Lawson Cypress or Western Red Cedar?

[Clutchy]

I always struggle to tell the difference, any ideas? My gut is normally Lawson. 

Any tips on differentiating? 

 

If its neither, I'm really done for 😂

[AJStrees]

Well could be WRC would have to see scales or what have you. Or is it crypto japo? 

[Clutchy]

15 minutes ago, AJStrees said:

Well could be WRC would have to see scales or what have you. Or is it crypto japo? 

Pics are a bit blurry until you click on them but stupidly, didn't get one. I can confirm though that it had pea sized cones 

[Mick Dempsey]

If in doubt, crush some green stuff between your fingers, pineapple sweetness=WRC/thuja 

Bitter=Lawson 

 

Looks like a variegated Lawson to me.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Mick Dempsey

[5thelement]

Bark and foliage scream Lawsons.

[slack ma girdle]

14 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

If in doubt, crush some green stuff between your fingers, pineapple sweetness=WRC/thuja 

Bitter=Lawson 

 

Looks like a variegated Lawson to me.

I always think of Lawson as sweet like Turkish delight

[Dan Maynard]

I also read Lawson is supposed to smell like parsley, never really sure about that. To me it smells of the 1970s as they were everywhere when I was a kid.

[Jon Heuch]

On 28/02/2023 at 16:54, Clutchy said:

I always struggle to tell the difference, any ideas? My gut is normally Lawson. 

Any tips on differentiating? 

 

Absolutely, it's a cinch. You need to look at the foliage - they are completely different. OK, you could confuse them but once you've seen them both side by side you will wonder how you ever got them confused. However, not always present, look first for cones as that is even easier. Lawson's are small globular; WRC are more cylindrical typically open at the top. No cones, go onto the foliage. WRC are both flattened branch structure but also flattened twigs. Look at the smaller leaflets - they are only on one side pointing towards the branch tip.

 

Lawson cypress. Not like that! Whilst the youngest leaves all appear on one side, further back there are more both ways. Leaflets not so obviously flattened. If the branching structure is not flat/planar then you are dealing with Leylandii (with less chance of cones).

 

And remember Lawson's come in a whole variety of cultivars - some small, some large, some with only juvenile foliage, some with both. It's a highly variable mess but you shouldn't get any of them confused with WRC!

[Clutchy]

3 hours ago, Jon Heuch said:

Absolutely, it's a cinch. You need to look at the foliage - they are completely different. OK, you could confuse them but once you've seen them both side by side you will wonder how you ever got them confused. However, not always present, look first for cones as that is even easier. Lawson's are small globular; WRC are more cylindrical typically open at the top. No cones, go onto the foliage. WRC are both flattened branch structure but also flattened twigs. Look at the smaller leaflets - they are only on one side pointing towards the branch tip.

 

Lawson cypress. Not like that! Whilst the youngest leaves all appear on one side, further back there are more both ways. Leaflets not so obviously flattened. If the branching structure is not flat/planar then you are dealing with Leylandii (with less chance of cones).

 

And remember Lawson's come in a whole variety of cultivars - some small, some large, some with only juvenile foliage, some with both. It's a highly variable mess but you shouldn't get any of them confused with WRC!

 

I won't mix them up again 😄

 

Thanks for the tips

[Puffingbilly413]

Lawsons also has a translucent gland in the leaf that you should be able to spot when holding up to the light.

 

WRC you don't even need to have your eyes open as the pineappley smell is unmistakable.