Blue Atlas Cedar alternative??

12 years ago

I'm about to redo some of the landscaping that I started on our new home. I have a North/South running wall that faces West and gets full shade in the morning and filtered sun after noon. I've just finished building a raised bed along this wall and am ready for some plants.

I originally wanted to put three Blue Atlas Cedars evenly spaced along this wall. I love the stark tall thin look and texture of these cedars. I thought about keeping them pruned to keep them under 15' tall. However, I realize that these trees really need to grow and being next to the house is not the best place to put them.

So, now I'm trying to find a plant that offers a similar look but can be planted in a bed next to the house. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Comments (5)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
Congratulations on realizing AHEAD of time that the BAC are not the right option for you.

Finding a shade loving, small conifer may be difficult, but I suggest you post this over in the Conifer Forum. It stays active with lots of people with very good ideas and a wealth of information. Someone over there might know of a BAC cultivar that might work, though the lack of full sun may be a problem.

I know what you mean about the Blue Atlas. I've got one planted in my back yard and absolutely love it. Mine is sited in the full blazing sun.
Donna
12 years ago
I would highly recommend Emerald Arborvitae. I have them all over my garden and they do very well in full sun to dappled shade. With minimal shaping, they stay tall and thin. Mine are 8 years old and probably 10 feet tall. They are a nice green, not blue...
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jay_7bsc
12 years ago
There are several _Podocarpus sp._ that would be excellent shade-tolerant, tall-growing, narrow, attractive plants for such a setting. Evergreen, with long, narrow, dense foliage. Popular throughout the South. Foliage useful for floral arrangements. _Podocarpus_ will eventually grow into an imposing specimen, but is not overpowering.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
I don't think that I would highly recommend Podocarpus for zone 7. Which one are you thinking of that would be able to tolerate the very cold dips into teens or single digits that this part of the south experiences every winter?
jay_7bsc
12 years ago
Our podocarpus is _Podocarpus macrophylla_, the standard landscaping form. It's completely happy in Zone 7b, where it has experienced lows around ten degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. Our plant is at the northwest corner of the house and has two _Ternstroemia gymnatheras_, a _Fatsia japonica_, two _Fatshedera lizeis_, a _Raphidophyllum histryx_, a _Eurya japonica_, two solid-green leaf _Aucuba japonicas_, a _Sarcococca confusa_, and several _Camellia japonicas_ and _ Camellia sasanquas_ planted nearby--plus various azaleas. What's not to recommend about the _Podocarpus_? It's been growing happily for about ten years. It's a graceful, slender, gorgeous conifer. It grows tall and responds to shearing well. However, I don't shear it. I just let it do its own thing.