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Conifer QuarterlyVol. 28 No. 3 Summer 2011

Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta'Photo by Dennis Groh

COVER_Summer11_final.qxp:CQ 7/7/11 4:26 PM Page cov1

Pinus mugo 'Mitsch Mini'Photo by Dennis Groh


The Conifer Quarterly is the publication of the American Conifer Society

Vol. 28 No. 3 CONIFER QUARTERLY 1

Contents

American Conifer Society Voices

2 President’s Message

4 Editor’s Memo

11 Northeast Region Report

34 Editor’s Corner

45 Dr. Al Paulsen

6 Wellesley College Conifer Reference Gardenby Mary Coyne

15 My Favorite Conifer: The Bristlecone Pineby David Rasch

18 Celebrating Conifers in the Southby Rona Bathea

22 Designing with Conifers – Book Reviewby Jerry Belanger

26 Conifer Road Less Traveled – Part 2by Tom Cox

30 Wintering Potted Conifers in a Sunroomby Wynne Keller

38 Expedition into the Altai Mountains – Part 2by Jörg Kohout, translated by Ron Elardo

The purposes of the American Conifer Society are the development,conservation, and propagation of conifers, with an emphasis on those that are

dwarf or unusual, standardization of nomenclature, and education of the public.

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2 CONIFER QUARTERLY Vol. 28 No. 3

ConiferQuarterly

Summer 2011Volume 28, No 3

The Conifer Quarterly (ISSN 8755-0490) ispublished quarterly by the American ConiferSociety. The Society is a non-profit organizationincorporated under the laws of the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania and is tax exempt under section501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

You are invited to join our Society. Pleaseaddress membership and other inquiries to theAmerican Conifer Society National Office, 175Charisma Lane, Lewisville, NC 27023-9611.Membership: US $30 (indiv.), $35 (joint),$30 (institutional), $50 (sustaining), $100(corporate business) and $130 (patron). If you aremoving, please notify the National Office 4 weeksin advance.

All editorial and advertising matters should besent to: Ron Elardo, 5749 Hunter Ct., Adrian, MI49221-2471, (517) 902-7230or email [email protected]

EditorRon Elardo

Technical EditorsEthan JohnsonR. William Thomas

Advisory CommitteeLarry Nau, Committee ChairMarvin SnyderRon ElardoEvelyn Cox, past Editorex officio: Ellen Kelleyex officio: John Martin

Copyright © 2011, American Conifer Society. Allrights reserved. No material contained herein maybe reproduced in any form without prior writtenpermission of the publisher. Opinions expressedby authors and advertisers are not necessarilythose of the Society.

Note: Hardiness Zone references in theConifer Quarterly are USDA classifications unlessotherwise specified.

There are so many marvelous individualsin the ACS. This was apparent at the

June 17-18 Central Region meeting inAmes, Iowa where over 150 members werein attendance. I especially want to recognizeorganizers Pam Maurer and Gary Whitten-baugh for making this a memorable event.Hardworking members Constance andGreg Skinner, Paula and JoeFlynn, Greg and Sue Olson, Emily andAlanMunson, and Caroline and Mark Kehrliopened their marvelous residential gardensfor tours. Generous members donated greatplants for the auctions. Mary Yee donated abeautiful Chinese hand-made silk depictionof a landscape including pines that sold for$160. Auctioneers Rich Eyre, Bill Bargerand Dennis Hermsen teamed up for thegrand finale to the festivities. Check outJerry Belanger’s Central Region Newsletteron the ACS website for pictures.

Has anyone else read RichardPreston’s book The Wild Trees? It is apaperback that chronicles tree canopyresearch in the redwood forest. I canhardly wait for the August 4-6 ACSNational Meeting in Silverton, Oregon.This “pilgrimage to conifer Mecca” willcertainly be a treat for those fortunateenough to be able to attend. I have heardvery good reports regarding the OregonGarden at Silverton, and it will be a mar-velous opportunity to visit Iseli Nurseryand Porterhowse Farms. Thanks to BrianJacob, Joe Carli and all the fine and gen-erous people who have participated inmaking this meeting happen.

Tom Cox is busy planning an ACStrip to The Netherlands for 2012. Judgingby the positive comments received fromthe last such trip to Great Britain, this trip



has great potential. The dates should befinalized soon.

There is a new Southeastern Regionwebsite created by Flo Chaffinwww.southeasternconifers.com and anew SE Region newsletter (June 2011)edited by Maud Henne has been postedthere. It saves the ACS money if wecan send out newsletters and noticesregarding ACS events electronically,so please let John Martin ([email protected]) know what your e-mailaddress is if you have not already.

One item that will be on the agendafor the upcoming Board Meeting is amembership survey. In 1994 Orlan Gaed-dert created a survey that was mailed toour members and we should conductanother before too long. If anyone has anyexpertise with surveys and would like tohave input I would certainly welcomeyour participation. Feel free to contact meor the others listed in the directorate at theback of this publication if you wish tovolunteer for the ACS in any capacity.

Thanks to Ridge Goodwin for organ-izing this year’s September 9-11 North-east Region Meeting in Burlington,

Vermont, and to Flo Chaffin for puttingtogether the October 21-23 meeting inAthens, Georgia. These both promise tobe top quality meetings. Don’t be shy,come out and enjoy the fellowship, seethe sights and acquire beautiful plants foryour garden.

Faithfully yours,

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Contact the EditorDr. Ronald J. Elardo

5749 Hunter Ct.

Adrian, MI 49221-2471

517-902-7230

[email protected]


EDITOR’S MEMO


The news has by now spread far and widealready, but the American Conifer

Society remembers in this issue of the Quar-terly one of its pillars once again. LastFebruary Dr. Al Paulsen passed away. Hiswork and support of the Society, as well ashis generosity, will be remembered in thelives he touched and the meaning his life hadin service to his country in World War II.Take a minute to recall his many contribu-tions to the on-going understanding and ap-preciation of conifers.

This issue of the Conifer Quarterlycontains several journeys which provideour readership with greater insight intooverseas conifer experiences. Tom Coxtakes us on a trip to Ascension Island insearch of the most remote conifer in theworld. Tom describes his observations ofboth in-situ as well as ex-situ coniferson that isolated volcanic island in theequatorial waters of the South AtlanticOcean. From several thousand milesaway, Jӧrg Kohout posts his second reporton his travels in the Altai Mountain range

in search of witch’s brooms. He and histeam continue their expedition. This timehis saga leads him to discover a superminibroom, no larger than the size of a humanhand.

In the Spring CQ we were remindedof the tenets and connections our refer-ence Garden Program has. This programconstitutes a major educational outreachto communities. In addition, we saw howour auctions at regional and nationalmeetings support the efforts of the Refer-ence Garden Program. In this issue, MaryCoyne reports on the Wellesley CollegeConifer Reference Garden. Four years inthe making, the Wellseley Garden con-tains sixty-two different conifers. Thegarden is used by students in horticulture,ecology and environmental studies pro-grams. Mary describes her own personaleducation to conifers as she planned thelayout.

From ACS’ regions comes news thatthe Southeast Region has begun publish-ing a newsletter again. The SoutheasternConifer has good information in it aboutthe role of Reference Gardens in theglobal preservation of conifers. TheSoutheast Region is holding its meetingin Athens, Georgia this October 21-23.Barbie Colvin invites members, guestsand visitors to spend time taking in thegardens along the way to the meeting andthen afterward too. The Northeast Regionwill meet in Burlington, Vermont thisSeptember 9-11. Richard Dube writes thatwonderful gardens and pre- and post-tours will afford visitors a fantastic week-end in a “conifer-rich” environment.

Again from the South, Rona Bethea


BY RON ELARDO


discusses the Gardens on the Green, apublic garden in Gainesville, Georgia.Rona informs us of the physical constructof the Gardens and its conifer offerings.Gardens on the Green has its plants sitedso that they can be viewed from everyangle. The conifers in the Gardens werechosen to highlight differences in form,color and texture. It is visited on a regularbasis by individuals of all ages.

Richard L. Bitner has written a newbook: Designing with Conifers. JerryBelanger has critiqued this addition to theconifer reference book corpus. Jerry’sreview is interesting and frank. I trustthat you will find the review thought-provoking.

In my last Editor’s Corner Ipresented my experiment with conifers ashouseplants. Wynne Keller reports onwintering potted conifers in the home.Wynne's report provides valuable insightsand information on successful ways tooverwinter conifers in the home. In thisQuarterly I have reported on the outcomeof the experiment. In addition, I have em-barked on a second experiment: pottedconifers. I have begun this endeavor inorder to encourage gardeners with limitedspace to discover the joy and satisfactionof conifer-gardening.

Lastly, the Fall CQ seeks articles onyour favorite conifer. David Rasch writeson his, the Bristlecone Pines. David hasprovided breathtaking photos of theseancient trees in their environment. I real-ize that it is difficult to pick one favoriteconifer, but I look forward to seeing thefruits of your thought processes.

My last word to you is a request.Please remember that, when you submit

photography, photos need to be 3 – 5MB(megabytes). We can always take largerphotos and reduce them, but not the otherway around, without loss of data. Thankyou in advance for your support.

Enjoy this edition of the ConiferQuarterly.Ron

Submitting photography to ConiferQuarterly:Please keep in mind that you must haveyour camera set to the highest possibleresolution when capturing your im-ages/photos to be submitted to ConiferQuarterly.This means you will be able tostore fewer images or your card or mem-ory stick when your camera is set to takehigh resolution photos.

An average sized photo should be around3-5MB (megabytes).We can always takelarger files and reduce them, but not theother way around, without loss of data.

Please send your .jpg photos and articles(word document with very little format-ting) to the editor as either: 1) email at-tachments (keep in mind most serviceproviders only allow up to 10MB’s) or 2)on a disc well in advance of the publisheddeadlines.

Not providing print ready (large enough)photos often results in your article notbeing included in the Conifer Quarterly.



Wellesley College Conifer ReferenceGarden – Established in 2007Text and Photos by Mary D. Coyne

Sometimes the path to a Conifer Refer-ence Garden is circuitous. Here at

Wellesley College, it started with myretirement after 32 years of teachingbiology (not botany!) and my subsequententry into the Landscape Design CertificateProgram at Arnold Arboretum of HarvardUniversity. The death of a well-known andmuch-beloved Wellesley faculty member,Dr. Harriet Creighton, whose passion wasteaching everyone about botany, left ussearching for an appropriate memorial. Re-working my landscape design assignmentfor a rock garden, I presented a proposal foran educational garden. Dr. Creighton’s com-panion of many years was delighted with thedrawings and detailed description and pro-vided lead funding for the project.

And so was born the idea for what

became the Creighton Educational Gar-den located along the pathway leading tothe College’s greenhouses and oppositeBotanic Gardens’ Visitor Center. Thegarden design, which included a new re-taining wall and stone steps with a wideviewing platform (and favorite lunchspot), turned into an educational experi-ence for all those who worked to bring itinto reality. For the retaining wall, in con-sultation with Geology faculty at the col-lege, we chose old weathered, locallyappropriate field stones capped with blue-stone for safety reasons, as the first thingvisiting children do is walk on the wall.The stairs provide an appropriate portal tothe adjacent Alexandra Botanic Gardenand Hunnewell Arboretum, easily seenfrom the Visitor Center as the direction to

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proceed to the Botanic Gardens.Three foci resulting from three

different sun/shade patterns define theeducational garden, which has a verylarge old oak towering above a substantialpart of it. The first is a rock/scree gardenusing a number of alpine plants, bothherbaceous and woody, showing theacclimation of plants to their microenvi-ronments. The second is a prairiemeadow area geared to supporting the lifecycle of resident butterflies. This areacontains many native perennials. Thethird focus, the conifer reference garden,is spread across both these areas but isconcentrated in the rock garden/scree

area. Because of the height of the gardenabove a three foot wall, dwarf and minia-ture conifers are the primary subjects – anappropriate choice since ProfessorCreighton’s area of expertise was geneticsand these special conifers in the referencegarden are genetically interesting. Stu-dents and visitors can compare thesespecimens with standard size relatedconifers in the adjacent arboretum andbotanic gardens. Many of the dwarf andminiature conifers are distributedthroughout the garden area to providestructure, winter interest, and continuityto the garden as a whole. Inherent in thedesign is seasonal interest for passers-by

This landscape is part of the Scree

The Conifer Reference Garden as it looked early in the Spring 2011



particularly during the academic yearfrom September to June. This includesconifers of various colors, shapes andsizes, demonstrating the possible use ofsmall conifers in residential gardens,along with spring and fall bulbs and a va-riety of rock garden plants with differingfoliage and flower colors, sizes andshapes.

When this garden was first designed,I knew practically nothing about conifers.I spent the winter perusing books, visitingweb sites, plotting sizes, shapes and col-ors over and over again. It finally began tosink in. At New England Grows, LarryStanley of Stanley & Sons, Inc. suggestedwe join the American Conifer Society andestablish a Conifer Reference Garden.After becoming a member of the Society,I was directed to Jerry Kral and ElmerDustman, who both went over my plansand plant choices and provided helpfulsuggestions. We obtained the bulk ofconifers from Stanley & Sons (about 40plants) with the rest coming from othernurseries. There are some plants on thelist still missing, but I have discoveredthat is half the fun – trying to find the rest.

The majority of the conifers wereplanted in the spring of 2007. The gardenat present contains 62 different conifersrepresenting 7 families and 15 genera ofconifers, which added 2 new genera and14 new species to the overall collectionin the Botanic Gardens. Other gym-nosperms have also been included, suchas: Gingko biloba Witch’s Broom andEphedra minima. The Reference Gardenalso contains a specialized area called an‘alpine scree’ where the soil is composedof 2/3 pea stone and 1/3 compost/sand toa depth of 18 inches. Several coniferswere planted in this area, along with nu-

merous alpine plants, to test their re-silience in such a sparse, well-drainedsoil. The conifers survived successfullyfor the first four years (100%) but thisspring I lost 10 conifers, mostly Picea andmainly from the scree area. I am surmis-ing that the hot, dry summer followed bya very cold winter was the cause eventhough the garden is out of the dryingwind, has good drainage and had a con-sistent snow pack over the winter.

This loss of plants brought me to anew realization – why I belong to theConifer Society and go to the meetings. I

Pinus strobus 'Soft Touch' by stairway corner

Two pines as corner posts for the stairway.Pinus densiflora 'Jane Kluis' and Pinus

strobus 'Soft Touch'



was able immediately to replace the de-funct conifers because I had squirreledaway a number of plants in my own gar-den. These were plants I was tempted intobidding for at the meetings, as well as anumber of unusual plants that were two-year grafts courtesy of Marvin Rumpler,who facilitated ordering them a couple ofyears ago. The motto – be prepared.

In summary, the walled area contain-ing the reference garden has become a fa-vorite passageway for faculty, studentsand visitors – a place where peoplegather, sit, study and browse. There arecolorful conifers during the dreary wintermonths, a sequential blooming of variousbulbs and rock garden plants during thespring and fall, and an abundance of flow-ers in the butterfly garden during the sum-mer. Since the visitor center, greenhouses

Picea pungens 'Glauca Prostrata', Chamae-cyparis pisifera 'Baby Ice Blue', Chamaecy-

paris obtusa 'Gold Fern'

Related Information• A water supply was carried to the top of

the embankment and this supply isconnected to the drip irrigation and aseparate hose for occasional hand wa-tering. The irrigation system is drainedfor the winter.

• Drip irrigation is divided into 3 sectionsin order to maintain water pressure. Ablue sprinkler is included in each sec-tion to indicate a functioning pressureand to remind workers to turn off thesystem at the end of the day.

• The greenhouse personnel overseewatering in the summer and help withsome of the maintenance.

• Friends of Horticulture volunteers areresponsible for regular maintenanceand planting.

• A wooden box for brochures is incorpo-rated into the edge of the garden.

• A listing of conifers and rock gardenplants is available in the Visitor’s Center

• Professional signs were made for eachoriginal conifer with a second round ofsigns slated for this spring.

• The conifers, rock garden plants andbulbs are mapped on different layers ofa CAD program as well as listed in anAccess database.The inventories areupdated about twice a year.

• Yearly photographs are taken ofindividual conifers.

Ephedra minima



and educational garden are clustered to-gether, visitors migrate easily from oneplace to the other. Weekends are particu-larly busy with families and photogra-phers walking along the wall getting closeup views of all the conifers and compan-ion plants. At first, the garden lookedsomewhat sparse, but I would say that,this spring, the garden has finally comeinto its own.

The Wellesley College Botanic Gar-dens’ Conifer Garden was accepted as aConifer Reference Garden by the North-east Region of the American Conifer So-ciety in 2007, and the Society providedfunds for additional conifers, signage,drip irrigation, brochures and studenthelp. The Garden is used by students inhorticulture, ecology and environmentalstudies programs, by the Friends of Hor-ticulture docents for tours and talks, andin their Botanical Art program, and isopen to the public 365 days of the year.For further information contact MaryD. Coyne, Ph.D., Professor Emerita([email protected]) or Kristina N.Jones, Ph.D., Director of BotanicGardens ([email protected]).

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Pin Cushion'in foreground. Chamaecyparis obtusa

'Fern Gold' behind and Chamaecyparisobtusa 'Reis Dwarf' far rightPicea orientalis 'Skylands Prostrata'

Sciadopitys verticillata 'Mecki'



From the beautiful, refreshing shores ofLake Champlain to the verdant, tranquil

hills of the Northeast Kingdom, Vermontbeckons you to the Northeast Region‘s an-nual meeting on September 9th and 10th.This is the first time ever that the annualmeeting and garden tours will be held in theGreen Mountain State, so come and exploreVermont’s timeless beauty and the creativespirit of its conifer enthusiasts. We invite youto experience the varied and conifer-rich gar-dens, indulge in flavorful meals and spec-tacular scenery, participate in spiritedauctions, and learn from our guest speakerand wizened members.

Friday night our keynote speakerwill be Richard Larson, longtime ACSmember and plant propagator at theDawes Arboretum in Ohio since 1988.The Dawes Arboretum is well-known forits extensive conifer collection. Mr. Lar-son’s talk will focus on marginally hardyor untried conifer genera that have per-formed well in Ohio.

Following a hearty breakfast on Sat-urday, we will board buses to tour four re-markable gardens. First stop is thegardens at Golden Apple Orchard which

overlook Lake Champlain and theAdirondack Mountains beyond. A formalwalled garden was conceived as a transi-tional space between the house and thestudio. This main garden is a series ofrooms divided by hedges with each roomhaving a different theme. There is an herbgarden with Korean boxwood hedges, acentral-knot garden flanked by perennialborders, a vegetable parterre and a conifergarden, among others. Over the years, thelandscape has been expanded beyond thisgarden to include a substantial collectionof dwarf conifers. They are inter-plantedwith herbaceous perennials in island bedswhich span several acres and which de-fine the perimeter of the lawns and the re-maining orchard. Owner Robin Coleburnhas spent a few weeks this spring editingcrowded conifers that have outgrowntheir spaces and rearranging many re-maining treasures with very satisfying re-sults. Sad that there were a few sacrifices,but elated that some plants became gifts,Robin admits, “Moving 20-30 year oldconifers is not a task for the weak-willedor the weak-bodied.”

Next we head to Rocky Dale Gar-dens, nestled in the western foothills ofthe Green Mountains. In 1981, Bill Pol-lard and Holly Weir developed the gar-dens in the style of Alan and AdrianBloom of Bressingham, England. On thenorth side are stunning rock ledges, cov-ered with Polypodium. Bill and Hollyhave created large island beds around ex-isting hazelnut shrub masses with a widevariety of perennials. There are other is-land borders for conifers, small trees and

Northeast Region Reportby Richard Dube

Garden of Robin Coleburn,Photo by Robin Coleburn



shrubs. Many of these wonderful coniferspecimens are 20-30 years old. With nomajor renovations for many years, thegardens began to outgrow themselves andnew owner Ed Burke has been removingthe overgrown and failing shrubs to createinspiring vistas. Visitors can now appreci-ate the wonderful older specimens andsee all the charming new varieties andspecimens that have been planted. RockyDale’s varied selection of outstandingconifers is especially admired by garden-ing enthusiasts and professionals alike.

The Hidden Garden of Lewis CreekRoad is the lovely site of our fantasticlunch and the third garden we will visit.This garden is laid out on two levels withthe upper level surrounding the house.Curving paths wind through an extensivecollection of Hosta, shrubs and perenni-als, and then lead over the lawn to asunken garden. The sunken garden, par-tially hidden by Ilex hedges and crabappletrees, has lush plantings, a contemplativepool and handsome stonework. By takinga path under a canopy of mature conifers,or walking along a path that follows a wa-tercourse planted with ferns and flower-ing shrubs, members can reach the lowergarden. In the lower garden, collections ofheather, ornamental grasses, damp-loving

plants, conifers and water lilies havetransformed a meadow into an abundantgarden embracing a reflecting pond, atrout pond and a “fishing camp”. This ex-ceptional garden is one of Vermont’slargest and finest private gardens.

Heading northeast past the Ben andJerry’s plant and through Stowe, we enterthe “Kingdom” and arrive at our fourthamazing garden. Don Avery was first in-spired by Greg Williams in the mid-1980’s and began propagating andgrowing conifers at Cady’s Falls Nursery.Don grafts small quantities of about 125taxon with a special focus on the genusLarix. Today, conifers are an importantpart of the nursery’s offerings, along withcold-hardy plants, which offer strongsculptural value in the landscape, andslow- growing plants for the rock garden.From diminutive rock and shady wood-land to acidic bog and pond-side, the wellgroomed gardens contain many old spec-imens, including numerous dramaticallysculpted weeping larch. A portion ofthe growing field is being transformedinto an arboretum for larger plants.Whether stunningly displayed or harmo-niously inter-planted, conifers play aprominent role in Cady’s Falls magicaldisplay gardens.

Saturday evening brings the opportu-nity to outbid each other at the silent auc-tion during social hour. As the biddingnears a frenzied end, frantic participantsjostle to make final offers on coveted nee-dle- bearing treasures. A tasty dinner fol-lowed by the exciting and high spiritedlive auction rounds off the evening asmembers creatively carry and cart offtheir prized coniferous winnings. Ofcourse, to complete the weekend of totalplant gratification, Sunday morning will

Garden of Robin Coleburn,Photo by Robin Coleburn


bring tailgate sales to help fill any vacantspace left in your vehicles. For manymembers, the most cherished possessionsare the memories of shared experiencesand the opportunity to reconnect with fel-low coniferites.

Start your journey early and viewsome of the pre- and post-gardens, or ex-perience other pleasures northern Ver-mont has to offer. Enjoy a tasty treat on atrek to Stowe at the Ben and Jerry’s Fac-tory, or The Cider Mill and taste samplesat the Cabot Cheese, or Lake ChamplainChocolate outlets. Quaint Stowe villageoffers high quality shopping, and a scenicgondola ride up Mount Mansfield inspiresyou with breathtaking views of the Greenand White mountain ranges. Don’t missdowntown Burlington and take a refresh-ing stroll on the boardwalk along scenicLake Champlain. Historic ShelburneFarms, with its restored mansion inn andbarns, and highly recommended Shel-burne Museum, make a wonderful post-meeting excursion. Allow some extratime to make this Vermont trip an adven-ture beyond an inspirational meeting andgarden tours, and into a stimulating week-end escape of exploration.


Don’t miss yourConifer Quarterly!Contact the Society with your

new address.

John Martin

American Conifer Society

175 Charisma Lane

Lewisville, NC 27023-9611

Submitting photography toConifer Quarterly:Please keep in mind that you must haveyour camera set to the highest possibleresolution when capturing your im-ages/photos to be submitted to ConiferQuarterly. This means you will be able totake fewer images when your camera isset to take high resolution photos.

An average sized photo should bearound 3-5MB (megabytes).We canalways take larger files and reduce them,but not the other way around, withoutloss of data.

The best photos will be crisp, with alarge file size and detailed because oftheir resolution and ready for offsetprinting.

Images taken at 72 dpi will not printcorrectly unless they are somewherearound 20”x 24”. As we increase theresolution of the image, the size getssmaller.

Rocky Dale GardensPhoto by Ed Burke



ACS 2011 SCHOLARSHIP CONTACTINFORMATION

The 2011 Application Form and Eligi-bility Form may be downloadedfrom the Conifer Society Websiteafter January 1st,2011.It may also beobtained by mail and e-mail usingthe contact information below.Please use “ACS Application and Eli-gibility” as the subject if you chooseemail. ACS Scholarship Committee,Gerald Kral, 900 Winton Rd., NRochester, NY 14609 Email:[email protected]



My favorite conifer is a 5-needled whitepine that has become well-known in

horticulture and is superlative in nature.It is the bristlecone pine, consisting of two

geographically-separated species: Pinusaristata, the Rocky Mountain bristleconepine (RMBP); and Pinus longaeva, theGreat Basin bristlecone pine (GBBP).The two species can be distinguishedreadily by the presence (RMBP) or theabsence (GBBP) of white crystallineexudates from a number of resin ducts onthe needles.

Many of us know the Rocky Moun-tain bristlecone pine as an accent speci-men in containers or in rock gardens. Thepine's use in smaller scale situations isdue to its rather slow growth. Severalvarieties in the market enhance this usewith compact habits, probably originatedfrom witch's brooms.

The other of the two species hasdrawn attention to this pine’s longevity.The Great Basin bristlecone pine is

known to live longer than other trees witha maximum age up to 5,000 years asmeasured by Donald Currey in 1964 froma tree that lived in an eastern Nevadaglacial cirque.

Today, the oldest living GBBP,“Methuselah”, discovered in 1957 by Ed-mund Schulman, and the largest livingGBBP, “The Patriarch”, are located ineastern California high in the WhiteMountains. The Inyo National Forestmaintains a good gravel road to timber-line and above within the Ancient bristle-cone pine Forest preserve.

We learned from dendrochronologistDr. Schulman that longevity throughadversity is the key to this pine’s old age.Centuries of slow and steady growth inthis dry and exposed high-elevation envi-ronment are achieved with reducedthreats from competing species, fire, in-sects, or decay. Indeed, the long deadsnags lying on the ground may have beenalive thousands of years before the

My Favorite Conifer: The BristleconePinesText and Photos by David Rasch



ancient living trees began to grow nearby.Timberline at 11,500 feet above sea levelin the White Mountains has advanced andreceded over the millennia and these treeshave recorded it.

A science of comparison between

many pencil-thin cores of wood takenfrom both living and dead trees, known ascross-dating, has allowed researchers tomore fully understand the climatic fluctu-ations in western North America for thelast nine thousand years. The ancient



GBBP reveals these changes in itsclimate-sensitive tree-rings that are estab-lished with each growth cycle. The natu-ral range of GBBP extends from southernUtah to eastern California, so this authorenjoys periodic visits to see these magnif-icent pines in their native habitats.

There are remarkable Rocky Moun-tain bristlecone pines within a shorter andeasier commute from home. The naturalrange of the RMBP extends within theeastern mountains of central Colorado tonorthern New Mexico and near Flagstaff,AZ. The oldest RMBPs were found byCraig Brunstein in 1991 growing in anodd location on a low, isolated peak inColorado's South Park, known as BlackMountain. There on a steep, southeast-facing scree slope live several stuntedpines that are up to 2,500 years old.

Even closer to home in northern New

Mexico’s Carson National Forest, ValleVidal Unit, the largest RMBP lives withinthe recently established Upper PonilBotanical Area. Here, a handful of largertrees betray their status with brightlycolored reddish-orange bark on massive 3to 4 foot wide trunks that set them apartfrom their smaller gray-barked brethren.

Each summer after the winter snowshave melted away and dirt roads have be-come passable, the ability arrives for jour-neys into these special sites wherebristlecone pines thrive. Only then can weappreciate how harsh living conditionsare mastered by these trees and that thepretty little plants in our gardens have thesame time-tested genetics that couldallow them to survive like their ancientrelatives throughout the mountains of theAmerican West.


Aquery of local nurseries or a survey ofGeorgia gardeners would in all likeli-

hood produce predictable results. The “usualsuspects”, traditional plants of the South, in-cluding Azalea, Camellia and Hydrangea,remain the local favorites. So a garden de-voted entirely to conifers is a definitely adeparture from the norm, perhaps evenstepping out over the edge.

Gardens on the Green, a public gar-den in Gainesville, Georgia has done justthat. The recently completed conifer gar-den is a small jewel of a garden within alarger garden situated on the grounds ad-jacent to the county’s Board of Education.It has become a landmark in Hall Countyand is maintained by a very proactive150-member- strong Master Gardenergroup in a joint venture with the HallCounty school system.

The Gardens is actually a compositeof mini-gardens connected by pathwaysof lush green grass, each garden high-

lighting a different category of plants orgardening style. They include a nativeplant garden, a “winner’s garden” featur-ing plants that have been awarded a Geor-gia Gold Medal, and a vegetable gardenset underneath decades old Liriodendron,known commonly as tulip poplars, oaks,and a towering Canada hemlock. In 2009,Mr. Lee Lovett, Deputy Superintendentwith the Hall County school system andhis wife Kathy, both active members ofthe Hall County Master Gardeners,worked to expand the Gardens to encom-pass a garden dedicated to and celebratingconifers. Kathy was instrumental in ac-quiring the funding and contracting thelate George Winstead as its designer.Together they laid out a plan for this veryout-of-the-ordinary garden.

Among and between the Gardens’sections are trails or paths of grass, brick,stepping stones, or mulch which encour-age visitors to explore each. The conifer


Celebrating Conifers in the SouthText and Photos by Rona Bathea

Gardens on the Green, Gainesville, Georgia


garden is no exception. A path circlesfrom the entrance past a massive moun-tain laurel to the opposite side of the gar-den and back again on a ridge raised highabove street level. George Winsteadpassed away in late 2009, just after he hadacquired some of the conifers he intendedto use. Lee and Kathy then sought thehelp of others in the local plant commu-nity to finish what they had started. Myhusband, Harry Bethea, a member of theAmerican Conifer Society and owner of aGeorgia plant nursery specializing inconifers, has been delighted to be part ofthe effort, overseeing acquisition, plant-ing, and labeling of the specimens thatstand completing George’s vision.

When visitors to the Gardens arrivethey may park and enter the Gardenspassing a quaint cottage-like structure thatserves as a storage shed for garden tools.A striking Japanese black pine (Pinusthunbergiana) stands alongside this cot-tage. While many Georgians think only ofnative loblolly pines (Pinus taeda), whenor if they think of conifers at all, this loneconifer is the first they see. It providesthem with a hint of what lies ahead across

the garden green.The conifers in the garden were cho-

sen to highlight the differences in shape,texture, and color of the many varieties ofconifers available locally and adapted tothe demands of our environment. Thereare tall specimens including two soon-to-be-tall Japanese cedars (Cryptomeriajaponica ‘Yoshino’), a golden Atlas cedar(Cedrus atlantica ‘Aurea’), and a deodarcedar (Cedrus deodara) which screen anddefine the boundaries of the conifer gar-den. These plants may be “standard fare”,but they are also very reliable plants forsouthern gardens since they are tolerant ofGeorgia’s heat and humidity. In betweenthese pillars are more unusual plants thatdemonstrate just how varied and uniqueconifers can be.

A contorted, dwarf Japanese cedar(Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tansu’) with itsvery short and dense green needles sits atan angle to the entryway-defining boul-der. Directly behind the boulder is a newaddition, a yellow twig Japanese cedar(Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yellow Twig’)


Native Gardens

Cedrus deodara and the administrationbuilding



that should grow to a medium height. Itfeatures fine textured needles which havea light yellow cast in the spring.

Other boulders are “planted” at inter-vals along the path to provide contrast anda structural element. Low growing, gold-tipped juniper (Juniperus chinensis‘Daub’s Frosted’) are situated next topowder-blue juniper (Juniperus squamata‘Blue Star’) along one side. A graceful,dark green Japanese cedar (Cryptomeriajaponica ‘Gyokuryu’), takes advantage ofone of the more protected areas of the gar-den and is planted to provide eventuallyanother boundary pillar and to tease thepasserby by forcing them to walk aroundthe plant to enter the garden from the“back door”. There are numerous yellowconifers in the garden to keep the palettechanging. They include a golden spruce(Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’), three or-ange-yellow coloredarborvitae (‘Thuja occidentalis ‘Rhein-gold’), and a like number of gold-tippedHinoki falsecypress (Chamaecyparis ob-tusa ‘Nana Lutea’). The latter are juxta-posed against two semi-prostrate bluedeodar cedars (Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin’

Blue’) which arch up and above theHinoki cypress at intentional odd anglesbeyond which a standing stone is placed,providing just a touch of Japanese artistryin the garden. Interested observers cancompare the blue, very wide and pendu-lous branches of the ‘Prostrate Beauty‘deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara ‘ProstrateBeauty’) that sits just across the path tothe still horizontal ‘Feelin’ Blue‘ deodarcedar that bears an occasional uprightbranch.

Throughout the garden, the plants aresited such that they can be viewed fromalmost every angle, allowing visitors tostudy the differences between them and toselect their favorite for potential plantingin their own garden. Nevertheless, the de-sign also provides sufficient room for thespecimens to mature and fill in the space

Cryptomeria japonica 'Tansu' andJuniperus horizantalis 'Gold Strike'

with a memorial rock

Picea orientalis 'Skylands'



between them in years to come. AnotherJapanese black pine (Pinus thunberginia‘Thunderhead’) is a favorite, and we lookforward to the day when its large candle-adorned clusters of needles take on thestorm-cloud appearance for which thisplant is known. The weeping Norwayspruce (Picea abies ‘Pendula’) stands insharp contrast with its side-huggingbranches, except for a single odd-angledarm that arches out toward the street. Itshould eventually tower above the dwarfand miniature plants that populate the gar-den and itself be sheltered by the Japanesecedars at maturity. Then the garden willhave walled itself off and formed an alto-gether different, but no less rewardingexperience.

We would say to Lee, Kathy, andmany of the Master Gardeners who helpmaintain the garden, that they have struckgold – the Gardens is host to many seek-ing a quiet spot in the shade or an idlewalk along the paths. On a recent day,when we came to add new plants to thegarden and help prune and tidy up, there

were over 60 elementary school children,part of the thriving Junior Master Garden-ers program, either ambling about ingroups or sitting in temporary outdoorclassrooms learning to identify and growplants of all types. Three new ‘GoldStrike’ junipers (Juniperus horizontalis‘Gold Strike’) under the plaque bearingGeorge’s name were, we thought, anappropriate addition and a tribute toGeorge and all those who contributed tothe Gardens.

Picea abies 'Pendula'

Cedrus deodara ‘Feelin Blue'



Richard L. Bitner is on an admirable andnoble mission: “to promote the appre-

ciation and garden use of conifers.” Design-ing with Conifers, his third book on thesubject, succeeds, to a large degree.

Much of that success is due to thelavish use of excellent photographs (takenby the author, who also happens to be ananesthesiologist). Large color pictures ofso many unusual varieties of conifers inbeautiful garden settings are sure toinspire almost anyone who has the urge toplay in the dirt. Likewise, the descriptionsof hundreds of these plants should sendmany readers scurrying out to the gardencenters. The problem is, they will mostlikely draw blank stares from clerks whonever even heard of a Cupressusnootkatensis ‘Pendula’ or Cephalotaxusharringtonia, by any of their names:

promoting “appreciation” is one thing,but promoting “use” is tough if the plantsare not readily available.

The book is organized in a practical,gardener-friendly format, with primaryemphasis placed on shape and color.These two sections are followed by dis-cussions of conifers for specific sites andconditions, and then an interesting andrevealing case study of one specificgarden. It closes with seven appendices,ranging from the eminently practical(“Coping with Deer”) to the oddlyesoteric (”German Grave Plantings”).

Many of the discussions lead toencyclopedic listings of species andvarieties, with mixed results. For onething, the sheer volume of possible candi-dates for the home landscape will be aneye-opener for the average homeownerwho thinks “evergreens” are Coloradoblue spruces or arborvitaes. At the sametime, those pages of terse, 2-3 line de-scriptions — each headed by the oftendaunting italicized Latin name, and most,of course, not pictured — might alsomake that average homeowner feel over-whelmed by the options. And, as alreadymentioned, for many who might beintrigued by the possibilities, the questionis likely to be, “Great, but where can Ifind any of these wonderful trees?”

Readers in Zones 3 and 4 might alsobe frustrated by the lack of hardinessinformation. The author often notes thatcertain varieties are “hardier than thespecies,” but that is of limited use whenthe hardiness of the species is not given.

Designing with Conifers: The Best Choices for Year-roundInterest in Your Garden, by Richard L. Bitner; 296 pp, hardcover,Timber Press, 2011



On the other hand, there is a chapter onconifers for the South.

There are brief but interesting chap-ters on dwarf conifers, railway gardens,topiary, bonsai, and “Asian-style”gardens. (The author abjures the use of“Japanese” gardens if the plants, and thedesign, are not authentically Japanese.)

Interestingly, he also appears todisdain the American Conifer Society andits members. He refers to “crazedconiferites who collect conifers for thesake of collecting. They keep carefulacquisition records and diligently placeweather-resistant labels by each plant inthe garden. Their collections have year-around interest but little else to offerexcept the satisfaction that comes fromhaving every last cultivar of the commonNorway spruce (Picea abies) andcomparing notes with other collectors atSociety meetings. Not unlike stampcollecting.”

He suggests that bonsai enthusiastsjoin a club, implies that railroad gardenersare not passionate hobbyists (like stampcollectors), but conifer collectors are“crazed coniferites”? Very interesting.

I am not aware of any other “society”dealing with conifers he might be refer-ring to — and oddly enough, he is an ACSmember himself — but this certainlydoesn’t jibe with my personal experience,nor does it describe the gardens visitedduring ACS functions. Not surprisingly,ACS is not mentioned specifically at all,even though its mission statement alignspretty much with the avowed mission ofthe book.

This book’s greatest value to ACSmembers could be if it ignites somediscussion about that mission statement,the role of conifers in garden design, and

ways not only to promote conifer appreci-ation, but to increase availability throughmember nurseries.

This will not be the most importantbook in your conifer library, but it ispleasant to look through, and it could bean interesting and useful reference. —Jerry Belanger



1

3

MagnificentMagnificent

1



1 – Abies procera ‘Blue Witch’

2 – Pinus uncinata ‘Parade Cushion’

3 – Picea abies ‘Pusch’

4 – Taxus baccata ‘Golden Dwarf’

Photos and captions by Robert Fincham

2

4

MiniaturesMiniatures


Several years ago I had a discussion withDan Luscombe with the Bedgebury

Pinetum in Kent, England concerning whereone might find the most remote conifer in theworld. In that context, we were talking about“naturally occurring“ (in-situ) as opposedto “introduced” (ex-situ). Dan thoughtthat the most remote was likely Juniperusbrevifolia from the Azores. Since we havesuccessfully grown its close relative Ju-niperus cedrus from the Canary Islands, Ibegan to search for a source for J. brevi-folia.

While on the subject, anotherthought arose: “Where would one likelyfind the most remote place on earth wherea conifer might be growing?“ In doingsome research, I discovered that it justmight be Ascension Island. Prior researchindicated that a grove of Norfolk Islandpines (Araucaria heterophylla) had beenplanted there in the mid 1800’s and, if so,this just might be the spot.

For those who might not be familiarwith the name, Ascension is an isolatedvolcanic island in the equatorial waters ofthe South Atlantic Ocean, around 994

miles from the coast of Africa, and 1,398miles from the coast of South America,which is roughly midway between thehorn of South America and Africa. Givenits isolation, it is one of the most remoteplaces on earth. The nearest landmass isthe island of Saint Helena which liesapproximately 800 miles to the southeast.Saint Helena was made famous as theisland where Emperor Napoleon I wasexiled.

Presently, Ascension is a Britishoverseas territory which is chiefly used asa joint facility of the United States AirForce and the Royal Air Force, a Euro-pean Space Agency rocket tracking sta-tion, and the BBC World Service AtlanticRelay Station. The island was used exten-sively by the British military during theFalklands War and, interestingly, it hostsone of five worldwide ground antennaswhich allow the Global Positioning Sys-tem (GPS) navigational system to func-tion. No one is allowed to own land there,and all residents (approximately 900total) are employed in some form of sup-port role. Travel to the island is very re-stricted, and we were only able to go thereon a Space Available basis as I am a U.S.Army retiree.

After first obtaining necessary clear-ances from both the British and U.S. AirForce authorities, we were granted per-mission to travel there. On February 7th,2011, Evelyn and I departed from PatrickAir Force Base, Cocoa Beach, Florida,bound for Ascension Island where wewould spend 9 nights. Stopping first onthe island of Antigua in the Caribbean,


Conifer Road Less Traveled – Part 2Text and Photos by Tom Cox

Araucaria heterophylla



where the United States also has a track-ing station, we then had an eight-hour rideto Ascension. After a turbulent flight thatmade it impossible to sleep, we arrived at4:30 a.m. and were met by Air Force per-sonnel who made us welcome and pro-vided lodging. My first recollection wasthe eerie quietness of the pre-dawn hour.All around, we could see faint images ofvolcanic mountains that we would laterexplore.

Upon arrival, I spotted two matureCook pines (Araucaria columnaris) grow-ing on the U.S. base and immediatelyconcluded that the literature had misiden-tified these as Norfolk Island pines (Arau-caria heterophylla). That is a commonmistake in Florida and in the nursery tradeas almost all plants in the trade and inlandscapes are not true Norfolk Islandpines. There was both excitement in im-mediately discovering a conifer as well asdisappointment in not finding the truespecies which I had only seen twice be-fore.

One of the most talked about “must-see” destinations on the island was thehighest mountain. At 2,800 feet, GreenMountain offered an interesting contrastto the surrounding barren peaks. To putthis all into perspective, it is necessary tostep back in time to a famous botanistnamed Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817-1911). Before travelling to Ascension in1843, Hooker had the opportunity to meetCharles Darwin, who had also brieflystopped there during his famous journeyaboard the Beagle. Hooker later suc-ceeded his father as Director of the RoyalBotanical Garden, Kew. Although hisvisit to Ascension was brief, it was tohave a profound impact on what waslargely a barren island and it led to an ex-

traordinary transformation of the island’sflora. Prior to the establishment of aBritish garrison on Ascension in 1815,only 5 of the 10 endemic conifer specieswere recorded as extant.

Hooker proposed to plant trees on thehigher levels in the hope of increasingrainfall (average 4-5 inches per year). Healso wished through the plantings to helpsoil formation on the steep valley sidesand to conserve moisture. As a result ofhis recommendations, a gardener was ap-pointed with instructions to obtain asmany suitable plants as possible. From1850 and continuing year on year, shipscame, each depositing a varied assortmentof plants from botanical gardens in Ar-gentina, Europe and South Africa.

After a day spent recouping from jet-lag and observing endangered green tur-tles (Chelonia mydas) come ashore afterdark to deposit their eggs, we rented a carand set out for Green Mountain. As a sidenote, this was the first time I had everrented a car and did not have to show adriver‘s license. The island is reminiscentof my childhood. No one locks their door,keys are left in cars overnight, and virtu-ally everyone you pass waves.

We had been warned that the drive tothe top was treacherous, but nothing pre-pared me for the severity of the numerousswitchbacks and sheer drop on the pas-senger side. As we climbed, the flora be-came thick, and, at the top, we foundourselves in a cloud forest. About ¾ of theway to the top the road ended and we hadto walk. To our amazement and delight,almost immediately we spotted two addi-tional conifers that were unexpected – Ju-niperus bermudiana, a highly endangeredspecies from the island of Bermuda andPodocarpus elatus from eastern Australia.



All specimens were extremely healthyand were likely as large as they get any-where in the world.

Several days later we were drivingout to an abandoned NASA site from the1960’s that had been built there in supportof the Apollo Deep Space mission. Wewere told we would pass a stand of whateveryone referred to as “The Pines”which supposedly had been planted tosupply masts for ships. Driving along alonely road I spotted a grove of trees in acanyon situated between two mountains.You all know about highway horticulture,and I immediately found a pull-off. It wasabout an hour before sunset when webegan our hike up what, at one time, wasa steep road that was now completelywashed out. Distances were always far-ther away than estimated and we arrivedat the grove as the last bit of light washanging on. There was a perfectly healthystand of true Norfolk Island pines whichhad existed there for well over 100 years.It was interesting to observe that theywere reproducing, and that the grove wasslowly expanding. I was humbled in theirmidst. It was fascinating to conjure up im-ages of them being planted in the mid1800s and to imagine that someone wayback then possessed the knowledge to

know where to plant them. There was noteven one dead limb to be seen. With Eve-lyn nervous to get to our car before com-plete darkness, I paid my respects andthen headed back. I vowed that we wouldvisit again before we flew home.

The next day we were led on a five-hour hike up to the top of Green Mountainby a kindly gentleman named Don Avilez,who is one of two air traffic controllersemployed by the Air Force. In his 70‘s,Don is a phenom who showed no diffi-culty in the rugged climb – I cannot saythe same. He displayed great patience as Ihad to take a plant photograph every 20feet. This was a veritable plant oasis withnumerous plants which were familiar tome such as Buddleia, Lantana, Cleroden-drum and bananas. As we descendeddown from another direction at some-where around 1,000 feet, the scenereminded me of I-75 through Tennessee,except, instead of Juniperus virginiana(eastern red cedar), the area was dottedwith Juniperus bermudiana. As comparedto those at higher elevations that were atleast 30 feet tall, none of these were over6 feet. Permission was later granted bythe Conservation office and cuttings ofboth this and Podocarpus elatus were col-lected and delivered to Dr. Chad Husby atthe Montgomery Botanical Center inhopes of providing new germplasm.

The next day I made an appointmentto meet with Ms. Olivia Renshaw, who isresponsible for the conservation of bothflora and fauna on the island. She latertook me back up Green Mountain in aRange Rover. Even though the vehiclewas too large to make the sharp hairpinturns without some maneuvering, it wasobvious this was not her first rodeo. Nearthe top she showed me their propagation

Juniperus bermudiana



facility where rare and endangered plantssuch as the critically endangered fernPteris adscensionis are being grown forreintroduction. I pointed out the Podocar-pus and Juniper, and, on our way back toher vehicle, I spotted what appeared to beseveral pines perched on a steep hillside.They were impossible to get close to andI suggested they might be Casuarina sp.(imposter pine) which one sees all overcentral and southern Florida. When wereturned to her office, we checked theirdatabase and discovered that these werePinus roxburghii from the Himalayas.Now looking at the photo, I am a bitchagrined to have missed the ID as aPinus sp.

In all, we found five conifers in thisremote part of the world. Before peoplearrived, it was home to just a flightlessbird, a land crab and no more than 10species of plants, none as large as a bush.It was so barren and isolated that, over thethree centuries of empire-building follow-ing its discovery by the Portuguese in1501, no nation bothered to claim it. Itwas the experience of a lifetime to visitand, even more so, in discovering conifersin such isolation.

Juniperus bermudiana



About ten years ago, we added a sun-room to our home, and I have used

it to bring a large number of plantsthrough the winter. Most of these arenormal houseplants, but a few areconifers. When I started doing this, I didnot know that a conifer needs a dormantperiod in the winter. When I found thisout some years later, I became interestedin just why my experiments in the sun-room may have been successful.

My SetupThe sunroom has a gas heater that we setas low as it will go, which is 50°F. Thetemperature drops to 48 before theheater turns on. If the sun is shining andthe wind is not blowing, the temperature

can climb to comfort range and we willgo out there for a short while to enjoythumbing our noses at winter. But as thesun gets low, the temperature fallssteadily back to the heater-maintainedlimit. Apparently these brief interludesof warmer temperatures are not suffi-cient to induce the conifers to come outof dormancy.

My potted conifers are Juniperuschinensis var. sargentii (as a bonsai) andCryptomeria japonica ‘Spiraliter Fal-cata’. The juniper has been winteredonly a few years, but the Cryptomeriahas been with me at least 7-8 years. Ikeep the plants adjacent to the glass, but,as is typical of sunrooms, the glass doeshave glazing that reduces UV light. I

Wintering Potted Conifers in a SunroomText and Photos by Wynne Keller

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiraliter Falcata', Christmas 2006



water lightly as needed. I have evenpressed the Cryptomeria into service asa diminutive Christmas tree occasion-ally.

The plants seem to be dormant (inthat they are not actively growing) untilthe days get noticeably longer in earlyFebruary. I believe a combination of fac-tors may be in play here. First, I leavethe conifers outside as fall sets in,allowing a touch of light frost. When Ibring them in, I try to do it during thewarmth of the day so that there is noshock going from outside to inside tem-peratures. Second, perhaps the 48-50°F.heat is significant, as opposed to the 60°that Dr. Elardo used (The Editor’sCorner: Conifers as Houseplants?).

Dormancy ResearchI have spent a little time on the Internettrying to find more information on dor-

mancy. As is typical with Internet re-search, a wild variety of opinions maybe found. Some websites even claimthere is no such thing as dormancy in aconifer. Writers differ on what tempera-ture is necessary to maintain dormancy.One article I read said that 50° is suffi-cient to maintain dormancy. Most arti-cles claim one must have thetemperature around 40°

The period in fall of shorteningdays and colder nights is important forinducing dormancy. The process ofgoing dormant begins in late summer.Different species may responddifferently to the stimuli of day lengthand cold, but apparently once dormant,a chilling period requirement mustbe met before they can successfullyemerge from dormancy. BrentWalston at Evergreen Gardenworkssays this period is six weeks

Cryptomeria male cones



(http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/dormancy.htm). Would leaving theplants out longer in the fall help ensurethat the dormancy requirements aremet? I may be bringing mine in toosoon. Brent asserts that no winterprotection at all is needed if tempera-tures don’t go below 15F (-10 C)(http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/overwint.htm).

Andy Walsh’s excellent article onwintering bonsai (Freeze Damage inWoody Plants,http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/frzekill.htm) summarizes the results ofhis research with these rules:

• Allow the plant to cold hardenproperly, including exposing it to thefirst frosts of fall.

• Store the plant in an appropriate envi-roment (the article has more details on

how to provide “appropriate”) with atemperature between 34-50°F (1-10°C).

• Return the plant to its outdoorenvironment when normal growingtemperatures return.

Cryptomeria top view of young female cones



Sunroom in November

Publication DatesDeadline to Publication Date

Issue Calendar Quarter submit articles (approx. mailing)

Winter Jan/Feb/Mar Nov 22 Jan 15

Spring Apr/May/Jun Feb 15 Apr 15

Summer Jul/Aug/Sept May 15 July 15

Fall Oct/Nov/Dec 31 Aug 15 Oct 15

Submit articles/photos to:

Ron Elardo, Conifer Quarterly Editor • 5749 Hunter Ct., Adrian, MI 49221-2471

PH (517) 902-7230 • E-mail: [email protected]



Some gardeners describe themselves as“over-planters” and then “thinners”

(Steven W. Courtney). In other words,they pack in as many plantsas possible to achieve instant gratification,with the idea that later they will move plantsfrom beds as space and growth demand. Theresult is a marvelous patchwork quilt of trees,shrubs and perennials. This type of orderedchaos is not just the hallmark of the ElardoGarden at Hidden Lake Gardens, it is char-acteristic of my own garden at my home andalso my own personal landscaping taste. Icall it Whaddycallitgardening. Why“whaddyacallit”? My Italian grandma,Mamie, filled in her English vocabularywith the phrase. For me, it means thatanything goes when the gardener choosesto “eye-scape” their garden. It’s the x-fac-tor with regard to seeing beauty as Im-manuel Kant wrote in his Critique of PureReason. Each person sees beauty in theirown way. Whaddyacallitgardening isboth freedom of vision and choice.

So? What does that have to do withconifers?

Several years ago, as my coniferaddiction began to burgeon, I startedcollecting conifers. My first major hawlcame at of all places, Hosta College, theannual gathering of the Great LakesHosta societies in Picqua, Ohio in March.I had never been exposed to large-scaleplant sales before. When I saw all thoseplants, I began to fall in love. I happenedupon the Girard Nursery display and Imet Al Forinash. There must have been a

hundred conifers of all shapes and sizes tochoose from. Before I knew it, I had laidclaim to about 30 baby conifers. I broughtthem home and planted them where I sawfit. The conifers were placed to please myvantage point. I paid little attention tolocation. It was simply a matter of instantgratification. My second and third yearsat Hosta College netted me even moreconifers. In fact, by the third year, Al evensent me home with 48 trees. Or, I shouldsay that I gleefully stuffed my truck withnew foster children for my personalgarden. Some of the trees made their wayinto the Elardo Garden at Hidden Lake,but the majority took root at 5749 HunterCourt, Adrian, Michigan.

My own patchwork quilt grew leapsand bounds with additions from localnurseries, Gee Farms and Rich’s Foxwil-low Pines. The more I stuffed, the fullerthe beds became. Blues, golds, multi-col-ored leaves, then purple cones, red cones,black cones, rose-colored ones—-thecolor palette was and is truly mesmeriz-ing. Then something began to happen.Nature took its course, and the trees notonly thrived, but they took on a life oftheir own. Scots pines went from darlingbabies to adolescents. One footers went tofour- and five-footers. Something had togive. I began to find new homes for theerstwhile babies. Friends and neighborswere immediate benefactors and then Idiscovered a large cache of pots in myutility barn. Glazed, clay, and plastic potsof varying shapes, sizes and colors from

The Editor’s CornerWhaddycallitgardening©

by Dr. Ronald J. Elardo, Photos by Steven W. Courtney


my days as an avid houseplant collector.As my conifers moved from their ownnursery beds out into the garden, some ofthem made their way into pots.

I thought: “If conifers can survive ashouseplants, why not propose to plantlovers everywhere that, regardless of thespace they have to grow plants, everyonecan conifer-garden?” I had to move treesfrom the front edge of my front deck. A‘Jean’s Dilly’ went into a larger bed,while a Picea glauca ‘Conica’ entered apot. Two large blue Atlas cedars took upsentinel status on either side of the garagedoor with Picea glauca ‘Conica’, Tsugacanadensis (Eastern Hemlock), Pinusdensiflora ‘Oculus draconis’ and Pinusstrobus ‘Caboose’ at their feet. Near thegarage-door sit three more pots, one witha Pinus nigra ‘Oregon Green’, one withChamaecyparis obtusa ‘Confucious’ and

another containing a Taxus baccata. Onthe front deck, the adventure continues.

The array of homes for my deckconifers equals the number of plantsthere. Hinoki cypress form the majorityspecies. I am raising several Chamaecy-paris obtusa: ‘Filicoides Compacta’,‘Confucious’, ‘Graciosa’, ‘Dainty Doll’,‘Little Ann’, ‘Tempelhof’, ‘Nana Gracil-is’ and ‘Ellie B’. There is a Cryptomeriajaponica ‘Compressa’, and, next to it anAbies koreana ‘Silberperle’. Cupressusnootkatensis ‘Glauca Pendula’ resides inan octagonal shaped pot. To complimentboth the color of the pot and the plant, Ijuxtaposed Pinus sylvestris ‘Bonna’,which was planted in the ground. Once Ifreed it from my clay soil, it rocketed newcandles and is truly resplendent. Piceapungens (Colorado spruce), which win-tered indoors, is spending the summer


The entrance to my home with Pinus virginiana 'Wate's Golden' to the leftand Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus draconis’ to the right



outside with Christmas and Thanksgivingcacti.

The indoor conifers I had writtenabout in the Spring CQ have moved ontomy northeast-facing deck. Cryptomeriajaponica ‘Black Dragon’, two Sciadopitysverticillata, Cunninghamia lanceolata‘Samurai’, Cryptomeria japonica‘Sekkan-sugi’ and Araucaria columnarishave joined a massive, 30-year-old, Ficusbenjamina to create a mixed, multi-tex-tured palette and a really nice sitting area.

For conifer-gardeners interested incontainer-gardening, taking care of theplants and their containers as fall and win-ter approach is critical. All conifers needto experience the cold and frosts as they

set buds and themselves react to droppingtemperatures. Those in clay pots will needto be protected because the pots will crackwith thawing and freezing. My clay-pot-ted conifers will spend the winter in anunheated, three-season porch. Those incedar and plastic pots will nestle togetherin the corner of my southwest-facingdeck.

In the meantime, enjoy a differentway of conifer-gardening as I am. Collectsome pots, go conifer-shopping, plant upthe conifers, set the pots, move themaround and watch the conifers thrive.

Ron

From left to right. Cryptomeria japonica 'Compressa',Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Ellie B', Abies koreana 'Silberperle'



66 Jackson Lane, Bethlehem, CT 06751

Owner: Dennis Dodge Phone/Fax 203.266.7783www.bethlehemnursery.com [email protected]



Viel Komfort hatte unsere Jurte nicht zubieten. Auβer vier Feldbetten und einerschmalen Holzbank gab es nichts. Es gabauch keine Elektrizitӓt oder Wasser. ZumGlück hatten wir Akkus zum Wechselnfϋr unsere Kameras. Daran sollte manübrigens immer denken, wenn man insolch dünn besiedelte Landstriche geht

Our yurt afforded us little comfort. Withthe exception of four sleeping bags and

a small wooden bench there was little else.There was no electricity or running water.Fortunately we had extra power packs forour cameras. You have to think of thosethings when you are out in sparselypopulated areas.

The next morning’s sunrise proved tobe spectacular. After we had gathered afew branches for the fire, we brewed our morning tea. We were then able to begin

Expedition into the Altai Mountains –Part 2Text and Photos by Jörg Kohout and his teamTranslated by Dr. Ronald J. Elardo

The Ural, our transportation

Abies sibirica



our trek up to Sewero Uliski Chrebet, the4,000 meter high mountain range. Withthe Ural, a gasoline powered truck, wecould ford rivers and traverse narrowroads up to the base of the glacier. Thereare only gasoline powered vehicles inSiberia because the winters are so coldand diesel fuel freezes.

Along the edge of the road wediscovered our first witch’s broom, aPinus sibirica. After approximately a one-hour drive we reached our goal, a smallcamp site on the shore of a river. Therewe ran into several travelers who hadmade the effort to admire the ancient wallpaintings of prehistoric shamans. Ourattention was, however, not on the glacieror the wall paintings, but rather on theancient conifer forests which, seen fromstands of Larix decidua, dominated thelandscape. As the slope of our climbbecame ever steeper, so much so that wehad to climb using our hands, we decidedto go back and look for witch’s brooms atlower elevations. On the way back to ourtruck we found four brooms.

When evening came, our Ural pickedus up and we headed back to our yurt. Westopped midway to pay homage to thespirits which inhabit the forest and theland. In the Altai region shamanism iswidely practiced. It even stretches intoMongolia and northern China. We will-ingly allowed ourselves to be guided bythis belief system and the hospitality ofthe indigenous people. We tied coloredsilk banners to the branches of the treesto free ourselves of evil thoughts and tobring good fortune to ourselves and ourfamilies. Such are the tenets of thereligion of the region.

In der Altairegion bis hin in die Mongoleiund Nordchina ist der Schamanismusweit verbreitet. Gern lieβen wir uns vondiesem Glauben und der Gastfreundschaftder Einheimischen leiten. Also bandenwir Schleifen aus feinem Tuch an dieZweige der Bӓume. Dabei macht mansich frei von allen schlechten Gedankenund wünscht sich Glück für sich selbstund die Familie. So verlangt es der

Sewero Uliskii Chrebet


Glaube.In the evening we sat in a circle

around our campfire and watched anincredible sunset. Never in my life had I

ever seen a more beautiful one. Our sher-pas sang songs into the night surroundedby absolute quiet and blanketed in thedarkest darkness.

On the next morning we headedtoward Aktasch. We left the ancientconifers and larches behind us andentered a valley forested primarily byPicea obovata. Similar to Picea pungensin the mountains of Colorado, the obovatabear a mantle of gray-green to luminousblue needles. It was in these spruces thatwe discovered several beautiful witch’sbrooms.

Our goal was to reach a campsitenear the small city of Aktasch where therewas an asphalt road which we knewwould make our journey easier. It is theonly road that runs through the AltaiMountains and connects the city ofNovosibirsk and Mongolia. We pitched atent for the night and were able to pur-chase a couple of hours of electricity froma nearby generator for a few rubles. Thegenerator was started up just for us so thatwe could recharge the depleted power


Sunset at Sewero Uliskii Chrebet

Picea obovata on the way to Aktasch


packs for our cameras.The next night was very cold. We

crawled into our sleeping bags and, eventhough we had insulation mats on theground, warm clothes and a sleeping bag,I was pretty miserable. I cannot sayexactly whether it was the cold or mybackache from the hardness of the groundthat made me miserable, but I have toconfess that the night seemed like it

would never end. The cold gripped me somuch that my sleep was disturbed andonce awake I could not fall asleep again.Because of the dryness of the air it wasvery warm during the day. But, whennightfall came, the autumn cold drovetemperatures to 0° C.

Thus, the morning of the next day re-minded us of the pervasive cold until therising sun spread its warmth. We madethe decision to remain close to the basecamp and there, close by in the cliffs, wediscovered a witch’s broom. We contin-ued our searches and found on the nextday a total of 12 witch’s brooms inspruces. It was because of me that wespent the greatest amount of time on thehunt for the brooms. The brooms hungsome 30 meters up and it took time to as-cend the trees and then to get back downagain. It did not take me very long to puton the harness for rappelling and to wearit. The witch’s brooms were very preva-lent in this area. There was a small forestnear the cliffs. Everything fell into placeand we found many new brooms in a very


Picea obovata in the vicinity of Aktasch

Climbing to reach the witch's brooms



the "Blue Eyes" of the Altai

small area.In the afternoon we ended our search

in order to visit two small wetland lakesnear our camp. The locals call these lakesthe “blue eyes” of the Altais. A small pathled us through the swampland to thelakes. A couple of wiggly, slippery boardsserved as our bridge over the crystal-clearstreams which flowed through the moor.Regular shoes do not work in traversingthe moor. The lakes are a really wondrousattraction and should be visited by anyonewho comes to this area. The floors of thelakes are blue, and it seems probable thatthere are a variety of seascapes and vege-tation which cause this color to occur.Since the waters of the lakes are crystal-clear, the lake floor is illuminated azureblue. We stayed a while in order to appre-ciate the beauty of the lakes and to enjoythe absolute peace of the place.

We had to return to our base camp inthe late afternoon. Our transportation waswaiting for us. Back at camp we stayedfor about thirty minutes until we departedonce again. We decided to spend the restof the day looking for witch’s brooms.

Through the moors to the“Blue Eyes” of the Altai



Actually, we made a terrific find in aPicea obovata. We found a supermini.Even though it was several years old, itwas no bigger than a human hand. Rightaway I got my harness on and went aftergetting that super witch's broom. Whenwe got back, our truck was waiting for usso that we could begin the next phase ofour journey.

Tatsӓchlich machten wir einen ganz tollenFund in einer Picea obovata. Ein echterSupermini. Obwohl er schon einige Jahrealt war, war er kaum grōβer als eine Hand.

Jӧrg Kohout with his “supermini”, Picea obovata

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The American Conifer Society has sadlylost one of its pioneers. Dr. Albert G.

“Al” Paulsen died on February 10th at hishome in Falls Church, Virginia. Asreported in The Washington Post byLauren Wiseman March 10, 2011 ET, “[Al]was a Naval Reserve rear admiral who ran adental practice in Falls Church from 1954until he retired in 2000.” He joined the Navyin 1942 and served his country at the Na-tional Naval Medical Center in Bethesda,Maryland and then later in theater in Chinaduring World War II. He retired from theNavy in 1977.

Al’s academic preparation spannedthree institutions. He received his under-graduate degree from Loyola College inBaltimore (1942). His dental degree wasawarded by Georgetown University(1945); his masters degree in dentistry

came from Northwestern University(1950). He held an associate professor-ship at Georgetown University from 1945until 1990.

Ethan Johnson has written that: “AlPaulsen was a favorite of mine. He was agentleman in every sense of the word. Heloved conifers and the ACS – the twinklein his eye and his bright smile were a mostwelcome sight. I would often seek out hiscompany when touring gardens or at ACSevents.” Ethan observed that Alencouraged younger gardeners and ACSmembers.

In the Southeastern Conifer (June2011), Maud Henne has reminded us thatAl had long been involved in conifers.After his retirement he established hisnursery in Great Falls, Virginia where hesold mostly conifers. As Maud writes:“He was instrumental for setting upconifer collections in MeadowlarkGardens and Green Spring Gardens inNorthern Virginia. And according to myknowledge donated the plants.”

Maud's photo of Al, wearing his'landmark' tropical helmet, depicts theman as many ACS members will alwaysremember him.

We all stand on the shoulders ofthose who have gone before us. As a vet-eran, a dentist and a coniferite, Al's shoul-ders were broad indeed.

Dr. Al Paulsenby Ron Elardo



Next Issue: Fall 2011

Our next issue will feature “Me and my favorite conifer”.Conifers are an amazement over which we and nature share stewardship. Theyare such unique plants that surprise all who stop by to sojourn. The themesproposed are meant to inspire and to inquire. Whether you are a novice, anexplorer or a connoisseur and you have a story to tell – a favorite conifer,pictures (please note photo requirements on the Editor’s Message on page 4),plant care, problem solutions, a new hybrid or cultivar, we want to hear fromyou. We welcome any interpretation or addition to the main themes we offer.

Future Issue Themes: Please look at future themes and consider sending yourarticles in advance of published deadlines.

Defending the Garden against Deer and Rodents (Winter)How I got hooked on Conifers! (Spring)

We at Conifer Quarterly welcome news alerts about conifers or about ourmembers.

Contact Dr. Ronald J. Elardo ([email protected]) to discuss your ideas.



2010 is our 64th year in business.We offer dwarf and unusual conifers

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Want to learn moreabout conifers?

Go to the ACS Web sitewww.conifersociety.org


National OfficersPresident Ethan Johnson, Home: 669 E 331st St, Eastlake, OH 44095

PH (440)721-1386, E-mail: [email protected]: The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Rd, Kirtland, OH 44094PH (440)602-3803, E-mail: [email protected]

Vice President/Treasurer Larry Nau, 25 Knollwood Dr, Churchville, NY 14428PH (585)202-1815, E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary Kathleen Pottratz, 42438 SW Vandehey Rd, Gaston, OR 97119PH (503)985-7561, E-mail: [email protected]

Past President Ellen Kelley, 3445 Oakory Ln, Bettendorf, IA 52722PH (563)650-2212, E-mail: [email protected]

Regional DirectorsNortheastern Region President Frank Goodhart, 27 Old Knoll Rd., Mendham, NJ

PH (908)879-4788, E-mail: [email protected] Suzanne Mahoney, 150 Elm St, Hanover, MA 02339

PH (781) 826-2915, E-mail: [email protected] Region President Duane Ridenour, P.O. Box 361, Jacksboro, TN 37757

PH (865)310-1026, E-mail: [email protected] Scott Burrell, 428 North Blvd, Richmond, VA 23221

PH (804)339-0873, FAX (804)354-8247,E-mail: [email protected]

Central Region President Christopher Daeger, M. Rowe Arboretum, 4600 Muchmore Rd,Cincinnati, OH 45243 PH (513)561-5151, E-mail: [email protected]

Director Steven Courtney, 2035 Friar Tuck Cir, Adrian, MI 49221PH (517)431-2060, E-mail: [email protected]

Western Region President Brian Jacob, 13455 SE Lafayette Hwy, Dayton, OR 97114PH (503)868-7941, Email: [email protected]

Director Joseph Carli, 20227 Canterwood Ct, Oregon City, OR 97045E-mail: [email protected]

Staff & VolunteersNational Office Manager John Martin, 175 Charisma Lane, Lewisville, NC 27023-9611

PH (336)945-0483, FAX (336)945-0484,E-mail: [email protected]

Conifer Quarterly Editor Dr. Ronald J. Elardo, 5749 Hunter Ct, Adrian, MI 49221-2471PH (517)902-7230, E-mail: [email protected]

Graphic Design & Printing Monya Barnes, 2255 Barrett Drive, Cumming, GA 30040PH (770)888-0434, E-mail: [email protected]

Webmaster Bill Barger, 3200 Roher Rd, Wadsworth, OH 44281PH (330)336-9695, E-mail: [email protected]

Collectors Conifer Chairman Dennis Lee, PO Box 1332, Stow, OH 44224PH (330)688-4283, E-mail: [email protected]

Seed Exchange Chairman Jim Brackman, Old Highway 410 SW, Olympia, WA 98512PH (253)736-5864, E-mail: [email protected]

Conifer Registrar Richard Larson, The Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Rd,Newark, OH 43056 PH (800)443-2937,E-mail: [email protected]

Directorate



Abies koreana 'Silber Mavers'Photo by Dennis Groh


Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Emilie'Photo by Dennis Groh


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