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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Pining Away for Winter Color; A Tale of Two Trees

In September 2012, I posted about Pinus contorta v. latifolia 'Chief Joseph' AKA Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine here .  I'd seen them at a local nursery and at a few specialty sales. The chief is an expensive tree which I wouldn't have bought for myself but my sister and niece read my post and bought one for me.   I've heard that it's pricey because it's difficult to propagate and grows very slowly.  It was found in Eastern Oregon, needs extremely good drainage, and can be quite finicky about being moved, thus mine is still in a pot.    Oh yeah, Chief Joseph needs full sun to color up nicely but if it gets too much sun, the needles will burn.  Also, it can't stand anything growing on it.  I let a vine crwl through the bottom branches of the one you see on the left of the picture and the needles turned brown and a couple of bottom branches died.  Make no mistake, this pine is a prima donna in every sense of the world and wants you to know that!  To learn more about the chief go here.  Anyway, I've not yet killed my Chief Joseph but I'm wondering about this growth.  Is this a bad thing or just something that happens to pines? 
 
 
 I've been enjoying the gorgeous golden color of Chief Joseph all winter although it seems in the last week or so to be starting its transformation to green a little earlier than last year.   Last Saturday, Alison and I saw Pinus sylvestris 'Gold Coin' at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show. I suspected that they'd introduced another expensive, slow growing, nicely colored prima donna.  Imagine my surprise when I looked at the tag and it was less than a third of the price of a Chief Joseph.   It wanted to come home with me and the nice gentleman from Bark and Garden said I should buy it. Chief Joseph on the left and Gold Coin on the right.

I know that Gold Coin has been exposed to the perfect amount of light to cause it to color so nicely.  Plant sellers want to show plants at their best! We'll see what it will do over the course of a few years.
 
I should have found something deeply green  to use as a background so that you could see that both plants are quite gold.  Gold Coin is a much faster grower than the Chief and according to the person from whom I bought the tree, the needles won't burn in the full sun.  I'm glad to have both of these lovely pines but I'm thinking that  P. sylvestris 'Gold Coin' might just give you more gold for your buck. To learn more about Gold Coin, go here.  Hey northern gardeners, this one is hardy to zone 3a!
Do you have experience growing either or both of these pines and if so, do you have a preference? 

13 comments:

  1. I think the growth on your Chief Joseph might be a gall, a response to irritation by insects. I've read that they don't kill the tree, but they're unsightly. And who knows, give how finicky Chief Joseph is, it might affect it badly. I need to get me a Gold Coin too, for my front bed. I should have bought one on Saturday along with you.

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    1. Wow, that really galls me. (groan.) Sorry, had to do it. I'll bet that Bark and Garden will have more Gold Coins at the Seattle Show!

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  2. That's some fancy photography skills to shoot them against a mirror and not get yourself in the reflection...

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    1. Vampires have no reflections in mirrors. Also, really round guys wearing green appear to be a vast part of the landscape.

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  3. With not one, but TWO arctic blasts this winter, I am sick of prima donnas. If only I can remember that while in the grips of spring buying frenzy. Like you have shown us here, there is usually a less picky understudy waiting in the wings.

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    1. Oh, Chief Joseph can take the cold; it was found in Eastern Oregon. It does like good drainage though. I'm all for less picky understudies!

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  4. Ditto with what Loree has just said, where's your reflection? :)

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  5. I always loved the Chief from afar, intimidated by its price. Now that I learned of it's finicky nature, I'll continue our long distance relationship, and find solace with my other dwarf, Hinoky cypress. My love life aside, your conifers are very beautiful, especially side by side. Would you consider repotting them, rather then planting in the ground?

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    1. I usually do better with conifers in pots because my garden is very crowded and conifers don't like plants growing all over them. Joe gets less finicky as he gets older! The little guys less than a foot tall need special coddling.

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  6. No, I haven't grown either of them. I wonder how long they thrive in a pot.

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  7. Your pines are beautiful, but I can't be doing with prima donnas, life is too short!

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  8. Oh, Peter, it's a new idea for me: to get Golden Coin for my garden. I love it!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.