Conifer Cultivars of North America from 1932 into the Next Millenium

  Robert L. Fincham Conifers in Horticulture

24^th August 1999

Part I

            1932-1949

            The variety of conifer cultivars available in North America in 1932 consisted of an inordinate number of Juniperus, Taxus, and Thuja selections with a scattering of other genera of which only a few could be considered dwarf forms.

            The decade of the thirties opened with a call in 1932 by Colonel Robert H. Montgomery of Coscob, Connecticut issuing a challenge to all interested persons to meet at his arboretum, “Wild Acres”, to create a Conifer Society. Colonel Montgomery was an enthusiastic conifer collector with what would become the largest private conifer collection in North America. In 1937 he had approximately 850 specimens on his estate. He was always interested in educating the public about conifers and at one point even planned to establish a specialty conifer nursery to supply the demand he planned to create. Unfortunately he did not have the 100 enthusiasts he needed to start the society.

            The year 1932 was an important one in North American horticulture for a number of reasons. Colonel Montgomery was just one of them. July 1, 1932 was the date of the inaugural issue of The Hemlock Arboretum at “Far Country” Bulletin. This bulletin was a free quarterly publication produced by Charles F. Jenkins, an avid Tsuga collector and the owner of “Far Country” in Germanstown, Pennsylvania. There were 74 issues of this publication spanning almost twenty years.

            Jenkins stimulated the discovery and naming of Tsuga cultivars through his publication, his own hemlock arboretum, and his sponsorship of a landmark thesis on Tsuga canadensis by John Swartley, who eventually wrote a book on the subject with the assistance of Ted Dudley and Humphrey Welch.

            Among the Tsuga canadensis cultivars selected during these years were the following:

            Tsuga canadensis ‘Jenkinsii’ (1931)
This fast-growing pyramidal tree has an open, ascending branch habit and short, fine needles. The original plant was a seedling in the Towson Nurseries, Towson, Maryland. As a young plant it is outstanding.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Cinnamomea’ (1930’s)
This forms a dense globe twice as wide as high; foliage is dark green; branch tips are arched with few, small leaves and a velvety brown covering; found by Frank L. Abbott near Athens, Vermont, in 1929.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Greenwood Lakes’ (1936)
This selection is much like ‘Hussii’ but grows a bit more open and the leaves are variable in length and broader than those of ‘Hussii’; originated as a seedling discovered near Greenwood Lake, New Jersey and introduced by George Ehrle, Clifton, New Jersey. George Ehrle was a prominent nurseryman of this time period who was always sharing new hemlocks with Charles Jenkins.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Kelsey Weeping’ (1933)
This selection of weeping hemlock develops an irregular outline as it grows with a few long main branches or trunks with many smaller, weeping branches that hang to the ground; foliage is dark green; an original plant still grows along a road at the Arnold Arboretum.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Minuta’ (1935)
This cultivar is a miniature selection that is sometimes confused with ‘Abbott’s Pygmy’ although anyone reading Welch will soon understand where the confusion arose and how it has been settled; a dense, congested little bun with a slightly irregular shape; still quite rare and still very desireable; George L. Ehrle, a florist and nurseryman in Clifton, New Jersey introduced it into the trade after he purchased it from a collector named Daniel St. George.

  Tsuga canadensis ‘Von Helm’ (1936)
This selection develops into a dense, irregular, cone with a wide top; foliage is dark green with nice, large needles; it was grown from seed in 1924 in the nursery of William Von Helms, Monsey, New York and given to “Far Country” in 1936. In 1945 this  plant measured 2 meters by 2 meters.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Bradshaw’ (1946)
This plant becomes a good compact pyramid with spreading branches that have upturned tips; originated as a seedling by Henry J. Hohman of Kingsville, Maryland. Henry J. Hohman was a well known nurseryman of the forties and fifties who was an avid collector and introduced many new conifers through his retail nursery.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Labar Whitetip’ (1945)
This selection develops into a large, conical tree with the new growth coming out white during the summer; it is quite attractive in the landscape and has been observed to produce white variegated cones which will sometimes produce all white seedlings; originated in the LaBar Nursery, Pennsylvania in 1945 and found its way to Far Country. In 1970, this plant was 7 meters high and 8 meters wide.

Tsuga canadensis ‘Coles Prostrate’ (1940)
This selection grows flat along the ground and over a period of time will display bare, contorted branches at its center; foliage is dark green and will rot if the branch tips are allowed to turn downward onto the ground; the original plant was collected by H. R. Cole in 1929 near the bottom of Mt.  Madison, Coos County, New Hampshire.  If staked, this cultivar will show an increased growth rate and avoid rotted branch tips. The full sun can scald the exposed branches at the center of the plant as it ages.             

The collection and naming of Juniperus continued at a rapid pace by various wholesale nurseries. Juniperus grows fast and is easy to propagate, making this genus very popular among wholesale production nurseries. A few of the cultivars that may still be found in cultivation that were named during this time are listed here.

            Juniperus chinenesis ‘Ames’ (1935)
This plant is broadly conical with steel blue foliage that gradual turns more green; originated as a selection by F. J. Maney, Iowa State College, 1935, and introduced in 1947.

            Juniperus chinensis ‘Hetzii’ (1937)
This large, fountain-shaped plant with attractive blue-green foliage originated as a seedling at Fairview Evergreen Nurseries, Fairview, Pennsylvania.

            Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana Aurea’  (1937)
This golden selection of juniper, now called Juniperus x pfitzeriana ‘Aurea’ originated in 1923 at the D. Hill Nursery, Dundee, Illinois which introduced it in 1937. It has been replaced by ‘Old Gold’.

            Juniperus horizontalis ‘Filicinus Minimus’ (1936)
This female selection is slow growing and prostrate with its branchlets directed upward and forward; foliage is blue, with a purple cast in winter; originated at the Plumfield Nurseries, Fremont, Nebraska.

            Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moffetii’ (1936)
This plant develops into a dense, conical bush with silvery-green foliage and silver tips on the new growth; originated as a seedling found by L. A. Moffet in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and introduced by Plumfield Nurseries, Fremont, Nebraska in 1937.

            The Taxus genus was proving to be very popular among wholesale nurseries for the same reasons as the Juniperus. Taxus cuspidata had a number of new selections and one of the best is described here.

            Taxus cuspidata ‘Capitata’
A dense, conical selection that responds very well to topiary-like shearing; since side shoots do not grow into conical plants, only terminal shoots may be used for propagation and since each plant only has one such shoot, propagation is accomplished by seed and pruning is practiced to develop the proper shape. Therefore, most of the plants under this name are not actually this cultivar.

            Meanwhile, during 1939 nurseries were introducing cultivars of a hybrid Taxus- Taxus x media, a cross between baccata and cuspidata made about 1900 by T. D. Hatfield, Hunnewell Pinetum, Wellesley, Massachusetts. This hybrid form was destined to produce many cultivars for the nursery trade. A number of selections that had been listed as cuspidata were then determined to possibly be x media. Vermeulen Nursery, then in Long Island, New York, worked with a selection of Taxus x media seedlings and chose several narrow forms which they introduced over a period of several years and continue to offer at their present New Jersey location. Some of the Taxus media cultivars introduced during this time period are listed here.

            Taxus x media ‘Brownii’ (1939)
An upright, vase-shaped bush with dark, waxy green needles; originated by T. D. Hatfield.

            Taxus x media ‘Stricta’ (1946)
This selection is columnar becoming broader at the top; foliage is light green throughout the year. This is one of a number of selections introduced by John Vermeulen and Sons Nursery, Neshanic Station, New Jersey. It was one of a group of 30 columnar plants selected by John Vermeulen in 1933 that had originated as seedlings at Hicks Nursery, Westbury, Long Island, New York.

A number of the other selections of this series include ‘Flushing’ (1952), ‘Pilaris’ (1947), ‘Pyramidalis’ (1946), ‘Robusta’ (1948), ‘Sentinalis’ (1947), ‘Stricta’ (1946), ‘Vermeulen’ (?), and ‘Viridis’ (1948). All of these selections are narrow uprights with some variations in growth habit or foliage.

            The extensive list of named Thuja occidentalis cultivars saw a few new additions. In 1942 two dwarf cultivars were introduced that are still available today.

            Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Junior’ (1930)
This selection grows into a dwarf, dense, broadly conical bush; originated at Fairview Nurseries, Fairview, Pennsylvania.

            Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’ (1942)
A very slow growing, dwarf selection that becomes a globose, dense little bush; originated about 1928 as a seedling at the Fairview Nurseries.

            The other conifer genera saw limited activity during these two decades. People tended to content themselves with selections already made or imported from overseas sources. The poor economy followed by World War II contributed to a lowered level of interest among people in obtaining unique conifers that were not obviously of commercial potential. However, three special selections were first offered in this time period.

Abies procera 'Sherwoodii' (1933)
This is a dense, conical tree; grows about 20 cm per year; foliage is bright gold year round and will burn on young plants; originated in 1933 by Andy Sherwood, Sherwood Nursery, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. Sherwood used to tell people that he found this plant on Mount Hood as part of a lightning struck tree. This plant is also sold as Abies procera ‘Aurea’.

            Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Reis Dwarf’ (1945)
An usual selection that may be grown either as a dwarf cushion or a picturesque, rather open, small tree, its foliage is congested and will occasionally throw out a long spray which must be removed to maintain its dwarfness; if the spray is allowed to grow, it will form congested foliage if it is pruned to a shorter length; grows about 2 cm per year with sprays that will grow up to 30 cm per year; has dark green foliage and is small and dense; originated as a seedling grown by Joe Reis, Long Island, New York about 1945.

            Picea abies ‘Sherwood Multnomah’ (1949)
This selection is commonly listed as a dwarf form but it is not. It grows much broader than high with a very rugged, picturesque outline; dark green foliage will develop yellow patches as a branch or two will randomly die every year while the plant itself is quite happy and healthy; originated in 1945 at the H. M. Sherwood Nursery, Portland, Oregon.

            Pinus flexilis ‘Pendula’ (1941)
This selection is a prostrate plant that grow very rapidly and will cover a large area with attractive blue and green foliage in a short time; grows at an almost species normal rate; originated at Vermeulen and Sons Nursery, New Jersey. A beautiful specimen was growing at the United States National Arboretum in the Gotelli Dwarf Conifer Collection for many years.

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