species. Dave Leckey prefers the terms “dwarf” and “slow growing” because he feels they are more easily understood by the lay public than the technical size guidelines of the American Conifer Society (www.conifersociety.org/cs/index.php):

Category Approx. growth per year Approx. size at 10 years Miniature less than 1 inch less than 1 foot Dwarf 1 to 6 inches 1 to 6 feet Intermediate 6 to 12 inches 6 to 15 feet Large more than 12 inches more than 15 feet Growth rate and size vary due to several factors. A conifer grown in the BIRINGER Midwest will grow more slowly than the same cultivar grown in the Pacific Northwest. Garden conditions and cultural care also play a role. Lastly, growth rates for conifers grown in containers will vary from field-grown plants. NURSERY These variables create headaches for growers when it comes to providing growth rate and size information, especially for new cultivars that haven’t been grown long enough to accurately assess growth rates. However, growers and nurseries realize this can hinder the public embrace of dwarf conifers and they are working to address this information gap. To promote the use of conifers and to increase their availability, the American Conifer Society (ACS) established a program called “Collectors Conifer of the Year.” The committee selects two conifers a year, usually one dwarf and one miniature, giving first offering of the choices to their membership. Plants chosen are popular but hard to find, even though they may not be new introductions. The ACS is in its third cycle of the program and they are pleased with the results. “As word has gotten out, a lot of fine garden magazines are ... running stories on the choices so that they become very much in demand at garden cen- ters,” said Oster, a member of the Collectors Conifer of the Year committee.

NOVEMBER 2008 ▲ DIGGER 35 SMALL CONIFERS Blueberries Isel i N ursery

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Abies nordmanniana ‘Golden Spreader’, grown by Iseli Nursery among others, has a superb golden yellow color that becomes more intense in the winter months. It reaches 30 inches high and wide at 10 years. Pruning can keep the plant as a spreading form. It needs sunlight to retain its bright color.

“They have presence,” Clarke said. landscape …. Some native selections “Many of the newer ones show differ- that are good are (Chamaecyparis ent colors, such as plum or a kind of nootkatensis) ‘Green Arrow’ and orange, in winter. They’ve very low ‘Van den Akker’. We have one maintenance, they’re not messy, and called ‘Sparkling Arrow’ that is honestly, they don’t require much extremely narrow with creamy-white water (once established).” variegation.” Site them appropriately – in well- ‘Sparkling Arrow’ originated as a drained, fertile soil, in sun or shade variegated sport on a ‘Green Arrow’. depending on the cultivar, and pro- Look for ‘Sparkling Arrow’ to enter the vide water until established – and they market soon. become one of the easiest care plants “Conifers, especially dwarf coni- in the garden. fers, are a fairly untapped market Garden World’s customers paint and it’s going to continue to grow,” a picture of what they want, often Oster said. “There are so many describing it as a “tall, skinny, needled choices and they are increasing in thing that will screen my neighbor’s popularity as the public learns more window,” another niche well served about them.” by dwarf conifers. Gardeners can look forward to “They are looking for a dwarf seeing more good things coming in plant,” Clarke said, “but they don’t small packages, thanks to the contin- realize it. They just know they want ued efforts of Oregon’s nurserymen something tall and slender.” and women. Buchholz also sees a demand for tall, narrow conifers that provide pri- Lisa Albert is a freelance garden writer vacy on small lots. based in Tualatin, Ore. Her work has “We have plants that can be 20 been featured in Sunset magazine. feet tall that you can pretty much Contact her at [email protected] put your arms around,” he said. or visit her Web site at www.lisaalbert- “They make excellent accents in the writer.com.

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