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firefightergardener

Tsuga mertensiana Photo Gallery 2010

A beautiful species, naturally a bit blue-grey and very slow growing compared to other hemlock. Beautiful in nature or in the small landscape, even the species should be planted if you can get away with it. Ignore the brutal 'mertinsiana' spelling, after all, I'm still just a young, learning collector.

Here's a few cultivars I've been lucky enough to get ahold of:

Tsuga mertensiana 'Bump's Blue'. A nice VERY blue compact plant. I believe it's a relatively narrow upright dwarfish tree.

{{gwi:656703}}

'Sherwood Compact'. A nice compact shrub, though not as blue as others.

'Elizabeth'. A beautiful, spreading, mounding hemlock with exquisite color. Grows 3-5 inches a year.

'Blue Star'. A very very narrow upright spire, I've seen older specimens that are magical, maybe 10-12 feet tall and a foot or two wide. Striking blue as well.

'Mt. Arrowsmith'. A near-miniature cultivar, this small guy is in almost full shade and still a nice deep blue.

{{gwi:656705}}

I'd LOVE to see some mature specimens if you'd like to share.

-Will

Comments (16)

  • dcsteg
    13 years ago

    Looks like you are the only one growing them Will.

    Dave

  • monkeytreeboy15
    13 years ago

    I have a cultivar with the name of 'Sherwood Dust'...
    Is this possibly the same plant as your 'Sherwood Compact'?

    -Sam

  • jaro_in_montreal
    13 years ago

    Not quite !
    ....I got this little 'Elizabeth' in spring this year.
    Wish I had some of those other varieties -- and some Tsuga sieboldii too :O)

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I don't know why they aren't grown more often. They seem naturally a bit dwarf and some of the cultivars are spectacularly beautiful with age. Do they grow well in most of the US?

    Sam, show a pic if you can and we'll check it out.

    Sounds similar but who knows.

    -Will

  • coniferjoy
    13 years ago

    The thing is that these are difficult to propagate.
    Graftings only will take on Tsuga mertensiana understock.
    Cuttings are also possible but they will grow very slow...

    'Blue Star'


    Dutch seedling selection found at the Von Gimborn Arboretum in 1965.
    This group of 3 speciments are of the first one's which were propagated.

  • sluice
    13 years ago

    Nice!

  • clement_2006
    13 years ago


    My plant today, Tsuga mertensiana "Blue Star"
    Clément

  • dcsteg
    13 years ago

    This thread sits here for 8 days...no response.

    I make one little comment...and all of a sudden people can't wait to respond.

    I like thee conifers.

    Dave

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    lol Dave...

    What would you say the age/height is of your plant, Clément?

    I have a photo somewhere of 'Elizabeth' taken at a visit from Coenosium Gardens. The plant is about 3'x4' with wonderful character and I'm guessing it's about 20 years old. I'll dig deeper for the photo.

    -Will

  • coniferjoy
    13 years ago

    Oops Will, some day your's will be as big as the one Clément is showing us, did you reserve some extra room for it? ;0)

  • firefightergardener
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yes but by then I'll be old and happy and hopefully my house will be THOROUGHLY shaded by all my trees! lol

    Clearly in that pic I posted you can see that there is room - as long as it's OK snuggling up with some cedrus miniatures(which will no doubt be 4'x4' by then as well.

    In the picture Clément shows us, the conifers are snuggled right up and the overall effect is breathtaking. This(and others similar to it) are the effect I desire.

  • clement_2006
    13 years ago

    I don't well remember, but probably grafted by myself 20/25 years ago.Now 6 meters hight.

    {{gwi:779363}}
    A youg Tsuga mertensiana "Blue Star" grafted on Tsuga canadensis.
    Clément

  • coniferjoy
    13 years ago

    Graftings on Tsuga canadensis can take for a while, but then you have to put the grafting union under the ground when planting these in the garden so it can grown on it's own made roots.
    If the grafting union will stay above the ground, there's a very big chance that the plant will die some day...

  • monkeytreeboy15
    12 years ago

    Hey, Will. Finally got that picture of my Tsuga mertensiana, and it wasn't labeled 'Sherwood Dust' it was labeled "'Sherwood Dwf'"--"dwf" meaning "dwarf". However, my tree is developing a leader: Should I prune it out to keep the compact habit?


    Thanks.

    -Sam

  • johnplace
    12 years ago

    Clement, that Blue Star is beautiful.

    Will & Jaro, great pics! Looks like I'll have to add a new type of conifer to my list of must haves.... This forum is turning me into an addict. lol.

  • clement_2006
    12 years ago


    Tsuga mertensiana "Horstmann H.B."
    Clement

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