UT Gardens’ December Plant of the Month

Submitted by James Newburn, managing director, UT Gardens, Knoxville

Would a plant native to Alaska be able to survive in Tennessee? The answer is yes, and quite nicely, too. Weeping Blue Alaskan Cedar Callitropsis nootkatensis ‘Gluaca Pendula’ (syn, Xanthocyparis nootkatensis, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) is a beautiful evergreen conifer (cone-bearer) tree with drooping branches that rivals the weeping willow in graceful appearance.

The tree is native to southeastern Alaska to the Pacific northwest and higher elevations of the Cascades. It can typically become quite large, up to 90 feet or more, in the wild. In cultivation it can reach 30 feet tall over the course of 35 years and continue growing. It likes full sun yet might respond well to a bit of afternoon shade in the most blazing of sites. Being native to Alaska, it is very cold hardy (zones 4-7), and yet it is unbothered by the Tennessee heat and humidity.

Weeping Blue Alaskan Cedar grows in a dramatic conical form. The central leader (or trunk) climaxes in a fragile looking tip that appears to be reaching for the sun. It is hardly fragile, however. On sturdy yet flexible and slightly arching branches grow branchlets that are almost vertical to the ground. If it is well-drained, it is not picky about soil, except being too wet, of course.

Located so it can be seen against the sky or a light background, this tree is a perfect specimen plant. It will stand out with its unique blue-grey, blue-green foliage (glauca) and its pendulous (pendula) branches. Several in a row can be utilized as an effective screen, both functionally and aesthetically. With branches swaying in the wind, it becomes a terrestrial borealis.

When planting, choose a small specimen perhaps four to six feet tall. This allows it to grow into the landscape and year-after-year become more spectacular. It can be seen in three of the State Botanical Gardens of Tennessee sites, Jackson, Crossville, and Knoxville. It might be a long way from Alaska to Tennessee, but this Weeping Blue Alaskan Cedar does just fine here. The UT Gardens includes plant collections located in Knoxville, Crossville and Jackson, Tennessee. Designated as the official botanical garden for the state of Tennessee, the UT Gardens are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. The Gardens’ mission is to foster appreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden displays, educational programs and research trials. The Gardens are open during all seasons and free to the public.