I can't believe there is no Thujopsis dolobrata posted in this forum. My favourite tree! (Well, it's one of my favourites). It's getting its own thread because I want to post more photos of it (in better focus) and keep them together. There is a Botany Photo of the Day, with a link to a photo of the leaf undersides that is what I totally failed to do, but one day will do: Thujopsis dolabrata. What interests me about the two topside leaf photos here is how they appear to show the white markings that are on the leaf undersides, but there is nothing white on the top of the leaves - that is just the reflection from the sun. Here are the undersides.
Cones! Nice, Michael, and thanks for mentioning the correction - I corrected the name in the text. I guess there is no reason I can't post old photos, all from UBCBG. This had the cultivar name 'Compacta' in October, 2013. There is still a 'Compacta'; I'm not sure if it's the same one. I think this is from a different location, in the north garden, with the cultivar name given as 'Nana' in September, 2015, and the last photo from February, 2014. I don't see 'Nana' listed anywhere at UBCBG now. I like those leaf buds - I should be checking out the big one come February.
Well, no. There was no sun yesterday when I photographed these leaves. It's a very dark path, on a fairly dark day. These leaves just manufacture light. :) I did not use flash. These really are the tops of the leaves, totally green. I was just trying to photograph new leaves. But the white isn't just an artifact of the photos - I could see it on the leaves. This is the a photo of the leaf undersides.
I can understand why this would be (one of) your favourite tree(s). I'd never heard of it before and appreciate the introduction.
The upper side of the shoots is usually just glossy green with the white stomatal patches on the underside - but just occasionally, you do find shoots with small stomatal patches on the upper side too. Most often on side shoots growing at angles where their upper vs lower side isn't wholly clear.
