A selected blue-grey foliaged broadly conical evergreen totara. Attractive as a specimen tree or trimmed annually as a dense hedge. New spring growth is lime-green maturing to blue-grey. Not poisonous to animals or humans.

Broadly conical or spreading when open grown, evergreen. Huge trunks on old trees. Bark peels in long strips. Tiny fruits attract birds. Timber is prized for carving & interior joinery.

Commercial release of a new hybrid 'Chiba' P. maximowiczii x fastigiate P. nigra (backcross). Developed by Allan Wilkinson, it has a narrow fastigiate form to replace the rust infected Lombardy poplar. 'Chiba' refers to Dr. Shigeru Chiba of the Japanese Oji Pulp & Paper Company which supplied the P. maximowiczii parent that is unpalatable to rabbits and possums. Leaves develop yellow autumn colour in May and remain rust free. Cuttings 40cm, Rooted topped @ 1m.

P. maximowiczii from Hokkaido x fastigiate P. nigra from Turkey (not Lombardy). Straight stemmed, narrow crown, light branching, good for pruning, disease & possum resistance. Frost & wind tolerant, but not for coastal sites. Doing well in inland Canterbury. Wood density 336 kg/m3. Male clone, Cuttings 40cm, Rooted topped @ 1m.