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mrgpag

Wissels Saguaro

Haven't seen any postings of this plant - Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissels Saguaro' in a long time. As a rule the lawsonianas do not do well in my area due to the typical moisture retaining winter soil conditions. But I have a small corner in my property that's very well drained in the winter so I tried this one. Planted as a 12 inch rooted cutting in 2007 and is now 8 feet tall and suffered no damage last winter.

Anyone else in the midwest - or elsewhere - having success with this plant?

Marshall

{{gwi:2125112}}

Comments (22)

  • deltaohioz5
    9 years ago

    I love it Marshall. Wish I could grow in this part of Ohio.

    Frank

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    Here's one I found growing near Chehalis, Wa. in a restaurant parking lot.
    Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, 'Wisseli', not Ch. l., 'Saguro'
    Mike
    {{gwi:2125113}}

    This post was edited by mikebotann on Fri, Dec 12, 14 at 3:38

  • mrgpag SW OH Z5/6
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Mike - I've often wondered what one would like like with some age.

    Marshall

  • plantkiller_il_5
    9 years ago

    marshal , from mike's pic , looks like you will have to move the fence,,,,ha
    Nice , ron

    This post was edited by plantkiller.il.5 on Sat, Dec 6, 14 at 21:30

  • whaas_5a
    9 years ago

    Nice pics and cool plant!

    You'd be lucky to a get a smokebush to survive that location off the street here.

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    I picked up one about a year ago and have yet to put it in the ground. The area is now being prepared for it and a few other conifers.
    Our maritime climate allows me to work almost all winter in the garden if I can put up with the rain. I've learned over the years that it's not as much as a handicap as most perceive.
    Mike
    {{gwi:2125114}}

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    Mike, are you sure that's a 'Wissel's Saguaro'? It looks a lot more like C. o. 'Chirimen' than the former, primarily due to growth habit. Wissel's Saguaro' develops a very distinct single leader and generally does not develop its "arms" until it has some height and age. IME, Wissel's Saguaro just doesn't produce a lot of arms/branches at all until it has achieved a certain maturity and height.

    I grow both :-) And my Wissel's looks nothing like yours but quite similar to Marshall's. But my 'Chirimen' looks exactly like your last photo..........just saying :-))

  • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    9 years ago

    GG48 is right, Mike. Looks like a 'Chirimen' to me as well. Those pix above look like some great specimens of 'Wissels Saguaro'. Marshall's first pic really shows where the "Saguaro" comes from.

    Thanks for the pix.

    tj

    This post was edited by tsugajunkie on Tue, Dec 9, 14 at 22:14

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    GardenGal48 and tj are right. I posted the wrong picture. The label says Cham. O. 'Habari' AKA Chairman/ Chirimen.
    The 'Saguaro' is on the left.
    Thank you GardenGal48 and tj!
    Mike
    {{gwi:2125115}}

  • dhd47
    9 years ago

    The 'Wissels Saguaro' will grow from a cutting? How fast do these grow? From what I understand is 'Wissels Saguaro' grow really slow and you can't plant a cutting.

    Dave

  • whaas_5a
    9 years ago

    Mike, is that a Ewok in the background?

  • mikebotann
    9 years ago

    Yup, that's what I call him. He follows me around so I can throw a stick for him. He wears me out by the end of the day. He's a yapper by nature but I taught him how to not bark when he wants me to throw a stick he puts at my feet. He'd start barking and I'd just drop the stick and walk away. It took him about two days of that and now he just patiently waits until I'm ready to throw the stick. Just works with me though, not other people. He taught Alee' Cat not to scratch the furniture. We'd yell no, but that didn't do any good until he would run over and growl. Then Alee' stopped after a few times and hasn't scratched the furniture since. So he's good for something. I inherited him from my daughter.
    Back to conifers. I've rooted a lot of different types of Lawson Cypress and have had real good success. Haven't tried Wissels Saguro yet, but I don't see any problems.
    I should get my rooting bed up and running again. It's been awhile. It has a misting system on a timer with bottom heat and a lath cover. I built it over 30 years ago. All I have to do is change the medium and plug it in. Maybe clean out the misters. It's outside and faces north. 14' by 3'.
    Mike
    {{gwi:2125116}}

  • mrgpag SW OH Z5/6
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    My plant was cutting grown taken from another I had that later died of root rot. Rooted on a mist table in the winter using a 50:50 soil mix of perlite and peat. Once established, grew about a foot a year for me.

    Marshall

  • tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
    9 years ago

    You seem to have a knack for rooting, Marshall. Was the plant that died a grafted plant or also a cutting? and how long did it live compared to this one? Between root issues and hardiness I've tended to shy away from lawsoniana in my area but your well drained spot gives some hope for these parts. How cold did you get last winter?

    tj

  • coniflora
    9 years ago

    Mike,

    The plant you found in the Chehalis parking lot is Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Wisselii, not Wissels Saguaro.

    They do look similar because Wissels Saguaro originated as a sport for Wisslii.

  • mrgpag SW OH Z5/6
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    tj, my original plant probably came from Larry Stanley and I can't say whether it was grafted or cutting grown. That plant lasted maybe four years and was planted in an area that has typically been very wet in late winter when the snow melts. Soil in that area is about 30 inches deep on top of a limestone shelf that runs anywhere from 12 to 36 inches thick - based on my observations at excavated sites nearby. Dig a hole in March and it stays full of water. That shelf disappears 200 feet away where my second plant is growing.

    Last winter was tough with numerous -teens temps and wind. Quite a few tall columnar evergreen types were hit pretty hard on the southern or southwest exposure sides with wind/sun burn. But we also had a lot of insulating snow which help protect root systems. Boxwood took a huge hit other than some of the "Green" varieties. At the arboretum where I volunteer, we established a National Boxwood Trial Garden a number of years ago and that suffered about an 80% loss of plants.

    I used to root a lot of conifer and other evergreen cuttings for the arboretum fund-raising sales, but those sales were discontinued - for what i grew - in 2007 and I haven't done much since. We have a fairly good setup for winter rooting, but rather poor for summer rooting. That could change for the better shortly as our greenhouse structures are going to be re-built. I do very little rooting at home.

    Marshall

  • PRO
    J&J Cubit Construction
    6 years ago

    Can any of your point me to a direction of where I can order this plant from the Wissels Saguaro? I live in Utah and none of the nurseries I've contacted even know what this is. I would need to be able to order it and ideally I would like to get one that is 3' or taller.

    Thanks

  • coniferbros
    6 years ago

    Conifer Kingdom lists a #3. It won't be 3', but a good size to start with. You might want to contact them to see if they have larger sizes.

    I purchased one from them this spring. Here is what I got so you know what to expect:

    I've got my own question on this plant. Does it need a stake to maintain a leader, or will it take care of itself?

  • Sara Malone (Zone 9b)
    6 years ago

    It will take care of itself. Also, most growers now grow C. lawsoniana on DR (disease-resistant) rootstock. But you have to ask to be sure.

  • plantkiller_il_5
    6 years ago

    bros , you gonna try to grow lawsonia in zone 5 ?

    ron

  • Garen Rees
    6 years ago

    Looove this one.

    Iconicgardens.com has them 24-30" tall. I've received great plants from them over the years.

    Wissel's Saguaro grows pretty fast so buying a smaller one isn't too bad. My small one put on 12" of growth last year. It also had a curved leader that straightened itself completely. =)



  • coniferbros
    6 years ago

    Thanks Sara, I'll let it do its thing.


    Ron, I've got this one in a container that I will be moving into an unheated space for winter. I do have a Filip's Golden Tears that I'm trying in the ground (and is on DR rootstock). The ACS database lists it as Z5, so we'll see. I do a little bit of zone pushing. Don't know for sure if you can't grow til you try! Of course it only takes one harsh winter.

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