Hardy Tropicals UK

I've just taken delivery of two Cupressus Sempervirens 'Totem' Italian Cypress Conifers as a reminder of the tuscan landscape. Does anyone else have these in their garden? If so, what tips can you give me? Pics welcome!

Keith

They have got some at East Ruston Old Vicarage (the "room" they are in is labelled on the garden plan as "Acacia Avenue" ). I first saw them there in 2010 (but didn't take a photo, but remember them being "very small"). I have photos for 2011 and 2012, but didn't take any in 2013

Thanks Kristen, does that mean they survived december 2010? They look impressive but a little "regimental" but that's what they wanted to achieve I guess!

tropical Tom wrote:does that mean they survived december 2010?

No problem, except in the coldest of places (e.g. Braemar).

tropical Tom wrote:Thanks Kristen, does that mean they survived december 2010?

Yup they must have. First time I went there was 2010 so no knowledge of before then

They look impressive but a little "regimental" but that's what they wanted to achieve I guess!

I used to think it was called Acacia Avenue just for the joke about suburbia, but maybe they did have Acacias in that "room" before, and had ripped them out. Loads of other "rooms" in that garden, including Exotic and Arid

Those trees are gorgeous!
I had 3 in a group in my previous garden 10 years ago but they gradually got brown patches which I trimmed away but they got worse and worse and eventually there was more brown than green. I was told it was a virus. Then we moved house.
I would love to get some more now, especially after seeing yours!
They're SO expensive, does anyone know where they are available at a reasonable cost?

Living in Tuscany I suppose I couldn't really be without. A lot of trees have had to be cut down due to a virus and even now some of ours are literally 'crumbling' from the top down.

Just a thought. The male trees are upright and the female are spreading and a bit on the scruffy side. I daresay Conifers knows a lot more about telling one from the other.

Jo A P wrote: A lot of trees have had to be cut down due to a virus and even now some of ours are literally 'crumbling' from the top down.

A fungus (Seiridium cardinale), not a virus. Originally from California (several of the Californian native cypreses are resistant to it), an invasive disease in Europe.

Jo A P wrote:Just a thought. The male trees are upright and the female are spreading and a bit on the scruffy side. I daresay Conifers knows a lot more about telling one from the other.

Nope! Mediterranean Cypress is monoecious (both sexes on the same plant). The spreading trees are the natural wild type, the upright ones are cultivars selected for garden use.

Wild Cupressus sempervirens on Crete (Photo by Chneophytou at wikipedia, cc-by-sa license):


A fastigiate cultivar in Israel (Photo by שומבלע at wikipedia, cc-by-sa license):

Might be of interest:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 6/abstract

‘Le Crete 1’ and ‘Le Crete 2’ described here are two new canker-resistant C. sempervirens varieties patented in 2010, selected through a 13-year assessment of their response to artificial inoculations and growth traits. Both are characterized by a rapid growth and by a columnar and fastigiated habit that confers them a notable ornamental effect.

RozDevon wrote:Those trees are gorgeous!
They're SO expensive, does anyone know where they are available at a reasonable cost?

Seagrave? 5'6" £60 to 9M30Cm £3,475 !! Price not including the 25% sale that is currently on, but carriage to add.

http://www.seagravenurseries.co.uk/?i=S ... mpervirens

RozDevon wrote:Those trees are gorgeous!
I had 3 in a group in my previous garden 10 years ago but they gradually got brown patches which I trimmed away but they got worse and worse and eventually there was more brown than green. I was told it was a virus. Then we moved house.
I would love to get some more now, especially after seeing yours!
They're SO expensive, does anyone know where they are available at a reasonable cost?

Roz, I paid £50 delivered overnight for the two, they are slightly smaller than the ones in the pic but still very lovely trees. I can put you in touch if you like?

Keith

Hi TropicalTom,
Yes, I would like to know where to get them, thanks.
So, if its a fungus they suffer from, I suppose spraying them with anti fungal treatments would help?
Worth a try anyway
What a fantastic specimen that one in Israel is. Just beautiful.

RozDevon wrote:So, if its a fungus they suffer from, I suppose spraying them with anti fungal treatments would help?

As far as I know, there's no effective treatments for Seiridium canker, not even for trained professional use. There's fungi, and there's fungi, and not all of them are treatable with the currently available fungicides.