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Dear Harvey:
Can you help me identify this very large tree I have growing in my front yard? It came from a relative down in Winston County but I have never known what it is. I am afraid that I will have to remove it due to its size but would love to know its name. Thank you. – Don M.
Dear Don:
I definitely can help you identify this grand tree and sadly I have to tell you that it has not stopped growing. You may just be halfway there so making a plan to remove it is probably in order.
This magnificent, tall evergreen tree is the China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata kun-ing-HAM-i-ah lan-see-oh-LA-ta) and is native to China and grown throughout Japan. It was brought to America in the early 1800s and has been used as a specimen throughout the South for years. This is a very large growing conifer (needle-like foliage) that can reach heights of 80 feet tall with trees growing close to 200 feet tall in its native habitat. The early European traders with the Far East used trunks of the China fir as sailing masts once they saw these very straight growing trees with very few lower branches.
I first came across this tree when I went to work at Chase Garden Center as a teenager. One was planted next to the store as a living Christmas tree. Big, colorful light bulbs were strung on this tree and turned on during the holiday season. Due to its size it made quite a dramatic display. The thing I remember most was the needles on the tree – primarily how stiff they were and how much they hurt when you grab a leaf. The foliage is a deep, dark green with the needles arranged in a spiral around the petiole. While these needles look soft to the touch, they can really bite you as they age. It was a chore to replace bulbs in that tree and the one job that no one wanted to do.
The other thing I remember is that we called that tree a monkey tree, a common name that really stuck with me since I had never heard of such. Later in life as I was touring Kew Gardens in England I came upon a similar tree that was called the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) from Chile and Argentina. I think this is where the overlap of common names came in for they do have some similarities in foliage and growth habit. However, the better common name to use for your tree would be China fir but it too has problems in that Cunninghamia is not a "fir" at all but a member of the Cypress (Cupressaceae) family.
As I mentioned, this is a very large growing tree and one that needs a good bit of space to thrive. It is more at home in large parks or estates where its massive size can really shine. There have been a couple of selections of China fir that have been introduced with a form named "Glauca" that has a beautiful steely-blue foliage. There is a very nice form of this blue-foliaged tree on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville for those who are interested. Moreover, the landscape group at UAH has made a concerted effort in planting many unusual tree specimens on the campus and created a wonderful arboretum or collection of diverse trees.
Unfortunately, I believe you have a situation of the wrong plant in the wrong place and it may only get worse as the tree continues to grow. The China fir is a great tree to have but only if your site can support its massive growth.
Things to do:
As the weather warms up, the grass grows faster; begin raising your mower height; this puts less stress on the grass.
Apply a liquid fertilizer solution to container plantings to give them a boost.
Monitor irrigation systems for leaks and spraying onto sidewalks and driveways; be conscious of wasting water.
Harvey Cotten, an author of "Easy Gardens For the South," is the chief horticulturist and vice president at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Write c/o The Huntsville Times, P.O. Box 1487, West Station, Huntsville 35807.