Can anyone identify theese?

Strikor

Hi there,

Im just wondering can anyone identify these 2?

I know the conifer in the first photo could either be a Western Red Cedar or maybe a Lawson Cypress? The picture doesnt look great and it has been cut, but theres a lovely golden colour in it in the flesh...

The other photo is a Laurel? ...but im unsure what these are called.

Ive moved into a new house with an acre garden. I want to plant 4 spaced out evergreen trees to fill wind gaps. I also want a nice long hedge of this laurel. Ive already planted Portuguese Laurel and Cherry so want to mix it up with another hardy evergreen hedge.

If anyone can recommend other evergreen trees instead of those conifer I would be grateful. Im looking for something a bit different(I like the golden shade in those), and a relatively fast grower...but something that doesnt grow crazy big like Leylandii.

Thanks so much in advance if you can help!
Cheers!
Barry

jaffa20

I think the 2nd one is Griselinia which is much nicer than the common Laurel but probably less faster growing than Laurel.

Verity.

Number one looks to be Leylandii, and the second griselinia.

Skrynesaver

Verity. wrote: »

Number one looks to be Leylandii, and the second griselinia.

Maybe a bit pale for Leylandii, but definitely some class of a cypress.

Strikor

Thanks guys

macraignil

I think there is a lighter coloured Leylandii and the first photo is one of those. They are still very vigorous growers and require constant trimming to keep under control. The griselinia in photo 2 is commonly used in hedging but maybe too much so and when my girlfriend got planning permission for her house a few years back it was stated in the regulations that Cork county council was opposed to and did not allow planting either of these. I'm guessing the leylandii because it grows too vigorously and the griselinia because it has been used too frequently already. Only guessing why they have these regulations and think they are not likely to be enforced but you should be aware that the griselinia will be killed back by very hard frost and a number of people lost their entire griselinia hedge when we had a couple of severe winters a few years back. For your hedge maybe alternatives to consider might be photinia red robin, olearia or privet. The girlfriend does not like conifers so not much experience with those but did get an exemption to plant a pine nut tree pinus pinea and it is doing well. It might be difficult to source these at a large enough size to make any impact on your wind shelter issue for a number of years and maybe Scots pine might be worth considering if you have the space.

Strikor

Thats great info, thank you so much!!!!

standardg60

The conifer looks like either Cupressus macrocarpa goldcrest or leylandii 'gold rider'. If you post a close up pic of a branch that would help.
Either of these would make a fine shelter belt and aren't too vigorous.

Griselinia was found to be the single least beneficial plant to wildlife here so that could be why local authorities now frown upon it.
There are lots of other options for an evergreen hedge;
berberis darwinii, pittosporum, eleagnus, viburnum tinus and lonicera baggesens gold are a few.

Strikor

Wow that's amazing information thank you so much. After some internet searching there I see the leylandii you're talking about that they do look very similar. I couldn't get a close-up because it was in a neighbor's garden and hard to get access to. is there any other evergreen trees that are fast growing but don't get crazy out of hand that you could recommend? Something that keeps it shape is attractive to me... Thanks again really appreciated.

standardg60

Fast growing and not getting crazy out of hand doesn't exist i'm afraid..you can't have one without the other.
There are minimal evergreen trees that would have a reasonable rate of growth apart from conifers, the two I suggested would be your best bet imo, other possibles are cedrus deodara, Lawson cypress, or thuja plicata.

Strikor

Ha cheers. I thought as much.. I had actually begun to think about the Thuja plicata irish gold and the Lawson Cypress after the research I've done over the last week or so... I think I will choose out of those 2 to be honest but need to determine which is the best under windy conditions. I had actually considered the green giant arborvitae but it can go to over 100 feet. Thank you so much by the way I really appreciate your feedback

fryup

anyone know what flower this is?

jaffa20

Looks like some type of begonia to me.

looksee

Indeed, a tuberous begonia.