In the December issue of Fine Gardening, this conifer is recommended for a semi-shade situation as slow growing, reaching only 8ft tall in 10 years. However, several years ago on this forum in response to a question relating to the size of this tree, it was indicated that it could grow to 65ft but no indication as to how many years it took to reach this size. Can anyone shed some more light on the rate of growth?
One planted in 1880 at Fota in Ireland is 20 metres tall. I don't have any information on whether it reached that height recently, or some time ago. Another at Muncaster Castle in England is the same size, but its age isn't known.
A.L. Jacobson, North American Landscape Trees (1996, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley) says it's usually bushy but in time may take off. He also notes H. Welch said the common bushy version may be a (propagated) witch's broom of the rare tree form.
