Fitzroya cupressoides

Found in Chile and Argentina. Peeling, furrowed rich red-brown bark. Arching, dark-green leaves in whorls of three. In its native habitat it is an endangered species and is protected. A cross-dated age of 3622 years for a specimen from Chile was verified in 1993. This gives it the second-greatest age recorded for any living tree. Ours aren't quite this old, but still are nice, healthy plants!

If you're one of those people who wants plants to grow quickly to their mature size and then stop, this plant from central and southern Chile and Argentina is not for you. Described as the largest tree native to South America, mature trees have been compared to coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in its appearance and stature. Young trees, however, look nothing like redwood, since the foliage is fine-textured and branch tips weep softly. Most importantly (also unlike redwood), it is slow growing, so you can enjoy it in your garden for many years - many decades, even - without it getting overwhelming. And who knows, in a couple thousand years you might have something 300' tall! It will grow in sun or part shade and will appreciate average to good soil with mulch. I have heard of it tolerating temperatures below 0°F in Colorado, so it may be hardier than listed.