CONIFEROUS TREES: A LIST WITH A DESCRIPTION AND PHOTO

The strict outlines of conifers are always relevant in any landscape design. In the summer, they are perfectly combined with the lawn and other flowering crops, shading them favorably, and in the winter they save the plot of land with their bright branching from dullness and lifelessness. In addition, the air is infinitely endowed with clean, enriched with healing essential oils. The unjustified superstitions about banning the cultivation of such crops in private farms have sunk into oblivion. Modern gardeners no longer think their garden without evergreen decorations. And to choose the needle beauty is from what. Look at which coniferous tree is right for you.

Did you know? Conifers are leading in the list of long-lived plants. The oldest tree today is considered to be found in Sweden, the spruce tree named Old Tikko, which, according to various estimates, is more than 9,500 years old. Another old-timer, the intermountain spiny pine, Methuselah, has been growing in the USA for 4846 years. In general, for conifers, normal age is measured in thousands of years. On the globe, only 20 ancient trees are known, of which only one deciduous is a sacred ficus from Sri Lanka, which is 2,217 years old.

Spruce

Tall slender conifers of fir trees in the garden very effective in single and composite plantings. Some craftsmen construct unique hedges from them. Today's spruce is no longer just a tall culture that is familiar to us from childhood, with a cone-shaped narrow crown and dry lower branches. Regularly the range of prickly beauties is renewed by decorative varieties. For landings in home plots the following are in demand:

"Acrocona" (at a mature age it reaches a height of 3 m and a width of 4 m);
"Inversa" (spruce trees of this variety up to 7 m high and up to 2 m wide);
"Maxwellii" (is a compact tree with a height and width of up to 2 m.);
"Nidiformis" (such a spruce not more than a meter high and about 1.5 m wide);
"Ohlendorfii" (the trunk of an adult tree is pulled up to 6 m, crown with a diameter up to 3 m);
"Glauca" (spruce with blue needles, this beautiful garden decoration is often used in compositions with deciduous trees).

Fir

Fir is a magnificent tree from the Pine family (Pinaceae). Among other conifers, it is distinguished by growing up purple cones and flat needles. The needles are shiny and soft, they are dark green above and each one is marked with a white stripe below. Young saplings grow very long, and from the age of 10, development accelerates and lasts until the roots die off. Despite the prevalence of fir, many find it difficult to answer, it is a coniferous or deciduous tree. Among gardeners, varieties of decorative balsamic fir are in demand:

"Columnaris" (columnar);
"Prostrate" (branches grow horizontally, their length is up to 2.5 m);
"Nana" (tree up to 50 cm high and 1 m wide, crown rounded-flattened);
"Argenta" (silver needles, each needle has a white tip);
"Glauca" (blue needles with a waxy coating);
"Variegata" (different yellow spot on the needles).

Juniper

In the list of conifers, juniper is in the lead by bactericidal properties. The plant appeared more than 50 million years ago. Today, scientists classify it to the Cypress family and distinguish about 70 species, of which only nine are cultivated in Ukraine.

Among the juniper variety there are 30-meter giants and 15-centimeter stanits. Each of them has its own characteristics, not only in the form of crowns and hairpins, but also in the requirements for conditions and care. In the garden, such a culture will look and rockeries, and in the rock garden, and as a fence. Most often in the gardens there are common juniper varieties:

"Gold Cone" (height reaches 4 m, and the width is 1 m, the branches form a dense narrowly conical shape);
"Hibernika" (trunk of a mature tree up to 3.5 m high, crown narrow, columnar, 1 m in diameter);
"Green Carpet" (dwarf variety up to 50 cm tall and 1.5 m in volume, crown groundcover);
"Suecica" (shrub pulled up to 4 m and expands in breadth to 1 m, kolonovidnaya crown).

Important! In the garden, junipers are recommended to plant away from fruit trees, because they are the conductors of diseases such as rust. From a prophylactic point of view, fruit crops are separated by a protective strip of tall plants, regularly inspected for damage to the branch, and they are pruned to the extent necessary. The affected areas are treated with fungicides.

Cedar

Do you know what conifers are more often than others in the English aristocratic gardens? Of course, cedars. They peculiarly frame the entire landscape gardening landscape. Such trees have become an integral part of the decoration of the main entrance or the extensive lawn in front of the house. Cedars simultaneously create an atmosphere of home comfort and solemnity. In addition, dwarf forms are widely used for bonsai.

In their natural form, these trees majestically rise in the mountains at an altitude of up to 3 thousand meters above sea level and seem to be real giants. Wild breeds grow to a height of 50 m. And although humanity has known about this plant for more than 250 years, scientists still cannot come to a single number of cedar species.

Some argue that all mature trees are identical and suggest the existence of only the Lebanese breed, others additionally distinguish the Himalayan, Atlas, and short-coniferous species. In the database of the international project "Catalog of Life", which deals with the inventory of all known species of flora and fauna on the planet, information is given on the above listed species, with the exception of the short conifer.

Taking into account the experience of experts - participants in the project, who managed to collect information about 85% of all life on earth, we will adhere to their classification of all coniferous trees.

Did you know? Many bought pine nuts, loved by many, actually have nothing in common with cedar. The seeds of genuine cedar are inedible, unlike cedar pine seed. It is her name in narrow circles called Siberian cedar..

Cedar has many decorative forms, differing in the length of needles, color of needles, sizes:

"Glauca" (with blue needles);
"Vreviramulosa" (with rare long skeletal branches);
"Stricta" (columnar crown is formed by dense short branches, slightly raised upwards);
"Pendula" (branches easily fall down);
"Tortuosa" (different winding main branches);
"Nana" (dwarf variety);
"Nana Pyramidata" (undersized tree with branches aspiring upwards).

Cypress

These evergreens from the Cypress genus in their native environment grow to a height of 70 meters and very much resemble cypress trees. Through the efforts of breeders, the culture of such conifers is actively replenished with the names of new varieties that will satisfy every taste.

In landscape design, low-growing varieties are often used to create a hedge, medium trees are planted alone or in compositions, dwarfs are planted in rock gardens and mixborders. The plant fits easily into all design ensembles garden design, differs fluffy and soft needles. Hitting the needles, you will feel a pleasant touch, not a bristly tingling.

Dwarf varieties that do not exceed 360 cm in height enjoy great success with gardeners. Such popularity is due to the versatility and decorativeness of coniferous bushes. Today the most popular varieties are:

"Ericoides" (tupevidny cypress up to 1.5 m high kvopodnoy form);
"Nana Gracilis" (by the age of 10 it grows up to half a meter, the crown is round or conical);
"Ellwoodii" (a tree with a kolonovidnoy crown, transformed with age into a pyramid, by ten years grows to 1.5 m);
"Minima Aurea" (the plant belongs to the dwarf, its crown resembles a rounded pyramid);
"Compacta" (different dense branches, neat crown up to 1 m);

Important! Dwarf varieties 'Gnom', 'Minima', 'Minima glauca', 'Minima aurea' hibernate very badly. Under the snow cover they will not freeze, but they can melt. It is recommended to monitor the density of snow.

Cypress

In their natural environment, these plants are evergreen trees or shrubs with a crown in the shape of a cone or a pyramid, a slender trunk, covered with thick bark, pressed against the branches of leaves and ripening cones in the second year. Scientists know about 25 species of cypress trees, about 10 of which are used in gardening. And each of them has its own requirements and whims for growing conditions and care. Common cypress varieties:

"Benthamii" (graceful crown, blue-green needles);
"Lindleyi" (distinguished by bright green needles and large cones);
"Tristis" (crown colonic, branches grow down);
"Aschersoniana" (short form);
"Сompacta" (cypress develops in the form of a shrub, has a rounded crown and bluish needles);
"Сonica" (skittle-shaped crown and blue needles with a smoky shade, does not tolerate frost);
"Fastigiata" (stocky shape with smoky-blue needles);
"Glauca" (crown more prone to kolonovidnoy, silver needles, not cold-resistant variety).

Larch

Focusing on the name, many do not consider this tree coniferous and deeply mistaken. In fact, larch belongs to the family of Sosnovykh and is the most common breed of coniferous crops. Outwardly, this tall slender tree looks like a Christmas tree, but every autumn it throws off pine needles.

The trunk of larch in favorable conditions washes to reach a diameter of 1 m and 50 m in height. The bark is thick, covered with deep furrows of brown color. The branches grow chaotically upward under the slope, forming an auric cone-shaped crown. Needles 4 cm long, soft, flattened, bright green. Botanists distinguish 14 species of larch. The following varieties are popular in gardening:

"Viminalis" (weeping);
"Corley" (cushion);
"Repens" (with creeping branches);
"Cervicornis" (twisted branches);
"Kornik" (spherical, used as a graft on a stem);
"Blue Dwarf" (characterized by short stature and bluish needles);
"Diana" (slowly drawn up to 2 m, the crown resembles a ball, the branches are slightly spiral, the needles are smoky green);
"Stiff Weeper" (it is distinguished by long shoots creeping over the soil, needles with a bluish tint, often grafted onto a stem);
"Wolterdinger" (a dense crown-like dome develops slowly).

Pine

There are about 115 species of pine trees in the world (Pinus), but seventeen are common in Ukraine, and only eleven of them are cultivated. They differ from other coniferous pines with fragrant needles located on branches in bunches of 2 to 5 pieces each. Depending on their number, the pine species is determined.

Important! Outdoors, pine roots dry in 15 minutes. Planting pines is better to plan for April-May or mid-September.

For garden collections breeders have deduced a lot of miniature forms with slow growth. In large-scale forest-park zones, giant natural pine species are more common. In small adjoining areas and in the backyard, low-growing varieties of pine trees will look spectacular. Such evergreen bushes can be defined in a rock garden, on a lawn or in a mixborder. The popular varieties of mountain pine, which is found in the wild on the western European slopes and reaches a height of 1.5 to 12 m:

"Gnom" (characterized by a height and a crown diameter of 2 m, needles up to 4 cm long);
"Columnaris" (shrub up to 2.5 m tall and up to 3 m wide, the needles are long and dense);
"Mops" (trunk height up to 1.5 m, branches form a spherical shape);
"Mini Mops" (shrub reaches up to 60 cm, grows up to 1 m in diameter, cushion crown);
"Globosa Viridis" (height and width of a pine bush about 1 m, ovoid shape, needles up to 10 cm long).

Thuja

The ornamental ornamental cultivars are compact in virtually every botanical garden and park. RThe asthenia from the family of Cypress trees is cultivated in Ukraine exclusively as an evergreen decoration. Gardeners in a review note the resistance of the culture to rotting, severe frosts and drought.

Thuja has a powerful surface rhizome, branches growing upwards, forming the shape of a column or a pyramid, scaly dark leaves, small cones ripening in the first year. Also weeping, creeping and dwarf varieties. Of these, lead species of western thuja (occidentalis), which is characterized by a fast-growing, powerful trunk reaching a height of 7 m, and branching up to 2 m in diameter, lead. The needles of such a shrub are always green, regardless of the season. The 'Sloth of Gold' variety is distinguished by a rich orange shade of needles; in the winter, branches get a copper tide. Such specimens are best cultivated in shady areas with neutral soil.

Did you know? Thuja has spread in Europe thanks to the king of France, Francis the First, who was a fan of the unique cultures that appeared in his garden in Fontainebleau. The plant he called the "tree of life" and ordered to plant him significant areas around the palace. After 200 years thuyu already cultivated in eastern Europe. At the same time, inexperienced gardeners were often disappointed because they were growing a miracle tree from seeds, and instead of the expected Columna, they got a giant 30-meter monster with rare branches. It is such a thuja grows in its natural environment.

The dense crown in the form of a narrow 7-meter column is created by the branches of the middle-grade variety 'Columna'. It can be seen from a distance on a dark green needles with a brilliant tint that does not change neither in winter nor in summer. This tree is frost resistant, not demanding to care. For smaller gardens, compact 'Holmstrup' varieties are suitable, which grow to a height of 3 meters and branch out to a volume of up to 1 m, forming a lush conical shape of a saturated green color.

The variety has high frost resistance, tolerates pruning, is used mainly to create hedges. Gardeners consider Smaragd to be one of the best varieties of cone crown. An adult tree reaches 4 m in height and 1.5 m in width. In young specimens, branches form a narrow cone, and as it grows old it expands. Needles juicy, green with a glossy sheen. In the care requires a moist soil.

Kupressciparis

It is a very decorative evergreen tree of kolonovidnogo shape, in adulthood, reaching 20 meters in height. Shoots grow intensively, annually adding up to 1 m. The branches are covered with scaly leaves, developing in one plane. The fruits are small. For many, such a marvelous name is a discovery; therefore, in Ukraine, it is possible to meet the cupress coparis except in the areas of advanced collectors and ardent landscapers. In native Britain, where the hybrid is cultivated, it is used to create a hedge, especially since the culture easily adapts after pruning. In Ukraine, the most common varieties kupressoparisa Leyland:

"Castlewellan Gold". It is characterized by resistance to winds and frosts, not demanding to care. It has a bright golden crown. Young branches of purple shade.
"Robinson's Gold". Dense green branches form a pin-like wide crown of a bronze-yellow color.
"Leithon Green". It is a tree with a yellowish-green openwork crown. The branches are located asymmetrically, the trunk is clearly visible.
"Green Spire". Hybrid with bright yellowish leaves and slightly cocorate form.
"Haggerston Gray". Differs in loose gray-green branches.

Important! Kupressoparis grows best on fresh substrates that are sufficiently moist and mineral-rich substrates, regardless of the pH level. It is not recommended to plant a plant on overwetted or dry carbonate lands.

Cryptomeria

In Japan, this majestic coniferous giant is considered a national tree. It can be found not only in wild forests and on mountain slopes, but also in the design of park alleys. Evergreen cryptomeria grows by 150 years to a height of 60 m, in favorable conditions, its trunk does not hug - in the girth it can reach 2 m.

Branches with a light or dark shade of needles create a narrow dense crown. In some trees for the winter, the needles are poured in a reddish or yellowish tone. To the touch they are not prickly, in appearance - short, awl-shaped. Cones are round, small, brown, ripen throughout the year. Botanists classify cryptomeria to the Cypress family and single out into a single species. The Eastern origin of the culture explains its parallel names.

In the people, the tree is more often called “Japanese cedar”, which causes resentment among scientists, since it has nothing in common with cryptomeria. Also used adverbs "Shan" (Chinese) and "sugi" (Japanese). Contemplating a majestic tree in the wild, it is difficult to even imagine that it can be grown in a household farm or in an apartment. Но об этом позаботились селекционеры, создав множество декоративных карликовых форм, в высоту достигающих не более 2 м. Разновидности этих хвойных растений представлены сортами: 'Вandai-sugi', 'Еlegans compacta', 'Аraucarioides', 'Vilmoriniana', 'Dacrydioides' и шаровидные 'Сompressa', 'Globosa'.

Тис

Это вечнозеленые деревья или кустарники, принадлежащие к семейству Тисовых, с пурпурно-дымчатой корой гладкой или пластинчатой структуры и мягкими длинными иголками. Ученые различают 8 видов рода, которые распространены в Европе, Северной Америке, Африке и Восточной Азии. In Ukraine, only berry yew (European) grows in its natural environment.

The species is a large tree up to 20 m tall with reddish brown bark, lanceolate leaves with a narrowed base on short legs. On top of the needle glossy dark green, and the bottom is light matte. In the care, these representatives of coniferous trees fill up the list of undemanding crops. Yew needles are dangerous for animals, can cause severe poisoning and even death. Garden varieties of yew amaze with a wide range. Due to the good adaptability of the plant to pruning it is used to create borders and various green shapes. Each type has its own characteristics. The most common varieties:

"Aurea". Dwarfish yew up to 1 m, with dense small needles of yellow color.
"Pyramidalis". The undersized pyramidal shape becomes loose with age. The needles are longer at the base of the branches and shorter at the top. Bush height 1 m, width 1.5 m.
"Capitata". The crown in the form of a pin grows rapidly, has one or more trunks.
"Columnaris". The crown is wide columnar. With age, the top becomes wider than the base.
"Densa". Slowly growing, female plant, crown wide, flattened.
"Expansa". Crown in the form of a vase, tubeless, with an open center
"Farmen". Short yew with a wide crown and dark needles.

Did you know? Pharmaceutical companies for more than 20 years use raw yew for the manufacture of drugs for malignant tumors. Berry yew, widespread in our country, is known for its healing properties in cancer diseases of the mammary glands, ovaries, intestines, stomach, and hormonal disorders. In Europe, after trimming hedges, gardeners rent yew branches to specialized sites for further processing.

When choosing evergreen scenery for your garden or house plot, you need to know not only what coniferous trees and bushes are, the names of their species and varieties, but it is also important to understand the growth characteristics, final sizes, crown shape, development rates, care. Otherwise, instead of a luxurious decoration in the garden, you can get a highly branched monster that will create a shadow for all living things around.