Can someone help identify a tree that is growing in our front yard?
It is an evergreen, about 25' and probably around 25 yrs old. It has
blue-green needles (~3/4" long) growing mostly in clusters. The cones
grow from the middle of the needle clusters. They are on average 1
1/4" long, skinny, soft and scaly. They resemble brown caterpillars,
and there are tons of them. The bark is dark and scaly.
We have lived here for 19 years and the tree was probably planted the
year before we bought the house. At the time it was 8'-9' and had
sparse unevenly spaced horizontal branches (my husband nicknamed it
'Bill-the-Cat tree' for its spastic appearance).

A landscaper we used called it a larch, but it doesn't look like any
pictures of larches that I found.

Thanks!
Sophia

"Sophia" wrote in message
om...
Can someone help identify a tree that is growing in our front yard?
It is an evergreen, about 25' and probably around 25 yrs old. It has
blue-green needles (~3/4" long) growing mostly in clusters. The cones
grow from the middle of the needle clusters. They are on average 1
1/4" long, skinny, soft and scaly. They resemble brown caterpillars,
and there are tons of them. The bark is dark and scaly.
We have lived here for 19 years and the tree was probably planted the
year before we bought the house. At the time it was 8'-9' and had
sparse unevenly spaced horizontal branches (my husband nicknamed it
'Bill-the-Cat tree' for its spastic appearance).

A landscaper we used called it a larch, but it doesn't look like any
pictures of larches that I found.

Thanks!
Sophia

Sounds like some species of Cedrus or true cedar. Foliage grows in tufts or
clusters and those caterpillar-like things are actually the male flowers.
Females cones are held upright, but usually appear only well up into the top
portion of the tree and shatter when mature, so not nearly as readily
noticeable. Couldn't find a good online photo illustrating the male flowers,
but here's a pretty good link on the other qualities of this tree.
http://www.richmond.edu/~jhayden/conifers/cedrus.html


btw, you might want to look for another landscaper with more smarts -
larches are deciduous and their flowers are little nubbins that appear
before the new needles are fully extended and not at all caterpillar-like in
appearance. Larches also tend to have pink or reddish colored bark, not the
dark charcoal gray of the cedars.

pam - gardengal

Do the large seed cones (not the small pollen or male cones) point up or
down?? What part of the world are you in? Do the needles stay on all year or
fall off in winter?

A pic would sure expedite this process.

--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net



"Sophia" wrote in message
om...
Can someone help identify a tree that is growing in our front yard?
It is an evergreen, about 25' and probably around 25 yrs old. It has
blue-green needles (~3/4" long) growing mostly in clusters. The cones
grow from the middle of the needle clusters. They are on average 1
1/4" long, skinny, soft and scaly. They resemble brown caterpillars,
and there are tons of them. The bark is dark and scaly.
We have lived here for 19 years and the tree was probably planted the
year before we bought the house. At the time it was 8'-9' and had
sparse unevenly spaced horizontal branches (my husband nicknamed it
'Bill-the-Cat tree' for its spastic appearance).

A landscaper we used called it a larch, but it doesn't look like any
pictures of larches that I found.

Thanks!
Sophia

You are right on, Pam! I found the same exact tree at a local nursery
and it happens to be 'Blue Atlas Cedar'. A good picture of it is at
http://www.monrovia.com/plantinf.nsf...5684D0070DADD.

Now for our current dilemma. This tree has grown too big for the
area. It should never have been planted where it is. Is there a
market for mature trees? It's such a beautiful tree, I'd hate to have
to chop it down. We are in the suburbs of Philadelphia, BTW.

Sophia

That tree cannot be relocated without doing significant root damage.
Then the foliage will have to be cut back to compensate. Relocation
of mature trees that have not been grown for that purpose is a waste
of time and effort.

JMHO

John

On 20 Apr 2004 08:03:50 -0700, (Sophia) wrote:

You are right on, Pam! I found the same exact tree at a local nursery
and it happens to be 'Blue Atlas Cedar'. A good picture of it is at
http://www.monrovia.com/plantinf.nsf...5684D0070DADD.

Now for our current dilemma. This tree has grown too big for the
area. It should never have been planted where it is. Is there a
market for mature trees? It's such a beautiful tree, I'd hate to have
to chop it down. We are in the suburbs of Philadelphia, BTW.

Sophia

Sophia - call me. I do alot of trransplanting of very large trees. My site
has my number. I will be in Philly in a few days.
Mike

--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ
www.HeartwoodConsulting.net

"Sophia" wrote in message
om...
You are right on, Pam! I found the same exact tree at a local nursery
and it happens to be 'Blue Atlas Cedar'. A good picture of it is at
http://www.monrovia.com/plantinf.nsf...5684D0070DADD.

Now for our current dilemma. This tree has grown too big for the
area. It should never have been planted where it is. Is there a
market for mature trees? It's such a beautiful tree, I'd hate to have
to chop it down. We are in the suburbs of Philadelphia, BTW.

Sophia