My friends father-in-law told me this tree is "from Iowa" and is planted "next to barns" in the mid-west. he seemed to think the word "barn" was in the common name for it. He was very proud of the collection he has in his yard. Any ideas what this is?
Wonder what kind of haunts your friend's father-in-law frequents...
No barns around here are graced with such a conifer. It reminds me of Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) which would be common enough in the cold midwest of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc. No "barn" in its name that I've ever heard of, but I'm not one to refute.
One could collect worse species - like Wollemi, Taiwania, Fitzroya, etc.
I thought it looked like arborvitae too but I didn't want to piss him off...
Given the apparent fast growth and open branching, probably Thuja 'Green Giant', rather than Thuja occidentalis.
Resin
