any chance of a closer view of a branch?

Typed out links are never of any use to me, when I copy them and feed them to a search engine. Notice that when you post here the forum provides an Optional Link URL slot below the Message box.

Tree may perhaps be a Sawara, based on the bark and taper. Liable to be something in the cypress family, at any rate. If we get a good look at the foliage (and cones, hopefully) that will make it much more apparent what it is.

Here's the link to the leaves

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:654304}}

Its a Juniperus species. Hard to tell which one without a photo of the cones and closeup of foliage.

Sorry, that closest branch was up about 15' high and I didn't have my zoom lens with me. I was hoping the fine-lined, light grey bark and general habit might be distinctive enough for some general ID?

I don't know if it's a juniper, as I don't think they generally get this tall such a straight, cylindrical trunk? Also, an ashe juniper's bark is also a lot stringier...for example.

I do wonder if it might perhaps be some sort of cypress? Like maybe a Montezuma baldcypress (Taxodium mucronatum)?
http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/TreeDetails/?id=122
Except there is really not much root flare at its base, either..

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:654306}}

This post was edited by blakrab on Tue, Feb 18, 14 at 11:42

I vote for juniper as well. Looks very much like Juniperus virginiana to me...that includes bark, trunk, size, and foliage.

I don't see any cones that could define it as a Cupressus, Thuja, or Chamaecyparis. Given how sparse the leaves are, I would assume it would have been loaded with cones. The foliage also looks too slender to be Thuja or Chameaecyparis.

I'm going to guess it's not a conifer at all, but a Casuarina (sheoak), a distant relative of oaks, etc., from Australia.

As mentioned by others, needs a close-up to be certain though.

Resin

It looks more like Taxodium mucronatum to me as they tend to have rather ugly form and they do tend to retain leaves late into winter. Hard to tell without upclose picture of leaves.

Where was it located?

I'm sticking with Juniperus virginiana - Casuarina bark is different and they are unlikely in most of Texas except near the coast. The foliage doesn't look like Taxodium. A closeup and location information would help.

Looks to me like Chamaecyparis thyoides - Juniperus virginiana has more shaggy bark. (At least, the ones around here do)

Yes, I do now believe it is a form of Juniperus, as I found a similar specimen and got a photo of small, blue berries on it.

Habit:
http://i.imgur.com/gzCxK82.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:654310}}

Definitely eastern red cedar j. Virginiana. J. Ashei has more coarse papery bark at that age / size.

Eastern Juniper Juniperus virginiana (NOT a cedar Cedrus!)

Resin

I agree the term cedar is used incorrectly and that it is confusing, inaccurate, and annoying. i just don't fight that fight and gave the botanical epithet.

Here's another specimen of the tree in the original post (which I now believe is different than the Juniperus virginiana pictured later), with a close-up of the seeds:

So...this should surely help with a positive ID, now?!

Ok, I do believe this is a Montezuma Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) now..

Answered your other post as well...foliage is definitely not Montezuma Cypress. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3024467/tall-conifer?n=3

Latest photos are of Chinese Arborvitae Platycladus orientalis.

Not necessarily the same as the tree in the first pics!

Resin

^ Are you sure?

It says here that for "Oriental Arborvitae, Thuja orientalis (also known as Platycladus orientalis)" - Height: About 20 feet

But this tree is a good amount taller...

Resin is rarely incorrect when identifying conifers. The species is slow growing but will grow to 50'+ and in ideal conditions, 100'+. Most Platycladus grown in North America are cultivars...much slower growing and generally much smaller than the straight species.

^ I figured he was an expert from his username, but I just took another look at the tree and roughly guesstimated it to be somewhere around ~40'-45' tall.

It's just weird if they could reach 100' tall, that the average mature height would be listed as only 20'. That's a pretty huge discrepancy.

Although I would agree that the leaf pattern at least looks like an Oriental Arborvitae:

As Smivies says, the low figure likely refers to one of the semi-dwarf cultivars, not the species itself. Or maybe a mis-citation of 20 metres, which is much more reasonable.

As an aside any website still calling it "Thuja orientalis" is about 40 years out of date :-)

Resin

Here's a pic of the blue berries of the last tree ID'd as a Platycladus orientalis:

So - still Platycladus orientalis, or perhaps Hinoki Cypress?

Resin, I first knew Platycladus as a Biota. How far is that out of date. ;-)
Mike

Here's a pic of the blue berries of the last tree ID'd as a Platycladus orientalis:
So - still Platycladus orientalis, or perhaps Hinoki Cypress?

Yes, still Platycladus orientalis. Those cones are diagnostic.

Resin, I first knew Platycladus as a Biota. How far is that out of date. ;-)

Not quite as far out of date as those calling it Thuja orientalis, but nearly!

Resin

Just FYI, here's another few tall specimens of this Platycladus orientalis:

Ok, I can't help but keep coming back to this one.. These tall, mostly-straight conifers with characteristically thin, vertical strips of bark are found all over central Texas. As in parks, campuses, and streets in all major cities (albeit not necessarily in wild areas). And by the process of elimination, I do NOT think they are:

- Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Redcedar) or Juniperus ashei - because these tend to be smaller and shrubbier with shaggier bark.

- Taxodium mucronatum (Montezuma Cypress) - because they are typically riparian trees that grow down in Mexico.

- Casuarina (Sheoak) - an Australian tree that bears little resemblance whatsoever.

- Thuja occidentalis (Eastern Arborvitae) - the long, thin bark and large, straight trunk seem to much more closely match these photos. And the leaves look more similar too. BUT, their cones don't match and these are found up in Canada!

- Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cypress) - their cones look like soccer balls so don't match..

So, that leaves Platycladus (Thuja) orientalis (or some other unknown contender). But I'm still a bit skeptical about it because why would a large Chinese tree be found all over central Texas? Although some of the ones pictured above (especially along streets) certainly might be this?

Was this tree really just somewhat in vogue ~60 years ago like Crepe Myrtles and Chinese Pistache are now? Were all the ones I've seen basically imported and planted by hand like ~60 years ago? I mean, it's definitely a nice-looking tree - I just wonder why it became so popular back then, if so?

Can anyone find some more pictures of its bark and leaves for comparison?

You're mixing up your trees. At the beginning of this post, the photos indicate Juniperus. In the middle, you posted photos that are clearly Platycladus. In the final photos, you are definitely back to Juniperus. If you see berries, it's Juniperus. If you see cones (old or immature) it IS NOT Juniperus. If you don't see any cones at all, it is probably Juniperus (the birds ate all the berries).

My post on June 14, 2015 clearly shows the cones on Platycladus.

"You're mixing up your trees. At the beginning of this post, the photos
indicate Juniperus. In the middle, you posted photos that are clearly
Platycladus. In the final photos, you are definitely back to Juniperus.
If you see berries, it's Juniperus. If you see cones (old or
immature) it IS NOT Juniperus. If you don't see any cones at all, it is
probably Juniperus (the birds ate all the berries)."

Well yes, because I AM pretty mixed up about all these, lol!

But OK, tell me if I'm slowly figuring this out now?

- Are all the trees (in this thread) with any smooth, egg-shaped, darker-blue berries - Juniperus?

Like this one posted on March 17, 2014 (Juniperus virginiana?):

- Whereas Platycladus has horny, lighter-blue berries and round cones?

Like Mike's photos posted on June 14, 2015:

Or this tree posted on April 26, 2015:With these berries from the same tree posted on June 14, 2015:

And, the trees without berries or cones shown, like in the OP:

June 26, 2015:Or what I just posted on 1/15/2017: Would all be indeterminate, but most likely Juniperus, then?

So, Juniperus virginia could really take the form of such ~55' tall, pine-looking, trees?

Which is what confuses me, because usually Juniperus virginia all seem to look like large teardrops? Although, this site says they start out that way...but open up with age.

"- Are all the trees (in this thread) with any smooth, egg-shaped, darker-blue berries - Juniperus?"

"- Whereas Platycladus has horny, lighter-blue berries and round cones?"

"Would all be indeterminate, but most likely Juniperus, then?

So, Juniperus virginia could really take the form of such ~55' tall, pine-looking, trees?

Which is what confuses me, because usually Juniperus virginia all seem to look like large teardrops? Although, this site says they start out that way...but open up with age."

Yes on all counts except that none of the trees you've posted photos of seem even remotely near 55' tall or are terribly old (<40-50 years likely) so they continue to retain the teardrop shape. Snow and ice also help accelerate the 'opening up with age' which I imagine you get less of than I do.

*Sometimes* Cupressus can look like Juniperus but you'd see round cones a fair bit larger than the Platycladus cones. That and Cupressus is not native to your area so is unlikely to be so common in naturalized areas.

OK, I believe these are some more pics of the one taken on 6/26/2015 (or ones near it)...which I suppose is supposed to be a Juniperus virginiana, then?

It does look like a juniper. I wonder if the top pic tree has been white-washed.....

chamaecyparis thyoides