Skyland Spruce

Is anyone familiar with this tree? It's a bi-color and I hardly ever see them anywhere.

A cultivar of Caucasian Spruce Picea orientalis.

Resin

It's a very attractive cultivar of what we (Americans) call Oriental Spruce. Slow growing, hardy from zone 4 to 7, much superior in form to Norway Spruce. 'Skylands' has golden needles that fade in the heat of summer, may burn in hot climates, but in cooler climates it holds some of the golden yellow through winter. Also sold as 'Aurea Compacta', although it may reach over 40' in height.

Thanks! I thought it was a beautiful tree and I truly enjoy it. I don't think there are more than 50 in the city - the only nursery I know that has them only gets a few each year. The first one I saw, five years ago, was a dramatic specimen, over 12 feet tall and with a price that gave me sticker shock. I returned to 'visit' the tree several times that summer, thinking if they marked it down, I might be able to hold up a bank to buy it. By fall, some landscaper had snapped it up (at a greatly reduced price, I'm sure) to grace a multi-million dollar home - for owners who probably don't appreciate what they have. The next year I bought this one, a far less spectacular specimen and still the most expensive plant in my garden.

It is a very attractive tree, and I'm sure it will remain a favorite in your garden as you watch it grow. You can probably tip-prune it every couple of years to help it "fill in", but it does have an attractive grace even as it is.

I love the new growth each spring.

It's one of my favorite conifers.
It was doing beautifully in my yard until Bambi stripped the bark in some sort of rutting ritual.
Now it's still got a beautiful skirt, but the leader was killed.
I think I've heard it won't put up another leader, but I'm not sure.
At any rate, it's another example of how vicious a sport gardening is.
My yard is filled with stunted treasures.

Wow. I am so glad I don't need to contend with deer! I've heard they eat bulbs, strip the bark from trees and eat roses. If yours does not send up a new leader, you can look upon it as a very colorful alternative to a spreader! I'd be willing to bet it will eventually put out a new leader, however. The question is how you will protect it from Bambi.

Do you think I should try to train one of the spreading branches upward to encourage it to become a leader?
Meanwhile, I'll enjoy it as a spreading spruce instead.

By the way, I have a golden oriental spruce which is a spreader and has done beautifully.
I got it from Coenosium Gardens online. It didn't even have a cultivar name yet.
I would run out to take a pix, but it's about to storm (tornado warning!), so maybe tomorrow.

As for deer protection, I generally use a plastic spiral trunk protector, but in this case the branching was too dense to be practical.
I haven't had luck w/ deer repellant sprays, though I know some others feel they're effective. Maybe I'll try it again.

Here's a picture of my dwarf golden oriental spruce.
It is a mounding plant which has never developed a leader.
It has beautiful golden foliage.
When I bought it from Coenosium Gardens, it hadn't been given a cultivar name yet.
Coenosium is an excellent source for unique dwarf conifers, for anyone interested.
Here's a shot of it this morning. This view shows it in context with neighboring plants.

Here's a closer view of the foliage.

Weerobin: It will try to develop a new leader, for sure, but if left alone, it will take quite a while.It could use some help to speed things along, and it's easy to provide it. Just carefully bend up and stake one of the side branches. You don't have to make it straight up vertical if you get nervous about bending it that far, but stake it and leave it staked for at least one year. Now is the perfect time to do this, while the branches are pliable and the growth soft and new. I've seen a 30' Norway spruce develop a new leader (after a storm) with 5' branches naturally "bending" up over a period of three years from completely horizontal to completely vertical! I also witnessed a 20' blue spruce do the same after bagworms killed the top couple feet of the tree.

Thanks, Hoosier. I'll try it.

Tom Thumb is an adorable tiny sport of Skylands. I added Skylands to my yard last year and it looks very happy in its spot. I hope Tom Thumb will be just as happy, though I hear it is a fickle conifer.

My Tom Thumb is doing OK, but burns a little in full sun.
I'm hoping it'll be more sun tolerant as it gets a little older.

Tom Thumb sounds interesting - do you have a photo?

It's been raining non-stop, but I'll try to post one this weekend. Supposed to be sunny for a change!
You'll see the sun-burn injury. I've heard they become more sun tolerant as they get older. Hope so.