Brought this tree it says cupressus silver shadow on the label. Is the label right? Appreciate any advice.
Hi @Troy2,
A young tree can be difficult to identify because many of the defining features of a Cypress ‘Silver Shadow’ become more obvious as it matures. Its distinctive weeping form, silvery blue-grey foliage and strongly contrasting pale new growth will not show until it is much more mature. It appears to be a type of cypress tree, although it would be very difficult to positively identify the specific variety from the photos alone, as many cypress species and cultivars look quite similar.
Is there a particular reason you are unsure about the identification, or something specific you are hoping to find out about the tree?
I'd be happy to help further if you can provide some details.
Jacob
Thanks @JacobZ,
The reason I was confused was because upon close inspection of the foliage it didn't look like a cypress to me, could definitely be wrong tho.
I thought cypresses all looked something like this:
Where as my tree looks like this:
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Hello @Troy2
That's a really good observation, and it's exactly what made me pause when I first looked at your photos.
When most people think of a cypress, they picture foliage like the example you've shared, with those tight, overlapping scales forming flat sprays. That's certainly the classic look of many cypress species, and it's what we usually expect to see on mature trees.
The reason I still think yours could be a Cypress 'Silver Shadow' is that young trees often look quite different from mature ones. Instead of those flattened sprays, they can produce what's known as juvenile foliage, which is much softer, finer and more needle-like. As the tree matures, it gradually changes over to the familiar scale-like foliage, and it's not unusual for a young tree to have a mix of both for a while.
At this stage, I think the best approach is simply to give it a little time to develop. As it puts on more growth over the next season or two, its overall shape and foliage pattern will become much more defined, making identification far easier.
For now, I'd continue treating it as a Cypress 'Silver Shadow' and enjoy watching it mature. It's one of those trees that tends to reveal its true character as it grows, and I'm sure it will become much easier to recognise once it starts producing more mature foliage.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Thanks @EricL, will do. I'll check in a year or two and see if the foliage have matured.
Appreciate the assistance.
