Conifers for Any Size Landscape

If you want the form, texture, and permanence of a conifer but not the size, try these more manageable options

Evergreen conifersprovide the bones for any landscape . They provide a variety of colors , texture and habits all year long . Whileconifersare sometimes relegate to the bum or boundary of a property where they politelyscreenout nosy neighbor or unkempt yard , these works can make howling additions to all component of a garden . Unfortunately , many coinage ofpine , spruce , true fir , and other evergreen plant conifers are just too big for today ’s smaller landscape . But gardeners , do n’t despair ! An infinite phone number of little , more doable selection offer the same suitable attributes as their larger cousins . Below are some exciting , various introductions that will addyear - round interestto any garden .

Colorful Options Abound

‘Pusch’ Norway spruce offers pretty cones on a petite plant

Norway spruce ( Piceaabies , Zones 3–8 ) is a staple in the nursery industry , commonly used for screening or delineating dimension bank line . And rightfully so , for they are super - hardy , long-lasting evergreen plant trees that produce wonderful , attractive cones . But what chance is that the 6- to 7 - pes - tall plant we initially install quickly become 60- to 70 - foot - tall , hungry behemoths that are way too handsome for most landscapes . The endearing , midget excerption ‘ Pusch ’ ( P. abies‘Pusch ’ ) is the epitome of “ Honey , I shrunk the kids . ” This little gem is just as brave as the species and is everlasting for the front of a sunny delimitation . Best of all , in saltation , virtually every stem is adorn with a miniature reddish cone cell that finally twist a lovesome tan , providing time of year - prospicient stake . It is a arrant , whimsical addition to a diminished , sun - drenched garden .

Zones:3–7

Size:2 metrical foot tall and 3 feet wide

Conditions : Full sunshine ; well - drained soil

Upright Japanese plum yew invites eye-level inspection

All too often , garden beds are made up of similar - shaped plants that one ’s eye lean to quickly skim over . lend a erect idiom to a bed will break up the humdrum , stop the oculus , and further closer inspection . Many conifers add erectness , but one of the well-to-do to grow is upright Nipponese plum tree yew ( Cephalotaxusharringtonia‘Fastigiata ’ ) . Each glum green column is made up of thick , rubberlike phonograph needle that glow around the stems to resemble bottlebrushes . As the plants mature , they take on more of an vertical , vase - form habit . And for those of us who would love to grow yew ( Taxusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) but know better thanks to Bambi and friends , plum tree yew are — dare I say it — deer repellent ! And if you have a tight space or light shaded corner , this plant life will rise to the challenge .

Zones:6–9

Size:8 to 10 feet grandiloquent and 4 feet wide-cut

Conditions : Partial wraith ; moist , well - drain soil

‘Firefly’ Oriental spruce glows all year long

For those gardeners who enjoy golden - yellow highlights year - pear-shaped , ‘ Firefly ’ Oriental spruce ( Picea orientalis‘Firefly ’ is certain to add a electric discharge to any landscape . ‘ Firefly ’ , a seedling of the large selection ‘ Skylands ’ , offers the same superb show as its mother , only in a smaller package . And , unlike most kids , ‘ Firefly ’ behaves in the garden , becoming a glowing , dense , conelike bush . While its namesake worm use a twinkling sluttish show to attract mates , ‘ lightning bug ’ uses its glowing color to charm novel admirers .

Zones:4–8

Size:6 foundation magniloquent and 4 foot wide

Conditions : Full Lord’s Day ; moist , well - drained stain

‘Mini Twists’ Eastern white pine has a unique look

easterly whitened pine tree ( Pinusstrobus , Zones 3 to 8) is a common evergreen plant aboriginal to the eastern United States and is well bonk for its many exciting cultivars . ‘ Mini Twists ’ ( P. strobus‘Mini Twists ’ ) is a distinctive nanus introduction that offers soft , blue - green needles that graciously writhe and curved shape . These unusual needles allow wonderful textural sake and line that draw in any passerby and advance a brief caress . Older specimens will be dense and take on a globose , pretty pyramidal form that ’s perfect for a outer space - challenged landscape .

Zones:2–8

Size:2 to 3 feet magniloquent and 3 feet panoptic after 10 years

‘Gebelle’s Golden Spring’ Colorado spruce is showiest in spring

Colorado spruce ( Picea pungens , Zones 3–8 ) is in the main used for screening or as a slowly - grow specimen . citizenry savour its “ Christmas tree ” drug abuse and unremarkably set them in the front curtilage and after Thanksgiving will decorate them with festive lights . ‘ Gebelle ’s Golden Spring ’ ( P. pungens‘Gebelle ’s Golden Spring ’ ) order on its own light show each May when the new growth burst forth a yell yellowish color , steal the show in the spring garden . This brilliant display will remain efficacious for several workweek until summer draw close and the needles mellow to blue - green .

Zones:3–8

Size:6 feet tall and 4 feet wide-eyed after 10 years

‘Whipcord’ Western arborvitae is as cool to touch as it is to look at

Another “ touchy - feely ” dwarf conifer is ‘ Whipcord ’ Western arborvitae ( Thujaplicata‘Whipcord ’ ) which boast dark unripe , spaghetti - like , pendulous branch . The effect is reminiscent of a 1960s fiber - optic lamp , with branches exploding dramatically from the center of each plant . This groovy plant life form a dense , rounded mound of arching stems that summate a delicate textural dividing line to bold - allow plants . As frigid conditions curing in , the leafage takes on bronze tones . So let your inner flower child bloom and add this cool cat to your garden .

Zones:5–7

Size:3 to 4 groundwork tall and wide

‘Morgan’ Oriental arborvitae changes its look with the season

‘ Morgan ’ Oriental arborvitae ( Thuja orientalis‘Morgan ’ ) also creates a spectacular result . In spring and summer , this upright piano , columnar conifer produces flat sprays of lustrous chartreuse foliage that is utile for breaking up a ocean of green . As wintertime attack , the leaf of ‘ Morgan ’ transitions to a full-bodied , rusty orange , adding much - needed color to the sorry wintertime landscape .

Zones:5–8

Size:3 feet improbable and 18 to 24 inch broad

Conifer

‘Pusch’

‘Kohout’s Icebreaker’ is a definite conversation starter

Incorporating plants that play as accent and focal points is a valuable style to draw the eye . Such plant need not be big to be effective , as prove by ‘ Kohout ’s Icebreaker ’ Korean fir ( Abies koreana‘Kohout ’s iceboat ’ ) , in the first place discovered as a witch ’s broom on the large ‘ Horstmann ’s Silberlocke ’ ( A. koreana‘Horstmann ’s Silberlocke ’ , geographical zone 5–8 ) . Even though this gem is only the size of it of a basketball , its shimmering ash gray color easily grabs the oculus and demand find . Each phonograph needle unambiguously curves around a root to reveal its bright silvery underside that form bubbles in the sunlight like a mirror chunk at a discotheque .

Size:1 to 2 feet tall and full

designation

‘Pusch’ Norway spruce

‘Pusch’

You Can’t Just Call Them All“Pine Trees”

ascertain what variety of conifer you are looking at can be tricky , but just take a close flavour at the foliage . Here is a flying guide .

➨Pine

( Pinusspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–9 ): Multiple needle emerging from one place on offshoot , ordinarily in clump of two , three , or five . To remember : Pine needle derive in packages .

➨Spruce

( Piceaspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–8 ): Stiff , bristly needles that are four - sided , so they roll out easily between your finger . To think back : Spruce is square and sharp .

➨Fir

( Abiesspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ): Needles are softer and two - sided , so they do n’t roll as easily . Often they have distinctive whitened business line on the undersides of the needles , are arranged comblike on branches , and have a pleasant , citrusy fragrance when crush . To remember : fir are flat and friendly to the touch ( sort of ) .

Andy Brand is a horticulturist and the nursery manager at Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden , Connecticut .

Photos : Steffen Hauser / botanikfoto / Alamy Stock Photo ; Richard Bloom ; courtesy of Adam Wheeler / Broken Arrow Nursery ; millettephotomedia.com ; Doreen Wynja ; Steven Cominsky

Upright Japanese plum yew

Sources

busted Arrow Nursery , Hamden , CT ; 203 - 288 - 1026;brokenarrownursery.com

Conifer Kingdom , Silverton , OR ; 503 - 874 - 4123;coniferkingdom.com

‘Firefly’ Oriental spruce

Gossler Farms Nursery , Springfield , OR ; 541 - 746 - 3922;gosslerfarms.com

Klehm ’s Song Sparrow Farm & Nursery , Avalon , WI ; 608 - 883 - 2356 ; songsparrow.com

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