Q.Root or trunk?
After three nurseries I’ve possibly identified this tree as a Carolina Sapphire Cypress. None of them could tell me if this was a root, or part of the trunk. It was above the rootball in the container when I purchased the tree.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Both. It appears where the root meets the trunk, and that it underwent quite a bit of stress at the start of life. Likely the seedling got moved early on and started to regrow according to its new orientation.
Sometimes this can happen when a container gets knocked over and neglected for quite a long time, leaving the tree to grow in a new direction.
It is best to bury that underground at the time of planting, but digging it up to change that now would be quite stressful on the tree. I would leave it like it is,or mound up some soil or mulch. Not much, but just enough to cover that portion.
This article will help you to care for Cypress: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/cypress/growing-cypress-trees.htm
Thank you for the prompt reply. I found out this tree was shipped to my zone in error and won’t survive an Ohio winter.
I was going to dig it up and ship it to my son in OR. Now, with your advice, to leave her alone, I need to decide which option is the worst case scenario?
