Tell me it isn't...

...the dread Leylandii. It's been in this spot for about a year. I mean to relocate it and its identical compadre into large pots with annuals around them. Any advice?

 

It looks very much like Leylandii, has it produced any cones ?

 

Nope, no cones.

 

I think Leylandii gets a bit of a bad press - its the people that plant them far too close together in the wrong place & then lop the top off that need a slap IMHO.

 

Leylandii gets a lot of bad press Nick and most is justifiable. My home and pocket have suffered because of other peoples lack of consideration when planting them. The roots do a lot of damage and they shouldn't be planted within forty feet of any building!

MrsK, I agree it does look like Leylandii and with their strong growth rate you will probably find that they will suffer as they get larger even in a large pot. Their roots are so strong they are likely to burst the pots when cramped.

 

could it be

Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana Pembury Blue

 

This is what I was worried about, that it's too much plant for even a large-ish pot.

I was hoping it was a juniperus scopulorum or some such. Been looking at pictures of coniferous foliage and struggling to perceive differences. Now I'll have a gander at Spruce's suggestion.

 

Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana .... does look quite like mine, especially in the photo in this link (if I can get it to work properly):

http://www.greenplantswap.co.uk/plants/4148-chamaecyparis-lawsoniana-pembury-blue

Foliage detail is the closest match so far.

 

MrsK.....Have you any idea how much it has grown since first planting? That would be a guide as to whether it's Leylandii or not as they grow quite rapidly.

 

It's been there over a year, closer to 2yrs, during which time it's gained maybe 4 to 6 inches in height. If it is Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana, it's still not gonna like sitting in a container. Drat!

 

It's a Chamaecyparis lawsoniana cultivar, most probably 'Ellwoodii'. The foliage is too'fluffy' for it to be Pembury Blue. It'll get to be about 1.5m after ten years growth, and is fine in a pot for a few years.

 

Images of Elwoodii do show plants about the size of mine -- it's only about 18-20" tall, and the shape is right. At any rate, mine can't stay where they're planted... in a metre-wide gap between a large oak and the fence.