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.

  • Metasequoia glyptostroboides Goldrush

    Swamp Redwood. A neat narrow deciduous conical tree with bright green, feathery leaves turning gold in autumn. Produces brown round cones. Height 20-40m. Spread 5m. Deciduous. Hardy. Good in wet places.

  • Picea abies

    Norway Spruce. A tall coniferous tree of pyramidal habit forming a cylindrical shape in time, with needle-like, dark green leaves. Height 12m. Spread 2m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Picea abies Nidiformis

    Norway Spruce. A flat-topped, bushy conifer of spreading habit forming a series of tight, horizontal branches with needle-like, dark green leaves. Height 1.5m. Spread 3-4m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Picea abies Pendula

    Norway Spruce. A tall coniferous tree of pyramidal habit forming a cylindrical shape in time, with needle-like, dark green leaves. Height 12m. Spread 2m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Picea glauca Albertiana Conica

    White Spruce. A neat ball-shaped dwarf conifer, very attractive in later spring when it is covered with bright green shoots. Height in 10 years 1m. Evergreen. Hardy. If kept in a pot this conifer requires regular feeding and watering.

  • Picea glauca Conical

    White Spruce. A neat cone-shaped dwarf conifer, very attractive in later spring when it is covered with bright green shoots. Height in 10 years 1m. Evergreen. Hardy If kept in a pot this conifer requires regular feeding and watering.

  • Picea pungens

    This is one of the most handsome of the spruces, with icy-blue/silver foliage and layered horizontal branches on a conical structure, to make a fine Christmas tree form. The younger needles are more silver, while the older needles tend towards dark green. This brings out the layered shape of the tree and makes it particularly attractive seen in the distance. The tree grows to around 3m in ten to twenty years.

  • Picea pungens Blue Diamond

    Colorado Spruce. A conical conifer with horizontal, dense branches of silver-blue foliage. Height 3m. Spread 1.5m Evergreen. Hardy. Very slow growing. 1m in 5 years.

  • Picea pungens Fat Albert

    Dense, broad, upright pyramidal shape with closely-spaced, ascending branches and steel blue needle colour. Height: 10 to 15 feet. Spread: 7 to 10 feet. Full sun.

  • Picea pungens Glauca

    Colorado Spruce. A conical conifer with horizontal, dense branches of steel blue young foliage. Height 15-25m. Spread 5m. Evergreen. Hardy. Useful as a Christmas tree as there is no needle drop.

  • Picea pungens Glauca Superblue

    Dense, broad, upright pyramidal shape with closely-spaced, ascending branches and steel blue needle colour. Height 10 to 15 feet. Spread 7 to 10 feet. Full sun.

  • Picea pungens Globosa

    Lovely low growing and spreading conifer with dramatic eye catching and rather striking blue grey foliage, making it a natural focal point plant. Height and spread in 20 - 50 years, 1.5m x 2m (5ft x 7ft).

  • Picea pungens Hoopsii

    Colorado Spruce. A conical conifer with widely spaced branches of silver-grey leaves in winter and silver-blue in summer. Height 2.5m. Spread 1.2m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Picea pungens Superblue

    Colorado Spruce. A conical conifer with horizontal, dense branches of steel blue young foliage. Height 15-25m. Spread 5m. Evergreen. Hardy. Useful as a Christmas tree as there is no needle drop.

  • Pinus densiflora Draconis

    Japanese Red Pine. A rounded broadly spreading conifer forming an umbrella-shaped crown. Height 4m. Spread 6m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Pinus densiflora Oculus Draconis

    Small, flat-topped, upright tree-form of Japanese red pine with species-typical branching and long, variegated needles, each having 2 bands of yellow alternating with the typical green.

  • Pinus densiflora Umbraculifera

    Japanese Red Pine. A rounded broadly spreading conifer forming an umbrella-shaped crown. Height 4m. Spread 6m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Pinus heldreichii Compact Gem

    Dwarf Mountain Pine. A dwarf rounded conifer with short dense light green needle-like leaves. Height 75cm. Spread 75cm. Evergreen. Frost hardy.

  • Pinus heldreichii Little Dracula

    Bosnian Pine. A slow-growing conifer with dense clusters of deep green leaves. Height 3m. Spread 2m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Pinus mugo Gnom

    Dwarf Mountain Pine. A rounded conifer with bright green, needle-like leaves. Produces dark brown cones. Height 3.5m. Spread 5m. Evergreen. Frost hardy.

  • Pinus mugo Humpy

    Dwarf Mountain Pine. A dwarf neat conifer with short dense bright green needle-like leaves. Prominent purple-brown winter buds. Height 30cm. Spread 60cm. Evergreen. Frost hardy. Planting instructions Back fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Pinus mugo Klosterkotter

    Dwarf Japanese Mountain Pine. Compact globose plant, deep green foliage, 80 x 80cm in 10 years.

  • Pinus mugo Mops

    Dwarf Mountain Pine. A dwarf rounded conifer with short dense light green needle-like leaves. Prominent brown winter buds. Height 75cm. Spread 75cm. Evergreen. Frost hardy. Planting instructions Back-fill with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Pinus mugo Mughus

    Dwarf Mountain Pine. A rounded, many-branched, dwarf, conifer with bright green, needle-like leaves. Produces dark brown cones. Height 0.5m. Spread 0.5m. Evergreen. Frost hardy.

  • Pinus mugo Varella

    Dwarf Golden Mountain Pine. A rounded conifer with bright green, needle-like leaves in summer which turn golden in winter making this a small golden mound of colour in winter months. Slow growing, 1 metre in 10 years.

  • Pinus mugo Winter Gold

    Dwarf Golden Mountain Pine. A rounded conifer with bright green, needle-like leaves in summer which turn golden in winter making this a small golden mound of colour in winter months. Slow growing, 1 metre in 10 years.

  • Pinus nigra Austriaca

    Corsican Pine. A narrowly conical conifer with green needle-like leaves. Produces yellow-brown cones. Height 30m. Spread 6-8m. Evergreen. Hardy.

  • Pinus nigra Green Tower

    Dark-green foliage on this narrow, upright pine is very dense. The large, whitish buds in winter and early spring look very handsome among the needles.

  • Pinus nigra Green Tower

    Dark-green foliage on this narrow, upright pine is very dense. The large, whitish buds in winter and early spring look very handsome among the needles.

  • Pinus nigra Nana

    Dwarf Black Pine. A rounded conifer with rigid dark green needle-like leaves. Produces yellow-brown cones. Height 1m. Spread 1m. Evergreen.

  • Pinus nigra Pierrick Bregeon (Brepo) 1/4 Std

    European Black Pine. A rounded conifer with rigid dark green needle-like leaves. Produces yellow-brown cones. Height 30m. Spread 6-8m. Evergreen. Hardy. Planting instructions Back-fil with soil mixed with peat and a suitable fertiliser.

  • Pinus parviflora Glauca

    Japanese White Pine. A spreading conifer with blue-green needle-like, twisted leaves. Produces red-brown cones. Evergreen.

  • Pinus parviflora Saphir

    Japanese White Pine. A spreading conifer with blue-green needle-like, twisted leaves. Produces red-brown cones. Evergreen.

  • Pinus parviflora Templehof

    It has a great open branching habit with bluish-grey-green, twisted needles. A pine that forms tufts at the tips of its branchlets. This variety is primarily used as an accent piece in the landscape because of its unusual form. Prefers full sun, well drained soils with average moisture. A slow grower. It is a medium sized tree with a broad shape. Conical. Reaching anywhere from 8 to 10 feet.

  • Pinus Pinea

    Stone Pine. A spreading conifer with twisted glossy green needle-like leaves. Produces brown cones. Height 15-20m. Spread 6-9m. Evergreen. A slow growing pine that can be used to block overlooking windows or unsightly views. Ideal for creating an Italian feel to a space.

  • Pinus strobus Fastigiata

    Narrowly upright and columnar when young, developing a wider character with age. Has long thin bluish needles. Makes a very handsome and ornamental specimen. Full sun is best. Can attain a height of 50 feet (15m) in a lifetime. Ultimately about three times as tall as wide.

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