Welcome Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii)

Leyland Cypress, often referred to simply as leylandii, is a fast-growing coniferous evergreen tree, that can grow 3 - 5 ft./yr.  It is a cross between the Monterey Cypress & Nootka Cypress; usually sterile, it is most often reproduced from cuttings, according to the literature.

Leylandii are one of those trees sold around the holidays as "living Christmas trees" and as such have a bad reputation. However, they are commonly marked-down 50% or more, making them attractive to hobbyists, such as myself, which is exactly why I acquired this little tree.

Acquired: Jan 2026; major Home & Garden center; Cost:$6.50

Unpruned

 

These trees will tolerate full-sun to partial shade, given well-drained   soil & proper watering. They like damp conditions, but not "wet   feet", which can lead to problems with root rot.

 I had not intended to prune the leylandii this hard, but as the trunk &   branches appeared out from under the shubbery, it was hard to stop.   So, I went ahead & potted him in a training pot; I did some minor   pruning to the roots (this cultivar known for shallow roots) &   removed the tap-root.

  (As with all of our trees, you can follow his growth & development     over time by accessing his dedicated page from menu on RH side     of the page.)

  

Pruned & Potted

Blue Star Juniper Not Doing Well

Jan.2026 - Update

Not the greatest pic in the world, but maybe you can see that the Blue Star Juniper is not doing well..or maybe he is & I'm just projecting..                                                                                                           if you look closely, you will see that his "tips" are browning, leading me to think that he is dying back..OR this is normal winter behaviour for this Juniper cultivar. Although I have another juniper, it is a so-called "common" juniper, (which is a fancy way of saying mongrel) unlike the Blue Star, which is a named cultivar.                                                                                                                                     

Here is a closer view of what I'm concerned about.      Consulting with knowledgeable & more-experienced than I, the consensus (as I suspected) is "over-watering", which is not surprising considering the rainfall that we received here in so. Cal over the last 30-40 days.                                                                                                                                             I will make a real effort to get the Blue Star dried-up & then we'll go from there..stay tuned for details.

Jan 12 - Update

It was suggested, by wiser heads than I, that once the Blue Star is dried-out to use a tablespoon of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide in the watering..no fertilizer, no plant food; the theory being "The oxygen and reactiveness of it will help prevent some infections and degrade a couple phenolic plant exudate compounds that delay recovery."

Sure sounds like he knows what he's talking about, so I will try it today & see if it helps mitigate the tip browning.

(to see the full history of this plant, click-here or access through the Tree Inventory Menu on the right-hand side of the page)

Updates

‘Kaleidoscope’- (new photos)

Cape HoneySuckle II - (Update)

Italian Stone Pine - (photos)

Getting Dried-Out

 Up until yesterday, I had not watered anybody since Dec. 23, last year. The record-setting rain that we got over the Xmas/New Year's holiday was almost 70-some percent of the annual average for so. California. And even though I had moved most of the plants "under-story", everything and everybody was soaked by the time it finally stopped, last week.

I did some watering yesterday & this morning, watered & fed every individual in the collection. Actually, I'm a little surprised that all of the trees, cuttings included, came through the storms OK.

These cuttings(photo) were taken last fall, rooted & potted in 3" plastic pots. One is a Lemon tree, the other a Dwarf Orange, but I've lost track of which is which; as they get older, it should be easier to tell one from the other.

Golden Euonymus (Goldie)

Apr. 2024

April 2024 and my plant odyssey began on the kitchen counter, with a box of peat pots, some plates & scavenged cuttings..cuttings from trees & bushes in the immediate area. 

That included the hedge in front of the apartment building..

These 2 survived, rooted & grew leaves; next step was to pot them, as pictured..

As the larger of the two grew, I decided to try to & mimic a "lollipop" shape to his canopy, a long stem/trunk & rounded shape on top, the shape he retains today

Sept. 2024

After a few more months, I potted the smaller of the two as a "faux-bonsai" & started potting cuttings from other plants. Some lived, some died, but all taught me the basic principles of horticulture & my first experience with miniatures.

The larger of the two was potted in a tray (4"X 6") & allowed to grow-on. This plant will be the focus of the Photo/History, going forward. I called him "Goldie".

Goldie remained in his tray for about 6 months. In December ('24) I potted him in what has become his permanent home.

Dec 2024

After almost a year, the potting medium had compacted & it was time for a re-pot, so in Dec. '25, I repotted "Goldie". 

Some minor root pruning & back in the same pot, with fresh potting soil & top dressing; no foliage pruning, as he has juvenile foliage that is due to open any day now, that will complete the "beach-ball" shape we're trying to develop.

Dec. 2025

(click here to access the ongoing Photo/History page for this plant or use the menu on the RH side of every page)

Update: Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum)

Dec. 13, 2025 

JM is "back-budding"..growing new foliage to replace damaged leaves & growing new foliage on areas of the tree that were formerly bare of shoots or leaves (such as the lower trunk). I've begun "helping" the process along by pruning dead &/or dying leaves & will continue to do so. 

Dec 31, 2025

Removed the last leaf remaining on this tree, this morning; and hopefully, the last of the diseased foliage. New buds are popping up on both trunks & remaining lower branches, back-budding is well underway & a good sign that this tree is on the road to recovery, again.

If he survives, it will do much to change my mind about how delicate and temperamental the Acer's can be. I've been told that growing them in our hot, dry climate is problematic & I've had the experience of losing my first specimen to heat-stroke, so when this tree almost succumbed to a fungal infection, I really did not expect it to survive, but here he is, beat-up, naked, chopped & all, putting out new foliage..well, this is why we do this..the pure wonder of the will to live.

(complete history of this plant at https://www.jerryspatio.com/p/photoshistory-japanese-maple-acer.html )

Here We Go Again..

 It's was just 1 month ago, we had our first "winter" storm & just 2 days before Xmas, here we go again. Spent the morning (Tue) moving all of my "little trees" undercover & out of the wind..well, the worst of it, hopefully.

I moved the seedlings, cuttings, miniatures & the youngest succulents, inside temporarily.

It did not take that long & went surprisingly well, so even if the storm turns out not to be so bad, I am enjoying seeing my small collection from a new perspective.

Dec. 29 - It's Not Over Yet..

It rained pretty good on Christmas & for the next couple of days..the weather people say it was the wettest Xmas recorded, in so. California..it finally cleared over the weekend & I was able to put plants in the sun to dry out before the next round of precipitation starts tomorrow night.

"Is it still raining?"

Forecasts call for wind with the New Years storm, which concerns me more than the rain..while the climate here is mostly benign, the wind can be deadly to young plants, particularly those that are stressed. Typically, they don't react appreciably to either hot or cold, within limits and they don't mind being wet, if not for too long, but add 15-20 kts. of wind to the equation & that can be a real threat to saplings. (sapling is the next stage past seedling, but far from an adult tree)

At least there are no frost/freeze warnings (as yet) but I will keep one-ear tuned to the weather forecast for sure. Meanwhile, all is well here on the patio..Allow me to wish you a Happy New Year..the days are getting longer now & although we will have our share of winter storms, the growing season is coming faster than we think.

UPDATES

 Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) (click to see update)

Today is the Winter Solstice

grown from cuttings-Summer '25

I spend much of my gardening day chasing the sun..my patio is well-shaded by 2 Birch trees, 2 Magnolia's & a row of Palm trees, across the street. The landscape trees keep my apartment cool in the summer, shield the patio from rain, to some degree & serve as windbreaks from the north-westerlies that can suck the life right out of a plant.

However, it also means that I have to shift plants around to try & make sure that they get their fair share of sun, or at least enough to stay alive during the shortened fall-winter days. And so, as we approach the Winter Solstice, I am starting to anticipate more hours of sun, less sun-chasing & happier plants.

Meadow Rue (Cal Native) - '25

Historically, the winter solstice was far more than an astronomical event; it was a matter of survival. In a world without electricity or global supply chains, the solstice marked the "death and rebirth" of the Sun. It represented the pivotal moment when the days stopped getting shorter and began to lengthen again—a literal turning point toward spring and the promise of future harvests.

The solstice served three primary roles in ancient civilizations:

• The Agricultural Marker: It was the time to slaughter livestock (since they couldn't be fed all winter) and ferment wine and beer. This provided a rare abundance of fresh meat and alcohol, fueling massive feasts.
• The Architectural Alignment: Civilizations went to incredible lengths to align monuments with the solstice sun.
• The Victory of Light: Most celebrations focused on "helping" the sun return or celebrating the victory of a sun deity over the forces of darkness.

Euphorbia - '25

Many of these ancient traditions were eventually absorbed into modern holidays. The Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) and Saturnalia directly influenced the timing and customs of Christmas, such as the use of evergreens, candles, and communal feasting.

The word "solstice" comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because for a few days around the solstice, the sun's path across the sky appears to stop before reversing direction.

So, I will celebrate the Solstice today by perhaps "tipping a cup or two" to welcome the sun back to the patio.

New Addition to the Collection

Italian Stone Pine - Fall '25

 We have a new tree to add to our growing collection..please welcome the Italian Stone Pine (pinus pinea) as the newest member.

An evergreen, and also one of the only pines with a canopy that resembles an umbrella. From the Mediterranean, this is an excellent pine for beach gardens and coastal planting, as well as for use as a street tree. While it's an excellent evergreen tree for a wide variety of landscape applications, it's an especially good choice for homeowners looking to create a Mediterranean landscape.

This Italian Stone Pine is drought tolerant and performs well when planted in full sun. A dry pine, it's a moderate grower and will require low to moderate watering, once it's established.

Birds are attracted to this graceful giving tree. In fact, if you love pine nuts, then you know how expensive they can be. Plant a thriving Italian Stone Pine and save money - it's the source of the edible, nutritious pine nut! Fun fact: this is the pine depicted in many of the famous Italian Renaissance paintings.

Follow his growth & development as time goes on, at https://www.jerryspatio.com/p/italian-stone-pine-pinus-pinea.html or look on the "Tree Inventory" menu (r-side of page) & click-on the name.

How evergreen trees shaped human history

By Beth Saulnier - Cornellians 

In the early 1770s, American colonists furious over British meddling in their trade of a key agricultural product finally had enough and rose up – an act of rebellion that would ultimately spark a revolution.

But this wasn’t the Boston Tea Party.

It was the Pine Tree Riot – a bit of rural lawbreaking by some New Hampshire residents that would inspire their Massachusetts brethren a year later. And it’s just one of the myriad ways that evergreens have played a transformative role in human history – chronicled in “Evergreen,” a new book by Trent Preszler, M.S. ’02, Ph.D. ’12, a professor of practice in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

 “It’s like the courtroom drama that would unfold if you brought evergreens onto the witness stand and swore them in,” Preszler said. “They kept the receipts about everything, from world wars to religion to construction booms. I basically just wrote down everything that they’ve been trying to tell us for 365 million years.”

Click here to read full article

UPDATE: Fremont Cottonwood (Populis Fremontii)

"the Fremont" seems to have fully-recovered from what ever was causing his leaves to blacken & die. In fact, he is growing a bit & "putting-on-some-weight" as he is beginning to build a canopy of side-branches & shoots, although he will never grow much taller than he is, right now.

But no one told him that this is December, when deciduous trees are supposed to change colors & lose their leaves..I wonder if this California native observes the seasonal changes like his Eastern cousins? Perhaps someone out there can answer that question?

If you're interested in learning more about this tree, you can access his Photos/History page here.

UPDATE: Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)

Dec. 11 -Update: "the Dragon" was looking a little scruffy, having been beaten-up by the wind & exposure, over time, so I decided to give him a fresh start by cutting-back his foliage. Winter weather is yet to come & he will handle it better with less foliage to get damaged.

Am also looking ahead to when his brachts won't all be at the same height. I initially trimmed each shoot to 4" from growing base to tip as this photo shows.

  But, in the end, I gave-in & trimmed him evenly, as it may be the last time it will be possible for him to grow a unified "fan"..foliage that looks like a single plume.

What I did was to even-out the 4 shoots, leaving 'the Dragon' with a "flat-top'.(for those of you too young to know what a "flat-top" was, ask your grandpa)

If you want to know more about this tree, you can access his Photos/History page.

A New Project: Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila)

I stumbled across this Ficus a couple of days ago, on the "1/2-OFF" table at a major Home & Garden Center, while looking for "a new project"..He didn't look well..but he didn't look sick, either..just neglected

Acquired: Dec 10, 2025 - Home & Garden Center - $7.50 + tax

Once I got him home (the patio), I was able to get a good look & what I saw reinforced my opinion that this was a viable plant & could become a candidate for my collection.  

As I "unpacked" this tree & cleaned him up, it struck me that this had been someone else's project, that had either failed or been abandoned. If you'd like to see the steps in-between, you can see the process & access the Photos/History page here. 

Divide & Double (updated)

 Oct 26, 2025

Here's the challenge..can you divide a tree with 2 trunks & make 2 little trees from one? This one is an out-&-out gamble..I found this HoneySuckle at Home Depot

Nothing special about this plant, but when you take a closer look, you'll see that he has parallel trunks, seemingly growing beside one another or, are they both growing from the same root stock or ??

I won't know until I get it out of it's pot & take a look..

First step is removing soil & trying to see if this is one plant, or two that have grown together & slowly, slowly, start to pull them apart.

The idea is to NOT destroy this little tree, & after a few minutes of pulling & prying & trying not to tear too many roots, I turned to my trusty pruning saw.

The two trunks were indeed joined..looked as if they had both grown out of a large, woody root, but the saw cut cleanly through the root ball.

Now we have 2 specimens, each with root ball intact..now, can I keep them alive...?

I potted both & here they are..will they survive after major surgery? Only time will tell... I will leave them alone for a few days..see what happens.

Oct 30 - Update

Both of these are doing fine..no sign of wilting or die-back. If you want to follow their progress, click on HoneySuckle II

Nov. 8 - Update

Over the last week, these 2 lost some leaves, but otherwise showed little ill-effects to the surgery & re-potting, as separate trees. Now I have to decide if either is a candidate for potting-on &/or development..however, I now have 2 HoneySuckle specimens for the price of one.

Nov. 24 - Update

I think enough time has passed to declare that the "gamble" paid off..this specimen survived what I consider "major surgery" to divide him & make 2 plants. Now, the question is, what can we do with them? I've selected one to work on, pictured here, & started preliminary style pruning.

This is all for now, as I want to see how he reacts to pruning, so soon after being divided & potted.

Dec. 9 - Update

It was not difficult to choose which of these little trees would become a candidate for further attention..we'll differentiate between them, heretofore, as Honeysuckle II(a) & Honeysuckle II(b). I'm going to let Honeysuckle II(b) grow & watch how she develops.

Honseysuckle II(a) will be the focus, in terms of this project, going forward. One of the next things we need to determine is "which side is up".. does the plant have a front, back & side? Sometimes, that's obvious, but often it is not; at times, the choices between front & back might trade places, as the plant matures & presents differently..below is how I see it..what do you think?

SIDE 2

FRONT

SIDE 1

Use the Comments section (below) to record your answer

Back to roots: a brief history of trees-in pictures

Over 120 years ago Henry John Elwes and Dr Augustine Henry embarked on an epic project to create a comprehensive catalogue of British and Irish trees. This monumental work was published in a series of seven volumes containing 2,022 pages and 412 main photographs. It recorded over 500 species of tree. Collotypes by Henry John Elwes and Dr Augustine Henry

The Guardian published a sampling of this fascinating look into the past & printed it in the online US Edition today. 

For those that are interested in either the sociological impact of trees(& nature in general) during the pre-war period or the history of photography during that period should take a look.

Back to roots: a brief history of trees-in pictures

Say 'Hello'...

Say Hello to the Abelia Kaleidoscope..

Japanese Maple (Update)

Dec. 6

I think the crisis is over & JM is recovering from whatever  was causing his leaves to turn black & die-back from the tips..the infected leaves are never going to regrow tips or regain their color,but there is new growth appearing that will replace the discolored leaves that remain & I also see back-budding since the pruning. 

(click here to access the full history for this tree) 

Not Your Mother's Candles...

 Update: Mexican Weeping Pine

The Pinus Patula has been taking shape over the last few months, to the point that you can almost see what he's going to look like when he's grown. You can see 3 distinct sets of candles growing at the tips of branch ends, that indicate where the major branching will be on this tree, if allowed to continue.

Topping the plant is a whorl (circle) of 7 candles, each about 3 " long. In order to balance the tree, it will be necessary to reduce the number of candles, or the tree will become top-heavy or lopsided.

This morning, I pruned 3 of the 7 candles, leaving 4 in a North-South-East-West configuration, as pictured here:

I'll let him rest now for a few days, although I don't expect any reaction at all..young trees like this are remarkably resilient at this stage, I am learning.

Back to Work

 I've been so engaged with the suspected fungal infections affecting the Japanese Maple & "the Fremont" (my Cottonwood tree) and getting the new trees squared-away, and the Thanksgiving holiday, that I have been neglecting the rest of my plants, so today, I tried to get back to a regular routine of water & feeding & taking a closer look at each plant.

The Dragon Tree foliage is looking a little ragged, these days, so I gave him a boost by misting his foliage with a dilute mix of water & liquid seaweed..since I discovered the benefits of foliar feeding, I am finding out that it can be a solution to many plant maladies &/or problems, including physical damage.

I also sprayed the Japanese Maple & I think he's gonna be ok..his color is coming back, as we've stopped the progress of whatever was causing them to turn black & die, from the tips inward.. I am encouraged.Monter

Also gave the pines (Monterey Pine & Mexican Weeping pine) a shower, using just plain water, as well as the Junipers (Blue Star & Juniperis). Then, since I had my sprayer out, gave all of the Jades, Elephant Bush & the other succulents (that I don't know the names of)a shower..they all seemed to like it.

Spent a little time with my Olive tree, as I noticed that he had experienced another growth spurt.This little tree will seem to go dormant for stretches of time & then exhibit discernible growth..his color is an amazing deep green that I have not seen previously on this plant..his leaf size is also increasing towards what I assume is how they look when fully mature..the Olive is very slow-growing, even in our Mediterranean climate