China Fir (Cunninghamia Lanceolata)

Is anyone growing this tree in the deep south? There are quite a few trees in my town that I thought for sure were Carolina Hemlock, but now after researching this tree i'm thinking that it is what I have been seeing. They are attractive trees in my opinion. My neighbor has one in his yard that is very old. There is not much info out there on them.

I've been working with them, harvesting seed, even did some cuttings. I typically do the Glauca as it's more popular. The foliage is very much like an Araucaria that's got small leaves. They're not fond of hot-dry wind or cold-dry wind and benefit from a protected spot and summer water.

I have one in my holding bed (need to find a place for it before it gets too big), and it is doing marvelously. A great tree so far.

I killed one and never tried again. You folks from mild climates have all the luck. A friend in Seattle has one in her back yard that might be the largest in the PNW. Three trunks, majestic, but a little messy.

Guy S.

This from a guy who just showed us a local "southern swamp". My idea of a swamp has two species: black spruce and tamarack. See, Guy's place seems like the garden of eden to me, and here he is with zone 8 envy. I tend to stay with cultivars of native stuff. Norway, White, and Black Spruce and Balsam Fir. Hemlock would be good, but Bambi winters on it.

Well, I can say that they do hold up too 100+mph winds very well. I didn't see any of them damaged from our hurricanes. Can you root them from cuttings?

Yeah, everything is relative, Nanook of the North. At least we don't need parkas in July! But that "local" swamp was 200 miles south of me.

Actually, a good, consistent zone 7 winter climate with no spring or fall freezes, and zone 3 summers with ample rain available whenever I waived my magic wand, would be about right . . .

Oh, and don't forget to exterminate all deer, borers, Japanese beetles, ash borers, scale, pathogenic fungi, . . .
and chiggers, ticks, deer flies, etc. too.

Guy S.

Here is a piece that got blown over in my yard. Does it look like China Fir?

Yes, you can do cuttings but use top growth as I think it'll grow horizontal on side branches. In my area we need to do the cuttings in summer for the heat. I kinda treated it like Poncirus cuttings as I read somewhere they need high light and warm air. I had lower take on the cuttings but I did get some. Seed are variable on the 'Glauca' so you'll get green to blue.

Guy, you're right about the messy part. They abandon small branches all the time and drop them in a mess. The pic of 'Glauca' shows the mess after a wind storm at the base. If we get a cold-snap with dry wind, even more small branches turn bright burned red colour. You need gloves to clean it up as the leaves are stiff and pointed.

Copperbaron, pick a spot somewhat protected and it'll do very well. Even in my z8b a protected spot makes all the difference. Probably the nicest specimen here is facing south against a concrete building.

It does. If it feels like that Ruscus shrub they use in floral arrangements - stiff, then ya.

It is very stiff. You could use it as a toilet brush. LOL

Yep, that's Cunninghamia lanceolata, OK

Resin

Careful, it might scratch the porcelain! That's why I recommend using gloves for cleanup as the pointed tips even go through the gloves.