Ivydene Gardens Conifer Tree Gallery:
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CONIFER TREE GALLERY PAGES
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Introduction

Conifer Tree Index
A, B, C, D, E,
F, G, H, I, J,
K, L, M, N, O,
P, Q, R, S, T,
U, V, W, XYZ

LEAF COLOUR
Black
Blue
Brown
Bronze
(o)Green
Grey
Purple
Red
Silver
Variegated White
Variegated Yellow
White
Yellow
Autumn Colour
4 Season Colour

SHAPE
(o)Columnar
Oval
Rounded
Flattened Spherical
(o)Narrow Conical
(o)Broad Conical
Egg-shaped
Broad Ovoid
Narrow Vase-shape
Fan-shaped
Broad Fan-shape
Narrow Weeping
Broad Weeping

CONE COLOUR
(o)Cone

BED PICTURES
Garden

Conifer

Height x Spread in feet (cms)

12 inches = 1 foot = 30 cms

Foliage Colour

Use

Trunk Image

Shape Image

Foliage Image

Cones Image

Abies koreana
(Korean Fir)

30 x 20
(900 x 600)

Narrow Conical

After ten years it is usually not higher than 2.5 meters.

Dark Green, Silver beneath

Best grown as a specimen tree, or in a bed - surrounded while small - with ornamental grasses and ground-hugging callunas, especially those with coloured foliage.

Cryptomeria japonica
(Japanese Cedar, Japanese red cedar, Sugi (Japanese), Liu shan (Chinese).

80 x 20
(2400 x 600)

Narrow Conical

Mid to Deep Green

Good screening tree.
The Japanese cedar is the national tree of Japan and it is often planted near temples and shrines for symbolic reasons.
Although revered in its native Japan, it is not without its drawbacks, chief among them its pollen. When the male flowers shed their pollen from February, the incidence of hayfever increases dramatically and is also known to adversely affect asthma sufferers.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Compacta'
(Japanese Cedar)

9 x 6
(270 x 180)

Broad Conical

Juvenile Dark Green turning Bronze in Winter

Useful accent plant in bed of heathers and as screen

Juniperus communis
(Common Juniper)

10 x 10
(300 x 300)

Columnar - Because of its dense cover of prickly needles, juniper provides a good nesting site for birds such as the goldcrest (Regulus regulus) and the song thrush (Turdus philomelos), and it is also important in providing winter cover for the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). The berries are eaten, and the seeds distributed, by birds such as the fieldfare (Turdus pilais), which is a seasonal migrant from Scandinavia, and the ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus).

Deep Green

Juniper foliage is eaten by mammals such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and the current excessive populations of both of these species has contributed to the current decline in juniper's distribution in the UK. The burning of moorland also limits the ability of juniper to regenerate.

Think twice about junipers if you or your neighbours grow pears. Juniper-Pear Rust is becoming a common fungus that switches between pears and junipers in alternate years. When it attacks pear leaves, they drop early and the yield of pears is reduced. In some pear-growing areas of the USA the planting of junipers is illegal.

Ground-cover. A small conical tree may make a good specimen tree but has also been known to make a good avenue.
Juniperus communis is used as an evergreen ornamental shrub in gardens.

"The colloquial name for gin - which is flavoured with juniper is 'Mother's Ruin' - is based on the juniper's ability to cause miscarriage." from The Poison Garden.

Juniperus recurva
(Himalayan weeping juniper, coffin juniper, drooping juniper, sacred juniper, chui zhi bai, chui zhu bai, xiao guo chui zhi bai, pama, pama, betar, guggal, thelu.)

30 x 15
(900 x 450)

Broad Conical

Grey-Green

Ornamental tree valued for its drooping foliage.
The male and female forms of this species are very hardy in this country if sheltered from high winds, and succeed best in a rich, stiff, loamy soil, and in a slightly-shaded situation.

Juniperus recurva 'Densa'. Correct name is Juniperus squamata.
(Dwarf Himalayan weeping juniper, Singleseed Juniper.)

2 x 4
(60 x 90)

Narrow Conical

Dark Green

Ground-cover, container and hedges.
Junipers need little pruning.

Juniperus viginiana
(Eastern redcedar, Carolina cedar, cedar, cedar apple, evergreen, juniper, pencil cedar, red cedar, red juniper, red savin, savin, Virginia cedar.)

70 x 20
(2100 x 600)

Columnar - A tree shape designed by nature to be a haven for nesting birds.

Grey-Green with Bronze cast in Autumn

Windbreak, screen or speciman. Nesting and cover for wild animals and birds

Dobbies provides the following in its Easy Guide to growing Conifers (cannot find their advice page in September 2018):-

"Conifers come in a vast range of colours and many change shade during the year. Careful choice can give you a great splash of colour in autumn and winter when most other plants are dormant. Size is determined by variety and not by size at planting. Most plant labels carry a 10-year height as part of the description.

Generally:

• [d] = dwarf, under 40cm in 10 years

• [s] = slow, under 1m in 10 years

• [m] = medium, up to 2m in 10 years

• [f] = fast, anything above that.

Growth rates vary: some grow quickly straight away (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) but then need to be kept in check; others are very slow for a time and then grow rapidly (Araucaria araucana – monkey puzzle); while some barely grow more than 2cm a year (Picea mariana ‘Nana’ – spruce).

Choosing & Planting

Conifers will tolerate most soils, but avoid planting in areas that waterlog regularly, except for Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress) and Metasequoia (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.

Before planting, remove the tree from the pot and soak the rootball in a bucket of water for about 10 minutes. Clear the area of 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 the original 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 slowrelease 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.

Recommended Plants

There are well over 1,000 different conifer cultivars to choose from; if you cannot find a specific variety that you’re looking for, there will be alternatives. When choosing conifers for a certain position, it is easier to find them by height, colour and growth habit rather than trying to remember a long Latin name. New cultivars have much more user-friendly names! Below is a list of some of the more popular cultivars, although the choice is practically endless. For more varieties, take a trip to your local garden centre or nursery, or visit www.conifers.org.uk (this domain name is for sale in September 2018).

Hedging

  Green

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Green Hedger’ [m], x Cupressocyparis leylandii [f], Taxus baccata [m], Thuja plicata ‘Atrovirens’[f], T. occidentalis Emerald [m] & ‘Brabant’ [f]

  Yellow/Gold

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Stardust’ [m], x Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Castlewellan’[ f] & ‘Gold Rider’ [f], Cupressus macro carpa ‘Goldcrest’ [f], Taxus baccata golden varieties [m], Thuja occidentalis ‘Sunkist’ [m]

  Blue/Gray

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Chilworth Silver’ [m] & ‘Pembury Blue’ [m], Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’ [f] & var. glabra [f]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Summer Snow’ [m] & Argenteovariegata’[ m], x Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Harlequin’ [f], Thuja plicata ‘Zebrina’ [m]

  Winter Color

Cryptomeria japonica Elegans Group [f] & Elegans Compacta [m]

Column (fastigiate)

  Green

hamaecyparis lawsoniana Ellwood’s Pillar [s], ‘Grayswood Feather’ [m], ‘Green Pillar’ [m], and ‘Little Spire’ [m], Cupressus sempervirens ‘Totem Pole’ [m], Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ [m]

  Yellow/Gold

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwood’s Gold’ [m], Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma’ [m], C. sempervirens ‘Swanes Gold’ [s], Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’ [s], Taxus baccata ‘Standishi’ [s]

  Blue/Gray

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pelt’s Blue’ [f], Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’ [d], J. scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’ [m], Pinus sylvestris Fastigiata Group [m]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Juniperus scopulorum ‘Silver Star’[m], Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aureomarginata’ [s], ‘Icicle’ [d] & ‘Ivory Tower’ [s]

Conal (pyramidal)

  Green

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ m, x Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Olive’s Green’ f, Picea glauca var. albertiana ‘Conica’ m & ‘Laurin’ d, Thuja occidentalis ‘Holmstrup’ m

  Yellow/Gold

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Minima Aurea’ [s], ‘Springtime’ [s] & ‘Yvonne’ [m], Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ [m]

  Blue/Gray

Abies lasiocarpa ‘Compacta’ [m], Cupressus arizonica ‘Pyramidalis’ [m], Juniperus chinensis ‘Pyramidalis’ [m], Picea glauca Alberta Blue s & ‘Sanders Blue’ s, P. pungens ‘Hoopsii’ [m] & Glauca Group [m]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Fleckellwood’ [m], ‘Snow White’ [m] & ‘Summer Snow’ [m], Juniperus chinensis ‘Variegata’ [m], Picea glauca ‘J. W. Daisy’s White’ [s]

  Bronze / Purple / Winter Color

Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Ericoides’ [s], ‘Rubicon’ [s] & ‘Top Point’ [s]

Trimming & Pruning

Correctly chosen, most conifers only require a light clip in late summer with secateurs or shears to keep the shape correct. Despite popular myth, x Cupressocyparis leylandii only need one trim a year, preferably in July. Untrimmed fast-growing hedging plants are a social menace, so be a good neighbour and keep them in check. Junipers benefit from occasional radical pruning and most will reshoot from the old wood. However, as with most conifers, don’t let them get too large before pruning otherwise you will have unsightly brown wood for a year or two.

Bushy

  Green

Abies balsamea Hudsonia Group d, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ s, Pinus mugo varieties s, Tsuga canadensis ‘Jeddeloh’ s

  Yellow/Gold

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Fernspray Gold’ [m], ‘Nana’ [d], ‘Nana Aurea’ [s] & ‘Nana Lutea’ [s], C. pisifera ‘Filifera Nana’ [s] & ‘Sungold’ [s], Pinus densiflora ‘Alice Verkade’ [m], Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ [s], T. plicata ‘Whipcord’ [m]

  Blue/Gray

Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’ [m] & ‘Squarrosa Lombarts’ [m], Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’ [m], J. squamata ‘Blue Star’ [d]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Nana Albospica’ [s], C. pisifera ‘Snowflake’ [d], Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan-sugi’ [m], J. x pfitzeriana ‘Sulphur Spray’ [m]/[p]>

  Bronze / Purple / Winter Color

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Compacta [s], Juniperus horizontalis ‘Andorra Compact’ [d], Podocarpus ‘Blaze’ [d] & ‘County Park Fire’ [d], Platycladus orientalis ‘Rosedalis’ [s]

Ball (glubose)

  Green

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Gnome’ [d], ‘Green Globe’ [d] & ‘Minima Glauca’ [s], Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ [d], P. glauca ‘Alberta Globe’ [d], Thuja occidentalis ‘Danica’ [d]

  Yellow/Gold

Platycladus orientalis ‘Aurea Nana’ [s], Thuja occidentalis ‘Amber Glow’ [d], ‘Golden Globe’ [s] & ‘Golden Tuffet’ [d]

  Blue/Gray

Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Curly Tops’ [s], Picea mariana ‘Nana’ [d], P. pungens ‘Globosa’ [s]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pygmaea Argentea’ [d], C. pisifera ‘Nana Aureovariegata’ [d] & ‘Plumosa Compressa’ [d], Cryptomeria japonica ‘Golden Promise’ [d]

  Bronze / Purple / Winter Color

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Compressa’ [d] & ‘Vilmoriniana’ [d], Thuja occidentalis ‘Teddy’ [d]

Ground Cover (prostrate / semi-prostrate) -- Growth rates differ to width

  Green

Juniperus communis ‘Green Carpet’ [s], ‘Hornibrookii’ [m] & ‘Repanda’ [m], J. x pfitzeriana ‘Mint Julep’ [m], J. rigida subsp. conferta [m], J. sabina ‘Tamariscifolia’ [m]

  Yellow/Gold

Juniperus horizontalis ‘Golden Carpet’ [d], J. x pfitzeriana ‘Carberry Gold’ [m], ‘Gold Coast’ [m] & Golden Joy’ [s]

  Blue/Gray

Cedrus deo ‘Feelin’ Blue’ [m], Juniperus horizontalis ‘Blue Chip’ [m] & Glauca Group [m], J. squamata ‘Blue Carpet’ [m]

  Variegated / White Tipped

Juniperus chinensis ‘Expansa Aureospicata’ [m], J. squamata ‘Holger’ [s], Taxus baccata ‘Repens Aurea’ [m]

  Bronze / Purple / Winter Color

Juniperus horizontalis ‘Andorra Compact’ [s] & ‘Winter Blue’ [m], Microbiota decussata [m], Taxus baccata ‘Corleys Coppertip’ [m]

Trimming & Pruning

Few gardens rely solely on flowers for year-round interest; they also need a structure of different plant shapes, colours and textures to provide a background and maintain year-round appeal. Conifers are ideal because they are available in so many forms, are hardy, easy to care for and long-living.

• Hedges in a variety of growth rates and colour give privacy, provide habitats for wildlife, absorb traffic noise and pollution, screen unsightly objects and create a backdrop for the garden (see our leaflet Making Gardens Beneficial to Wildlife for advice on planting a hedge).

• Ground cover can be provided by fast- or slow-growing prostrate conifers used to edge ponds, paths or borders; cover unsightly areas; and suppress weeds. They can act as a foil for bulbs, flowers and grasses.

• Specimens planted in the centre of a lawn, in a corner, in a tub or in a border or rockery can add structural interest to a garden.

• Containers: miniature and dwarf conifers suit container planting and will last five years or more in the same pot with a minimum of attention. Just water in summer, give an occasional trim and an annual feed of slow-release fertiliser. Low troughs can be underplanted with miniature bulbs and bedding plants. Plant a single conifer in patio planters to give height or a combination of different shapes, textures and colours for an all-round display. Use prostrate junipers in place of trailing plants.

• Borders can benefit from the graceful, arching foliage of pendulous conifers or upright-growing specimens. Plant with other shrubs, phormiums, heathers or grasses for a long-lasting border.

• Water features: conifers are excellent planted beside water as their strong shapes make wonderful reflections. They also hide the edges of pond liners and break up fixed lines of vision.

• Mixed plantings: conifers can be used with other plants to give year-round interest and colour: dwarf conifers live happily alongside other plants in containers, or by themselves as specimens. Try them with winter bedding and early spring bulbs and flowers, which can then be swapped for summer bedding. Heathers and hardy cyclamen also make a great combination."

Site design and content copyright ©January 2007. Page structure amended November 2012. Completed change from adding a page to mapping and thus changing that page to the desired plant description page and index details, September 2018. Chris Garnons-Williams.

DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site.  

Book preview by The Royal Horticultural Society:-

"Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Conifers: A Comprehensive Guide to Cultivars and Species by Aris G. Auders and Derek P. Spicer 2 volumes
ISBN 9781907057151 Published in July 2012

The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia is a much needed reference book on conifer cultivars and species, both hardy and tropical. The two volumes of this extensive and lavishly illustrated 1,500-page work feature about 8,000 cultivars, over 5,000 photographs and all of the world’s 615 conifer species, plus their subspecies and varieties."

A Tree a Day provides lists of trees ( click on name in each list to get details and photo ) suitable for:-

• Acid Soils
• Clay Soils
• Poor Soils
• Seashore
• Dry Soils
• Cold Soils
• Wet Soils and
• Alkaline Soils.