thx dave..

basically its natural form.. ???? .. meaning you have not been shaping it ...

the rock looks a bit washed out ... does it really have that somewhat teal color ...

very nice...

ken

My 'Waldbrunn', September.

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Ireena

I am also becoming quite fond of 'Waldbrunn', but ours couldn't be classified as miniatures putting out two or three inches per year.

Love my 'Waldbrunn' and it seems like it wants to go pretty wide...Ken mine is slightly turquoise-tinted in its winter color, not that different from Cedrus deodara 'Prostrate Beauty' (which I know you can't grow but just in case you are familiar with it). They are not at all like the power-blue Picea pungens. Dave I would post a photo but I don't seem to have one and I am a lousy photographer which I why I leave it to Jan...

Yes I was wondering about the miniature growth habit Buchholz gave this cultivar. I also see it listed as a dwarf other places.

I decided to take a closer look at last years growth and it measured 1 inch and I think my photo will validate that. While evaluating I measured height to 10 inches . Width to 18 inches .

Ireena's 'Waldbrunn' growth looks more vigorous. Also rc's 3-4 inches a year from Iseli stock has me wondering.

Maybe when Edwin gets back home he will chime in.

Ken...everything is as you see it in the photo. No fooling around with color here or shaping. I took this photo today early. Temperature was 3 f. Dave

This post was edited by dcsteg on Tue, Jan 15, 13 at 15:31

Well, I did say, "two or three" inches. ;^)

Dave, I can understand ours perhaps having a less harsh environment, and plenty of water, which would tend to allow for more annual growth than what you have on yours.

It is definitely an unusual color, as Sara said, not the usual powder blue we have come to expect from many pungens cultivars. Of course, that's part of what makes it a keeper. :^)

Dave's is the difference between a rooted 'Waldbrunn' and Ireena's shows us a grafted 'Waldbrunn'. Rooted is the way to fly with 'Waldbrunn'. I'll bet Dave's plant is easily 15 years old, or more.

Dax

Rc,

I STAND CORRECTED on the 3-4" growth rate. An idiom I have to use on occasion.

If you invite me out for a tour I will find a 4 inch branch growth on one Iseli 'Waldbrunn'. Bound to be a sleeper in there somewhere. LOL

Dax... thanks for the explanation.

Dave

Dax, that makes sense about the rooted vs. grafted. Either way, it's a great "nest" type pungens with a unique color. Should be great for all you super-cold-winter type folks out there. :^)

I've been reasl pleased with my Waldbrunn. I love it's slow growth rate...mine is also averaging about 3-4" per year. My color is closer to the last two....more of a blue green color.

One thing I especially like about mine that others probably wouldn't is the grower I got mine from has his in reversion so I've got a leader and a very small compact Christmas tree shape. The other thing I've liked is its tolerence to heat. Mine is planted on the west facing side of my house in full afternoon sun and after the long summer we had especially this last year it came out without a single burned needle.

The first picture below is one year ago and the second is an hour ago.

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A quick response to this subject during our U.S. trip: Dave's specimen is a Picea pungens 'Frieda'. Ireena's specimen is the true 'Waldbrunn' propagated from a cutting. Alex specimen is a grafted 'Waldbrunn' which allways will throw up a leader when propagated this way. This has nothing to do with a reversion...
Coniferjoy.

This is my 'Waldbrunn' correct plant grown from cutting material, photo taken today! Dave's plant not so obvious to tell from his photo, it could just as easily be another juvinile form like 'Jean Iseli'

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it figures .. lol

ken

Great post Dave. Now I know I must get one this year. That teal color seems unlike any other. I wonder how many growers list their form of propagation since it seems to effect the overall form.

Well this name change is certainty interesting.

I purchased mine from Iseli 2 years ago. How is it that they are selling 'Waldbrunn' when in truth it is 'Frieda'?

rc...do they even grow 'Frieda'? I have never seen it for sale in their listings. If not how did this cultivar get into the mix?

Buchholz I see sells it and I have to say it looks like mine. See link.

Aside from all the uncertainty for my personal preferences I do like the 'Frieda' better then 'Waldburnn'. It's a better fit for my garden with miniature growth.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Frieda'

That's a beauty Tex, I certainly like the unusual cones look. Great plant!

My grafted Waldbrunn is a clone to Ireena's. Her's is grafted Edwin.

The tightness of Stephen's plant is the right growth amount for any Waldbrunn from cuttings.

Dave's may be a bit different shape, however, his growth matches Stephen's.

I don't think this one is solved so simply with just calling Dave's plant 'Freida'.

Certainly 100% Stephen's form is correct, yes. It is possible that Dave's plant was pruned into a ball. His blue color of a photograph could easily be from the way the light was that day.

Dax

Just to add to the debate, I do do know my plant is correct no doubt about that, also the growth on my plant has become tighter and growth has become a little shorter with age.

Stephen.

You say without a doubt your plant is correct.

I don't doubt that. Only because I know you as being skilled collector with many years of experience. Your garden validates my statement.. I don't have that back ground but I am learning because I ask questions.

What is the back ground for making yours correct when seeing all the other 'Waldbrunn' here claiming to be correct. Is your cutting taken from the original parent plant?

Since it is correct, as you say, all the others shown here in my opinion don't come close to measuring up and should not carry the cultivar name 'Waldbrunn'.

Am I correct in this assumption?

Also I am not convinced where mine falls into the mix even though Edwin says it's 'Frieda'. I will post another photo when the sun is directly overhead.

Dave

When looking at Dave's original photo, we can see that it has had years of stronger growth than the "miniature" description suggests. Look past this past year's short growth (which is either due to the severe drought experienced - Or are we seeing a short 2nd season push there... Dave?) and you see a couple of seasons of growth that exceeds the "less than 1 inch" that would designate the plant to be a miniature (by the ASC guidlines).

Dave, how long are each of the internodes which determine the past three season's growth?

btw, you are correct, Iseli does not have 'Frieda' in production.

Dave,
The reason I know my plant to be correct is familiarity, it's now become a very commercial plant here in the UK and mainland Europe over the last 10 years or so, because of it's ease with propagation from cuttings. You see it everywhere in Garden centres and nurserys these days. Plus it has a very distinctive look with its flattened layered shape and unusual blue/green greyish colour (summer colour) for a pungens. It does however put up a leader and looks totally different when grafted as previously suggested.
Although your photo does look more like a 'Frieda' or a 'Jon Iseli' I wouldn't say for definite it's incorrect mainly for the reasons Randall has suggested, plus unless I'm absolutely sure, I'm always a bit reluctant to dismiss a plant being what is suggested by photo ID alone, there can be just too many variables at play like growing conditions, light affecting colour etc etc. Although your photo doesn't look right for Waldbrunn' I'm not definitely going to say it isn't that plant for the reasons I've given .. hope this doesn't sound too muddled :o)

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My grafted plant,
Clement

One last post on this conifer taken at mid-day.

rc I am not seeing for the most part anything more then annual 1/2- 1 inch growth with a wayward 1-1/2 thrown in. This conifer thrives in full sun. Drought was a non factor in growth habit with regular watering.

Dave

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Mine looks like Dave's, is an Iseli plant, and was labeled 'Waldbrunn'. I am a bit confused with all the back and forth - but that doesn't sound consistent with what I deduce from the posts above.

It sure is a nice little compact plant. Are you guys saying if it is rooted and not grafted that it will not throw up a leader? I was not aware that you could root Picea. I was under the impression that Picea had to be grafted.

I have noticed that the blue conifers tend to be hardier and grow well in the northern states (picea, abies, concolor etc.) The same cultivars in yellow and green are not quite as hardy and I have had trouble getting them to thrive.

Most Picea do have to be grafted, although not always easy, there are more than a few that can be rooted.

Here's another one taken in very cloudy weather. Gets 6 hours sun during growing season maybe a couple hours winter sun. Growth rate anywhere between 1.5" and 2.5" between old and new growth.

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That's a good one!

Yes very nice.

Stephen...It doesn't look anything like yours.

This is the strangest post. Can we get together and figure out what's going on here with regard who is growing what?

Dave

That's how mine looked as a younger plant Dave.