Ongoing Conifer Research

Presently, I am growing about thirty golden seedlings from Picea orientalis 'Nutans'. It is a pendulous selection that was growing in my pinetum near Eatonville, Washington. It consistently produced pollen cones but no seed cones. The year before I sold my place, it produced a crop of seed cones. I collected the seed and had about 30 yellow seedlings among the 100 or so green ones. It was growing next to a Picea orientalis 'Skylands', which probably provided the pollen. I am hoping for a pendulous 'Skylands'. I will post pictures here as I observe the growth. This next year they seedlings will start showing some character.

The 'Nutans' is pictured here on the left and the 'Skylands' is to the right. Click on either one for a hi-res picture.

I also have about a hundred yellow seedlings from the Picea orientalis 'Skylands'. They are interesting but the chance of anything different is highly unlikely. My three old plants of 'Skylands' produce about 20% yellow seedlings and they are very much like the parent.

I did make one selection about ten years ago from a 'Skylands' that I named Picea orientalis 'Sunrise'. It is bright yellow with a glossy green interior that helps it resist burning and is pictured here. It is different from the parent. I also selected a bright yellow seedling that I had grown from a seed I had pollinated from Picea orientalis 'Nutans'. It is not weeping but has great color.

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