[masraum]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

The area along the length of each branch of a conifer between the trunk to near the end or tip that is green is called the dead zone. It’s not really dead. But there will never be any (or very, very little) new bud growth along that length. If you were to prune a branch in the dead zone, that entire branch will likely die and be ‘isolated’ from the trunk to eventually dry out and break off, leaving a hole.

I've had shrubs that were overgrown, and then trimmed. They had a dead zone so that they never filled back in. That's a pain.

Interestingly, there are deciduous conifers. Deciduous meaning they lose all their leaves every year such as maples, oaks and abuncha other shade trees and conifers, meaning a plant that bears ‘cones’. Larches are one such deciduous conifer. They lose every needle every year.

My first experience with bald cypress was pretty confusing. My conifer experience prior to was that they were all evergreen.

Originally Posted by Crowbob

The photo below is another conifer (arborvitae) also in the style of niwaki. The exposed trunk will never attain new buds but will always be ‘bare’. That plant is almost 30 years old about three feet tall and six feet wide:

Originally Posted by Crowbob

This is an Eastern White Pine volunteer (meaning I didn’t plant it but rather it sprouted on its own) which is about 9 years old. EWP will grow to over 100’ easily. This one is being trained to grow horizontally and will eventually be subjected to niwaki pruning. Niwaki results in stunted length (or height) with very large trunks so I’ll be able to keep it under control.

Very cool, essentially giant bonsai.