Its a disease ive seen many times before on woody plants such as forsythia and fushia.Probably viral.

It's not a virus or such thing, it's a a cristata fasciation mutation.

About 10 years ago a simular mutation was found in The Netherlands.
It was succesful propagated but the mutation didn't remain and reverted back to the normal species...

Ditto to Coniferjoy

Resin

There's grafting material right there.

Dax

That's really cool, A person who grafts could grow parts of the fasciated branches, then you could give it a new cultivar name and it could possibly be sold at nurseries if the mutation is stable.

Here is a cultivar of another species that did this and the mutation turned out stable: Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata'
See link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Cryptomeria japonica 'Cristata'

Lou

Thats a new cultivar you have there needs to be
grafted in the winter and see what happens

Lou,

I've made a note to contact you with details - next time around grafting. You'll want to leave a few branches of the fasciation on the tree, in case of graft-failure.

Awesome find.

Dax

Hey Dax,

I am Lou's brother. I'll keep an eye on the tree. It is one of many I planted at an elementary school in my neighborhood so as long as the kids (or even adults) leave it alone then I'll get some wood for grafting when it is time. I'm glad I asked about it as I was planning to cut the growth off.

I'll update my note.

Thanks,

Dax

I have seen similar symptoms on BC here caused by herbicides used for weeds in lawns...

Dax,

One other thing, being a cross between a montezuma and bald cypress the cold hardiness is less than a bald cypress. I have seen zone 6 as being the coldest it can tolerate though I have no idea for sure.

I agree with Edwin and Resin.

The plant in the Netherlands is named Taxodium distichum ' Cristata'. The young grafts do not show the 'Cristata-form'. But - I think - we cannot be sure, what will happen, when these plants are older. Maybe they show some cristata branches from the motherplant ??

Wolfgang

Strange. I've never heard of cristata fasciation mutation. I was actually the first one to notice it but never thought it'd be that kind of mutation. I just dismissed it as strange looking tree and gave it to my brother. Funny how that turned out.

I think the right name must be Taxodium distichum ' Cristatum', but I can only find 'Cristata'
The mothertree should be in Noord Limburg. I do not know him. Cees tells us.

Wolfgang

So the plant is Taxodium distichum 'Cristata' as shown
in the pics.

Herbicides of the phenoxy class cause such malformations in many woody plants. 2-4D and things of that nature. I do not know though if conifers are susceptible to this injury.

+oM

Blue_yew, are you referring to the picture posted by ltruett?

It is cypress hybrid 'Nanjing Beauty' that I got from Botany Garden Shop a few years ago. I just happened to notice it but didn't think much about it. It never occurred to me that it could be a mutation so I gave it to ltruett for him to plant around elementary schools in his neighborhood.

Wow, that is really cool.. Curious to see how that develops over the years! : )

Jeff

Thanks conifer joy for the correction.You learn something new every day.Do you know what causes the mutation? as i see it quite often in my local area.

Sorry,ive only just read your post wisconsitom.That explains it then as i use herbicides frequently in many of my gardens.

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A similar fasciation on my Forsythia.
Clement

Lou yes im referring to the plant in the photos

Interesting find Clement .

Dax

I checked on the tree today to get a better look at the mutations. There are 3 or 4 branches with the mutations, some more obvious than the others. The largest one is almost an inch wide.
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Very beautiful!