Has that been sheared to the point of almost being unrecognizable?! I guess it has been to conform with an Alpine garden scene. Left alone, it would grow very fast in your climate and look very different.
I don't think I've ever seen the horticulturists pruning these, but I'll ask when the curator returns from vacation.
I agree that this looks nothing like the specimens I've seen in nurseries or like the one in my own garden.
Cypress family conifers can have close growth habits in some areas that they do not have in others, very commonly planted Leyland cypress shows this well. Same cultivars can be tight and columnar or open and spreading, depending on where planted. Photos used on picture labels and nursery signs may show tight habit, while stock offered often has open growth.
What strikes me the most about the photo is the tight globe shape of this particular specimen compared to the very pyramidal form (whether tight or loose) of most that I've seen, though most of these have been younger plants. The difference is striking enough that I wouldn't think that the plant in the photo could be the same. It will be interesting to see if my plant develops this more globular form as it matures.
Hello, I work as the curator of the alpine garden with the Cryptomeria pic. I don't believe that it's ever been pruned to shape it but has grown naturally since it was planted many years ago.
This is also Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan Sugi', from the same year, but it seems to be a different specimen. I wonder if this is the same specimen that was originally posted. I wasn't able to find the label.
