I wonder why Thuja gets a bad rap....

[River's Edge]

Here is an Alaskan yellow Cedar that is under development. Collected tree.

 

[mattspinniken]

Some amazing stuff here. Since I posted this thread I think more people are starting to enjoy Thuja. Some great ones are coming out. I actually had a spot in the National show for this tree (first picture) BUT Bill changed his mind after getting some submissions from Canada. I was pretty bummed to not get to participate but I think Bill made the right choice.

 

[f1pt4]

Some amazing stuff here. Since I posted this thread I think more people are starting to enjoy Thuja. Some great ones are coming out. I actually had a spot in the National show for this tree (first picture) BUT Bill changed his mind after getting some submissions from Canada. I was pretty bummed to not get to participate but I think Bill made the right choice.

That's a great tree that I've been admiring from a distance.

One of the thuja's accepted to the nationals is in the pics I posted. Not going to say which one.. lol.. I am excited that there will be a 20 year progression, presentation of said tree at our next club meeting. I hear it's gonna blow people's socks off.

 

[mattspinniken]

Here is my favorite White Cedar that I collected in 2019. Im excited for a few planned collections in 2020. Tree was too heavy so I had to bring a backdrop to it .

 

[Potawatomi13]

Much to love with this one.

Here is my favorite White Cedar that I collected in 2019. Im excited for a few planned collections in 2020. Tree was too heavy so I had to bring a backdrop to it .

View attachment 287382

 

[Shoshin Mundo]

My new Thuja; before and after. Got rained out of the garden before I could do some wiring! Cannot wait to have an indoor area.

This thread has been so useful!

 

[HorseloverFat]

I am overjoyed to have discovered this thread. Great topic, great trees. I would also like to scribble my name on the list of “Thuja appreciators”... Around my “neck of the woods” (quite literally), Thuja number MANY.. and many natural forest areas are essentially balanced/built AROUND the older Thujas. In certain locations, one realizes that the ground upon one is walking is merely a wonderful “nursing” arrangement of enormous thuja root systems... My son calls them “three-name trees”

That being said, I feel that more than half of them in the wild, as is, are a dime a dozen. Also deviation from their nearly identical growth patterns, isn’t as common. (Having a rough life is all that really does it.. at least around here) I have recently (this late winter/early spring) collected 2 small, and one medium specimen

SO many amazing trees in this thread!! ALL of them are just fantastic...

So here comes the new guy with his stupid ones!

They are JUST collected, so no work has been done, in a substrate mixed with collection soil and in horribly tasteless containers.





Two of these were in deer paths, and were subjected to a reasonable amount of stomping. One was a product of an inconveniently placed seed within a hillside’s mess of stones.

 

[MapleMart]

Hi, first time posting here. I’ve been trying to identify my tree so I know what my options are for future styling. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a Thuja.. but would like a second opinion?. I have just repotted it here..

I love the trunk but the tree is too tall and leggy, needs a lot of work to get it into shape. Will this bud back once roots are established if I chop those branches off? If so would I be better off popping it in the ground and developing it that way?...

Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you

 

[Rafael Najmanovich]

Hi, first time posting here. I’ve been trying to identify my tree so I know what my options are for future styling. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a Thuja.. but would like a second opinion?. I have just repotted it here.. View attachment 357705

I love the trunk but the tree is too tall and leggy, needs a lot of work to get it into shape. Will this bud back once roots are established if I chop those branches off? If so would I be better off popping it in the ground and developing it that way?...

Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you

It is definitely Thuja, possibly Thuja occidentalis var. Nigra from the type of foliage that looks more like Thuja plicata and the darker bark. There are many, many varieties in the nursery world.

 

[Vance Wood]

Grow the tree and learn how to deal with it until you get to the point where you are ready to take on grafting. Then---you can consider grafting some Hinoki Cypress foliage to that beautiful trun,.

 

[Minnesota Madman]

Thuja will always get a bad rap until the powers that be appreciate them for what you can do with them instead of comparing them to a tight fisted juniper. The foliage is a pain to deal with, that's the other aggravation. It's labor intensive to keep them in check. That being said they are twisted gnarly and very old and some real specimens can be found. The larger the tree, the easier it is to deal with the foliage. Here's a few of mine I've collected...


View attachment 187204
Tired spring foliage

View attachment 187206

View attachment 187207


View attachment 187208
View attachment 187209

There's a couple here in my shohin display. I'm wondering if treating them like a maple that you repot every year might be something to consider. They are prolific rooters, maybe knocking them back every year to contain their aggression would be helpful. I might try that on a smaller one and see what the impact is.

#4 is so cool.

 

[minkes]

Beautiful trees are here! I love thuja - it is very forgiving. Cuttings are so easy to root. I have about twenty 2-years old cuttings and learnig on them some heavy bending while they are still young and flexible. I also have one from seed that came by wind and started to grow under my another bonsai. Here is photo of the one from seed - now is about 10yrs old and one from that cuttings.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I am overjoyed to have discovered this thread. Great topic, great trees. I would also like to scribble my name on the list of “Thuja appreciators”... Around my “neck of the woods” (quite literally), Thuja number MANY.. and many natural forest areas are essentially balanced/built AROUND the older Thujas. In certain locations, one realizes that the ground upon one is walking is merely a wonderful “nursing” arrangement of enormous thuja root systems... My son calls them “three-name trees”

That being said, I feel that more than half of them in the wild, as is, are a dime a dozen. Also deviation from their nearly identical growth patterns, isn’t as common. (Having a rough life is all that really does it.. at least around here) I have recently (this late winter/early spring) collected 2 small, and one medium specimen

SO many amazing trees in this thread!! ALL of them are just fantastic...

So here comes the new guy with his stupid ones!

They are JUST collected, so no work has been done, in a substrate mixed with collection soil and in horribly tasteless containers.

View attachment 298668
View attachment 298669
View attachment 298670

Two of these were in deer paths, and were subjected to a reasonable amount of stomping. One was a product of an inconveniently placed seed within a hillside’s mess of stones.

Ha!

These thuja look different now!

 

[HorseloverFat]

I was able to find a recent picture (of one of those above pictured thuja ((the first pictured, actually)))..This image was captured after first freeze... The trees weren't exactly "ready"..however MOST of the plants/trees in my area are pretty apt to deal with cold.

Definitely not a great angle... I don't remember WHAT I was trying to accomplish when taking it!




And in the spring of 2020.

 

[jandslegate]

That trunk movement in the first picture is badass.

I was able to find a recent picture (of one of those above pictured thuja ((the first pictured, actually)))..This image was captured after first freeze... The trees weren't exactly "ready"..however MOST of the plants/trees in my area are pretty apt to deal with cold.

Definitely not a great angle... I don't remember WHAT I was trying to accomplish when taking it!


View attachment 462361

And in the spring of 2020.View attachment 462363

Here's a couple of my trees to show my Thuja appreciation as well.

 

[minkes]

Here is my newest one after heavy bending done today (from 2yrs old batch of cuttings)

 

[HorseloverFat]

Here is my newest one after heavy bending done today (from 2yrs old batch of cuttings)

Awesome! I have a bunch of younger windfalls... That are about to get wire, also.

They grow fast enough to warrant "starting young"

 

[River's Edge]

Here is an Alaskan yellow Cedar that is under development. Collected tree.View attachment 287181

My Alaskan Yellow Cedar two years later! Here is an updated progress picture. Foliage is denser and ramifying nicely over time! Requires pruning two to three times per year to manage growth pattern and reduce. I am happy with the progress so far. Have placed it in a Sarah Rayner pot. Foliage has a bronze tinge / winter look at this time of year reflected in this picture. Will continue to condense the foliage and intend to build the apex of the crown higher with time. Rquires some thinning again at the time of this photo.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Here is my newest one after heavy bending done today (from 2yrs old batch of cuttings)

Can Slovakian-Speaking folks understand the South-Slav Languages (without specifically learning them?)? Just Curious

 

[Eckhoffw]

I have 3 or 4 thuja, and really enjoy a lot of their traits, except - of course- the foliage at times.
I like the red wood + bark is really nice and lends it self nicely to deadwood features.
They remain pretty flexible like juniper which is pretty forgiving when wiring.
I look forward to working on this on next year.