My Garden

Conifer ID with Photo

Last post 06-11-2009 5:03 PM by Silver surfer. 10 replies.

• 05/11/2009 10:17 AM
  besenzig Location: London Joined on: 04 Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Reply | Contact Hi need help identifying the 'Conifer' in the picture please. I plan to plant these 50cm away from a low garden perimeter wall and wanted to know what type of root system it has and are they likely to affect the wall at some point in the future i.e make the wall crack. Do these conifers have large roots that could damage a wall 50cm away? Thank you.

• 05/11/2009 10:19 AM	In reply to
  besenzig Location: London Joined on: 04 Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Reply | Contact Heres a closer picture.

• 05/11/2009 10:29 AM

  In reply to

  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90

  Reply | Contact Speaking as a self confessed conifer bigot I'd say it looks a bit like Bagusens gold (sorry about the spelling).  If so, it will easily grow to an anti social level unless you keep it well under control.  It does have a main tap root like most plants  but for the most part it has a very spreading fine root system that draws nutrients and moisture from quite a long way around each plant. When young they do look rather nice but in my experience their ornamental value is short lived. There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.

• 05/11/2009 12:07 PM

  In reply to

  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 58

  Reply | Contact This looks to me like the golden form of leylandii, Cupressocyparis leylandii Castlewellan. Leylandii have a terrible reputation for getting much too big, much too quick. They can be managed to form a lovely big dense hedge. But I can't imagine anything but trouble if you plant them 50cm from a low wall. Unless you're planning to move out and leave it to someone else, or you just want to fill up the space, block out the light,and stop anything else from growing nearby... Alex

• 05/11/2009 03:22 PM	In reply to
  Arrem Location: West Midlands. UK Joined on: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 90	Reply | Contact  Alex is right, it's Castlewellan.  Seems like he's another fan!  I don't know how, but I confused the name with Lonicera Nitida `Baggesen`s Gold`, a very, dense, bushy fast growing evergreen plant with masses of tiny leaves.  There is no such thing as useless - you can always be a bad example.

• 05/11/2009 04:17 PM

  In reply to

  NickR Location: Harrow, Middlesex Joined on: 05 Oct 2009 Posts: 26

  Reply | Contact Yes I also agree, this is a Leylandii. We have a row of them in our garden, they were planted around 20 years ago, and they used to be trimmed regularly to prevent them getting too large. Unfortunately they were not able to be trimmed up for a while and eventually became too tall to trim! They are now very tall indeed, I'd say about 20ft, which is fantastic for keeping that part of the garden very private, we're certainly not overlooked! They tend to block all the light from one side, but the other side of our garden lets a lot of light in so we can grow things in the nearby bed, so long as they are not planted too near the Leylandii, as they take a lot of the moisture away! I'd also add that Leylandii can give a rash if they come into direct contact with your skin, so I'd advice that you wear gloves when handling them or pruning them, thats what I do when I trim the parts I can reach :) Hope that helps a little, Nick :D

• 05/11/2009 04:31 PM	In reply to
  besenzig Location: London Joined on: 04 Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Reply | Contact So far eveyone seems to think its some sort of fast growing Leyandi. I was told that it was not fast growing and having done some Internet search I came accross the Cupressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest'. The one I took a picture does have a lemony smell when you rub the leaves. Could it possibly be a 'Goldcrest' which is really what I wanted. Any one agree with me?

• 05/11/2009 04:48 PM

  In reply to

  NickR Location: Harrow, Middlesex Joined on: 05 Oct 2009 Posts: 26

  Reply | Contact Cupressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' does indeed have a lemony fragrance to it, so if this plant has a lemony fragrance then it could possibly be a Cupressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest'. It does look like a Leylandii however, but I'm not a conifer expert by any means, and I'm guessing there are lots of very similar varieties out there! If it is Cupressus Macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' then it does have quite a fast growth rate however, it will probably grow around 60cm per year (2 ft), which is about the same as our Gold Leylandii have grown. Regards, Nick :D

• 05/11/2009 04:51 PM	In reply to
  NickR Location: Harrow, Middlesex Joined on: 05 Oct 2009 Posts: 26	Reply | Contact I should add that you can obviously contain this growth by trimming/pruning the trees :) hence will be able to attain your desired height for the trees

• 05/11/2009 08:57 PM	In reply to
  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 58	Reply | Contact Where's Silver Surfer in this debate? He usually seems to be the definitive voice on plant ID! Alex

• 06/11/2009 05:03 PM	In reply to
  Silver surfer Location: South Wales. U.K. Joined on: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 392	Reply | Contact Quote ."Where's Silver Surfer in this debate? He usually seems to be the definitive voice on plant ID!" Keeping very quiet!  I am not that good at conifers from pics .Smell, feel and the shape of the whole tree all play a big part in id, which is why I often ask for more pics!. So would rather say nothing than get it wrong. I appreciate your kind words AlexS  S.S