It almost looks like it was grafted or something. Does anyone know what’s going on?
Yes! The other comments are incorrect. This is a condition known as reversion. These trees are actually a mutation of a typical conifer, known aptly as a “dwarf conifer”. Mutations are oftentimes unstable, and can revert back to their original form - that’s what has happened to this tree. One of the branches (or multiple, potentially) have reverted and it’s actually growing a normal-size conifer on those branches now. Kinda neat! But can also be very bad for the tree.
More info can be found here: https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1602
Similar things can happen with variegation in leaves (reversion, that is).
Just to add on, having genetic variation in a particular branch is also called a botanical sport, and the example in that wiki page is the same thing happening in this pic.
Imagine if this happened with people. Like they were born with dwarfism but then one arm just grew to full normal size
I saw a documentary about a woman whose arms didn’t stop growing. It was a mutation but only in her arms so it happened during embryonic development in the cells that develop into arms
The tight needles are likely just the result of aggressive trimming to keep the bush shape. The tree is still young so it got one fresh shoot outside of the trim line, once it finally got good sun it is running with it. That whole new growth section could be a single spring’s worth if the tree has good nutrients.
It’s either a trimming difference or it was grafted and the root stock part of the plant had a shoot grow up and take off.
![[OC] My neighbor's conifer tree looks like it started growing a different type.](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/c53df231-d76e-4a7c-a4b6-80c48f8aa8e2.jpeg){kind=link}