Winter Tree Dreaming: Austrian Pine and Narrow Japanese Umbrella Pine - February 2020

A few days ago, I posted my latest [tree dreaming] post about the Van Den Aker Weeping Narrow/columnar Alaskan Cedar and in doing the poking around on the Web about that very tree, I came across a few other trees that are worth documenting here for future contemplation.  This post is about two trees:  The Oregon Green Austrian Pine and the "Joe Kozey" Narrow Japanese Umbrella Pine tree.  The Austrian Pine isn't (I think) necessarily a columnar tree, but it has narrow/columnar varieties.  But the Umbrella Pine certainly is columnar in habit.

First the Oregon Green Austrian Pine.  It has these interesting 'candles' that emerge on the tips of the tree.

Via Monrovia comes this photo:

Photo above via Monrovia.  Source.  

Kinda cool, isn't it?

Monrovia describes the tree thusly:

Via the Monrovia product listing.  

Next on the list of tree specimens that are worth dreaming about is this 'Joe Kozey' Narrow Japanese Umbrella Pine.  Here's (below) a photo via Kigi Nursery:

Not my photo.  This is via Kigi Nursery.  Source here. 

It is listed going all the way down to Zone 4, so it is workable for our Zone (5b) and is interesting in that it is a pine tree that is narrow and has branching that is uniquely suited for dealing with Winter and snow.  From the product listing:

It withstands snow loads much better because its branches are sturdier and they are held more tightly to the trunk than other types.

I recently posted about the Eastern Columnar White Pine tree that is similar to this Umbrella Pine, but this one seems more narrow and almost like a 'spire' compared to the Columnar White Pine.  The idea of these being able to (naturally) handle a heavy snow load is interesting.  I've talked/posted about a set of Gold Cone Junipers that are susceptible to that very thing: snow damage and how folks on the Web recommend 'wiring them up'.  I wired them up, but by Fall these were showing some signs of stress and I wonder if the wiring is the cause?

This tree appears to be connected to a horticulturalist named Sidney Waxman from the University of Connecticut. The guy was very prolific in the industry and according to his obituary from 2005, he 'selected' 34 cultivars over the course of his career - which I think means that he's the reason these 34 trees exist. From his obituary:

Waxman’s research interests were in plant photoperiodism, the study of the effects of different periods of exposure to light; tissue culture; and the study of a plant abnormality named Witches’ Brooms. Waxman selected 34 distinctive cultivars, which he named and introduced to the nursery trade. He also worked with Japanese umbrella pines, larches, the cinnamon bark maple, hemlocks, and azaleas.

(Emphasis, mine).

More on Professor Waxman and his conifer collection (including how he *shot* down the cones with his gun) can be found here on the UConn Magazine site. 

As for where these can go, it seems to me that they're both backyard trees.  The Austrian Pine needs full Sun, so that limits where it can live, but the Umbrella Pine can handle partial shade.  For the fenceline where the original Weeping Cedar was planted, I'm leaning towards a weeping tree, but perhaps the Umbrella Pine can find a home along that fenceline, too?

So, that's two more to add to the list of [tree dreaming] posts with a few more to come in the next few days and weeks.

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As I post more of these 'tree dreaming posts' this Winter,  I've decided to do a property inventory of my columnar tree dreams.  These are trees that if I come across, I'd be hard-pressed to not add to our yard:

•  The Amanogawa Japanese Flowering Cherry tree - a columnar variety that's hardy to Zone 5b. 
• This post that references a compilation from Pretty Purple Door that includes the columnar Goldspire Ginko. 
• A columnar Norway Spruce - an evergreen that can (I think) be sourced locally (not online).
• A Slender Hinoki Cypress (technically a shrub) that is home in a Japanese garden.
• A couple of 'white' columnar trees:  Dakota Pinnacle Birch and Swedish Aspen.
• Now this Columnar Eastern White Pine - that I hope would be disease resistant.  
• In 2018, I posted about these Sky Pencil Holly narrow shrubs.  
• We have a small Weeping White Spruce that I planted in 2019 in our backyard.  
• Late January 2020:  Van Den Aker Narrow Alaskan Weeping Cedar (and Green Arrow Weeping Cedar)
• A (non-columnar) Austrian Pine that has these crazy 'candles' or pipe cleaners on the tips.
• This super narrow 'Joe Kozey' Narrow Japanese Umbrella Pine can handle heavy snow loads.