10 facts about Conifers!

Conifers come in a variety of colours, not just green: they can be red, bronze, yellow or even blue.

The colour of a Conifer can be influenced by the temperature of its habitat, for example, the Thuja 'Rheingold' is a yellowy-red in the summer and turns to bronze in the winter while the Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' is a greeny-red in the summer and turns to a bronzy-red in the winter.

Conifers come in all different sizes, from the 30 centimetre Juniperus communis 'Compacta' which is small in comparison to the 125 metre Redwoods which give us the tallest and largest trees in the world and can be found growing in California.

Conifers can be many different shapes for example, flat and hugging the ground (Juniperis horizontalis), arrow-shaped (Taxodium or the Swamp cypress), tiered (Cedar) and globe shaped (Thuja occidentalis 'Globose).

Most Conifers are evergreen, but what many people don't know is that there are 5 genus which are deciduous: they are the Larix, Pseudolarix, Metasequoia, Taxodium, and the Glyptostrobus.

Conifers have 2 different types of leaves, needles and scales, but the Juniperus can have both juvenile and adult foliage depending on its age (it can change from needles to scales over time).

Conifers grow in either temperate or tropical climates: however the Araucaria genus (Monkey Puzzle Tree) can be found in both temperate and tropical climates.

Conifers are usually found in either the Northern or the Southern hemisphere, for example, Pinus sylvestris grows in the Northern hemisphere and the Agathis australis grows in the Southern hemisphere.

Conifers can be found growing at any height from sea level right up to alpine conditions for example the Pinus mugo grow on the mountains of Central Europe.

The Pinus aristata (longeava) is found in the white and Rocky Mountain ranges in the USA and has been carbon ring-dated as the oldest living tree in the world.

 

Planting your Conifers

Conifers will tolerate most soils, but avoid planting in areas that waterlog regularly, except Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress) and Metasequola (dawn redwood), A very chalky soil will suit Taxus (yew), some junipers and pines. Local climate, such as areas of high or low rainfall, can affect height and spread. To help you choose the right conifer for your garden, take a browse through our range below.

Before planting, remove the tree from the pot and soak the rootball in a bucket of water for about 10 minutes. Clear the planting area of any weeds. Make the planting hole about twice the size of the rootball: the top of the rootball should be just 2.5cm below ground level.

Refill the planting hole with soil mixed with peat coir or very well rotted compost. Do not use nitrogenous fertilisers such as poultry or horse manure or bedding plant compost as this usually contains fast release fertiliser, which can damage conifer roots. One or two feeds with a slow release fertiliser will be quite enough to maintain growth. Give enough water to keep the rootball moist but not waterlogged in the early years after planting.

  • Abies concolor

    White fir. An evergreen conifer with bluish-green soft leaves that point upwards. Cones are mid green ripening to brown. Height 25m. Spread 5m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Plant in hole large enough to avoid disturbing root ball.

  • Abies concolor Archers Dwarf

    Dwarf evergreen conifer of regular, conical habit adorned with slightly ascending branches clothed in soft, silvery-blue, slightly incurved needles.

  • Abies concolor Wintergold

    Seasonally variable dwarf selection of White fir. In early spring, new growth pushes bright chartreuse-green which contrasts wildly with the previous seasons butter-yellow needles. Later the new growth matures to dark green, then finally changes back to all butter-yellow with the onset of colder weather in the fall. The needles are of species-typical size, long and lance-shaped. Branching is horizontal in nature.

  • Abies fraseri

    Medium sized tree with slender, conical crown. Leaves short, 1-2cm long, crowded on the upper side of the twigs. Dark shining leaves with 3-5cm cones that are purple when young. A good bushy non drop Christmas tree.

  • Abies grandis

    Giant fir. Grand fir. A very fast-growing tree with soft. shiny, dark green leaves whitish on the reverse. Cones long green, ripening to brown. A very fast-growing tree with soft, shiny, dark green leaves, with whitish green underneath. Cones cylindrical, green ripening to brown. Height 25-60m. Spread 5-8m. Evergreen. Hardy. Lemon scented needles.

  • Abies koreana

    Korean fir. A small slow growing tree with shiny, dark green leaves, silver beneath. Cones cylindrical, violet-blue. A tree with soft, shiny, dark green leaves, with whitish green underneath. Cones cylindrical, green ripening to brown. Height 10m. Spread 6m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Abies lasiocarpa Arizonica Compacta

    Arizona cork bark fir. A compact, dense bush with silvery blue leaves. The foliage turning silver in midsummer. A very fast-growing tree with soft, shiny, dark green leaves, with whitish green underneath. Cones cylindrical, green ripening to brown. Height 80cm. Spread 40cm. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Abies nordmanniana

    Caucasian fir. A slow-growing tree with a spreading habit. Excellent winter colour. Height 10m. Spread 1.4m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Abies pinsapo Glauca

    Large but slow-growing conifer with rigid shoots covered in striking powder-blue needles. Purple cones in autumn make an attractive contrast to the blue foliage. A good specimen tree with year-round interest. Mature height and spread in 20-50 years, 12m x 6m (39ft x 20ft).

  • Araucaria araucana

    Monkey Puzzle. A slow growing upright conifer with evergreen spirally arranged sharp pointed leaves. Height 15-25m. Spread 7-10m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Cedrus atlantica Glauca

    Blue Atlas Cedar. Spectacular bright silver-blue tree with sharply pointed needle-like leaves. Cones barrel-shaped green at first becoming brown. Ultimately a large tree. Height 30m. Spread 10m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Cedrus atlantica Glauca Compacta

    A compact shrub form of Atlantic Cedar. Leaves are green and very thick. Plant grows about 6 inches a year.

  • Cedrus atlantica Glauca Pendula

    Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar. Spectacular bright silver-blue tree with sharply pointed needle-like leaves. Cones barrel-shaped green at first becoming brown. Ultimately a large tree. Height 6m. Spread 5m. Evergreen. Hardy. Completely lax habit. Stunning near water.

  • Cedrus atlantica Glauca Pendula 1/4 Std

    Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar. Spectacular bright silver-blue tree with sharply pointed needle-like leaves. Cones barrel-shaped green at first becoming brown. Evergreen. Hardy. Completely lax habit. Stunning near water.

  • Cedrus brevifolia

    A compact shrub form of Atlantic Cedar. Leaves are green and very thick. Plant grows about 6 inches a year.

  • Cedrus deodara

    Deodara Cedar. Beautiful large conical tree with spreading branches, pendant at the tips. Glaucous green needle-like leaves and barrel-shaped cones, green at first ripening brown. Height 30m. Spread 10m. Evergreen.

  • Cedrus deodara Aurea

    Golden Deodara Cedar. Beautiful small tree with spreading branches, pendant at the tips. Yellow needle-like leaves in spring becoming greenish-yellow later in the year and barrel-shaped cones, green at first ripening brown. Height 8m. Spread 3m. Evergreen. Hardy. Much smaller and slower growing than other varieties.

  • Cedrus deodara Blue Triumph

    Large, quick growing evergreen coniferous tree. Whilst young shape is pyramidal, however with age the plant bushes but will still retain some of its original form, branches are slightly draping. Overall colour is green, new growth can have a hint of blue.

  • Cedrus deodara Feelin Blue

    A new hybrid blue coloured weeping cedar. A statuesque shapely tree that forms the principle piece in any garden. Eventual height 30m spread 15m.

  • Cedrus deodara Golden Horizon

    Deodara Cedar. Beautiful large tree with spreading branches, pendant at the tips. Golden yellow needle-like leaves and barrel-shaped cones, green at first ripening brown. Height 15-25m. Spread 10m. Evergreen.

  • Cedrus deodara Pendula

    Blue Atlas Cedar. Spectacular bright silver-blue tree with sharply pointed needle-like leaves. Cones barrel-shaped green at first becoming brown. Ultimately a large tree. Height 30m. Spread 10m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Cedrus libani

    Cedar of Lebanon. An elegant tree with wide-spreading branches, conical when young, flat-topped when old. Sharply pointed grey-green leaves. Barrel-shaped green-brown cones. Height 40m. Spread 10m. Evergreen.

  • Cephalotaxus harringtonia Fastigiata

    Cowtail Pine. Plum Yew. An erect form of this coniferous shrub, bearing sharp pointed dark green leaves. Height 5m. Spread 5m. Fruits from September Evergreen. Hardy. Sheltered Site.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Columanaris

    Lawson Cypress. A narrow pillar with ascending branches of bluish grey leaves. One of the best narrow conifers for the small garden. Height 10m. Spread 1m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Ellwood's Gold

    Lawson Cypress. A neat compact slow-growing bush with light green leaves tipped with yellow. Height in 10 years 1.2m. Evergreen.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Ellwoodii

    Lawson Cypress. A neat compact slow-growing bush with feathery sprays of blue-grey leaves, densely arranged. Height in ten years 1.5m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Ivonne

    Lawson Cypress. Medium sized evergreen, coniferous tree that has a conical form with golden yellow foliage.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Lane

    Lawson Cypress. A broadly pyramidal shaped form with bright golden yellow foliage. Needs space to grow well. Height 2.5m. Spread 1.2m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Minima Glauca

    Lawson Cypress. Compact dwarf globular bush with fan shaped sprays of blue-green soft foliage. Height 60cm. Spread 60cm. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Stardust

    Lawson Cypress. A slow-growing conical tree with fern-like yellow foliage suffused bronze at the tips. Height 6-15m. Spread 2-3m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Glauca

    Hinoki Cypress. An dwarf conifer, slowly making a neat, flat-topped bush of minute, dark green, fan-shaped sprays, arranged in horizontal tiers. Height 60-90cm. Spread 60cm. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Gracilis

    Hinoki Cypress. A slow-growing tree making an irregular globe-shaped bush, eventually becoming more pyramidal with twisted sprays of rich, dark green foliage. Height 60-90cm. Spread 60cm. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Gracilis Cloud

    Hinoki Cypress. An dwarf conifer, slowly making a neat, flat-topped bush of minute, dark green, fan-shaped sprays, arranged in horizontal tiers. Height 60-90cm. Spread 60cm. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Chamaecyparis pisifera Boulevard

    Sawara Cypress. An attractive bush with soft to touch, bright steel blue foliage, becoming purple-tinted in winter. Height 2-5m. Spread 1.2m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Cryptomeria japonica Elegans

    Japanese Cedar. A coniferous tree with soft bluish green young foliage turning red-brown in winter and brown female cones. Height 6-10m. Spread 2m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Cryptomeria japonica Globosa Nana Ball

    Japanese Cedar. A dwarf, dense, flat topped bush of slow growth. Needles of deep blueish green in summer turning rusty red in winter. Height 2-4'. Spread 2.5-3.5'. Plant in sun or part shade.

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