North LIght Metasequoia glyptostroboides

This is an exciting new cultivar of the dawn redwood. Over the past few years, various yellow forms ( Ogon, Golden Dawn), variegated forms ( siloquette), dwarf weeping forms ( Miss Grace, Self -Prune) long needled form ( Headhunter) and now this creamy dwarf Schirrmann’s nordilcht or North LIght. have become available. I’ve been experiementing with North LIght in our hot humid NC climate and so far, believe it probably will perform the best with some protection from the afternoon sun. OUr fresh grafts are growing vigorously under a 40% shade cloth ( and we have a few available by the way!). The needles emerge with a crinkled appearance but that seems to disappear during the course of the season. It aslo as a tendency to through out some longer side shoots that can be easily snipped off for those that prefer a tidy appearance.

Intern Wanted

Want to live in this house this summer? We are looking for one hard-working person to intern at the nursery from mid-May to Mid-September. Learn about nursery by interning here. Small stipend to cover food and a little extra. Manage the U-pick and pre-picked blueberry operation as well as our natural grown veggies in addition to help with our ornamental nursery. Weeding, mixing soil, potting up, and watering. email letter of interest to archtrees@aol.com

Spring color fades into Summer

I was reflecting on my last post where I talked about my mixed feelings regarding the tree Quercus robur ‘Concordia’. My ambivalence had to do with the observation that the bright yellow/gold spring color turns totally green by midsummer. Spring is all about vibrant fresh colors. The new growth of conifers is brightest during the new shoot growth.Some forms of Japanese Maples often have a very short extremely bright phase as the bud opens. So, if all these other trees can be valued for their spring color, why not that oak? Summer is a season of varied greens. It is a quieter season color-wise, but full as the weight of maturing stems and foliage add a heaviness that we love. Each season is obviously different and it’s good that spring doesn’t last forever, though it is my favorite season. So, maybe it is just fine that ‘Concorida’ fades to green by midsummer or even earlier.

Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple

This cultivar has the very distinct habit of looking like an old bonsai naturally. The branches emerge from the trunk in a very uniform fashion, giving the semblance of a mature european beech tree with those low spreading branches. The branch structure is of course most apparent in the winter months. In the spring and summer, the medium sized red leaves give a very dense appearance. We have one large specimen which is now about 8 ft tall. I think the tree will max out around 12 ft or so, but I’m not certain about that. I am not aware of any other maple that has the same habit, which is remarkable when one considers how many cultivars have been selected over the years.

Quercus robur ‘Concordia’

The Golden English Oak is one of those trees that I have mixed feelings about. In the spring, it is absolutely stunning. However by mid summer it is lost in green foliage. Some authorities say it should be sited in part shade as the leaves will scorch.. We haven’t found this to be the case here in NC. The tree can look a bit awkward in youth but it is worth the training for that brilliant yellow spring color. Recently I have obtained Quercus rubra ‘aurea’ and we will be watching how the very large brilliant yellow leaves of this tree hold up this summer.

Thuja plicata Mt. Stanley’

This form of Western Cedar looks like it is on steroids! The foliage is hugely thick, and almost ropey. The vigor and the loose draping habit make this a stunning plant. Although it is new for us this year, we expect it should perform very well.

Japanese Maple Celebration – Saturday April 14

The maples look great this time of year. We survived the low temps without any injury! The nursery will be open this Saturday April 14 from 9 until 5pm. All maples will be 20% off – We have a great inventory and need to move them. All sizes from 3 gal to 75 gal. Laceleafs, rough bark, dwarfs, table tops, Orange/yellow leaves, and of course Red /Purple leaves. We will be there to help evaluate the trees – and answer any questions you may have for their care. There will be two clinics – one for beginners ( less than 5 culitivars) at 11am and one for intermediate level at 1 pm ( more than 5 culitivars.). Bring a sheet if you plan on transporting your tree in an open vehicle. We will have names of landscapers that can assist with larger trees. Hope to see you this Saturday.

READY, SET, GO!!

The nursery will be opening Saturday March 10th at 9 am for the spring season. I know many are ready to plant due to the warm ‘winter’ we had. The hours will be Tuesday through Saturday 9 until 5pm. Our truck from Oregon arrived last week and the plants I selected last July arrived safely. The inventory list can be accessed through our website : www.archtrees.com The lists are fairly complete but I am not obsessive about them and it is possible that not everything is listed. We have some new material never before offered at our nursery. Opening day can be a rush, so if you will need some assistance in your selection, it is probably better to come during the week or another weekend. But then, maybe the tree you want is will be spoken for. As in the past, we can assist in linking you with landscapers who can deliver and install plants if you desire. Otherwise, if you are arriving in an open truck, bring some old sheets or other material to wrap your selections. We encourage you to come throughout the spring as we bring out material that we have been growing here at the nursery. We hope to see you soon!
John Monroe

Grafting season!

Japanese maple grafts in greenhousewinter cuttings in new greenhouse

We start grafting in mid January and that continues for about 6 weeks. There is something exciting about grafting. You first select which plants you want to propagate then perform the carpentry, and then provide aftercare. Each greenhouse is different and the plants you graft also have different requirements. Some years your ‘take’ is off and that can be discouraging. However, when everything goes right, the plants let you know and they start to push out from the selected buds enticed by the warm temperatures and high humidity in the greenhouse. This year, it looks like we have done well with the Japanese maples, achieving somewhere between 80-90 % take. Dawn Redwoods and bald cypress are also doing well. It will be a few more weeks before I know how the conifers are faring.
We also propagate some of the conifers by winter cuttings (if they can be propagated that way – some have to be grafted). We improved our outdoor propagation bed adding a layer of sand over the heat mat then several inches of just perlite. Again, we have done well this year with these cuttings.

Pinus thunbergii ‘Arakawa Sho’

Arakawa Sho Japanese Black Pine

This is a rough bark form of the Japanese Black Pine. This long-needled pine can be transformed into a craggy looking specimen if you prune it to show off the wonderfully corky bark. This is a specimen originally from Iseli nursery and now happily sited in our arboretum at the nursery. We have now made enough grafts to offer some 2 gal plants this spring.