Who says that conifers are boring, never a good look. There are huge differences. Their leaves are long and narrow (needles) or discontinuous. They are all over the world. Most keep their leaves year round. These are the main timber suppliers in the world and as ornamental trees, they are essential. The huge differences in shape, size and color by growers around the world turned a thousand fold.
A great color range
Conifers are not just green. They come in all colors and even some discoloration throughout the year. But who wants to compose their colors, has tremendous choice.
As an example just a few of the dozens of cultivars but one conifer species (of the 650 that exist), namely Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Alumii’ has blue-gray scales, “Ellwoodii ‘steel blue-gray leaves,’ Erecta ‘bright green twigs,” Lutea “golden scales,” stewartii “is gold, but older twigs are green,” Wisselii ‘has dark-like tufts at the ends of the twigs.
Why boring? And there are not only huge leaf color differences: bark, cones (sometimes purple), flowers (sometimes bright red) and (apparent) berries (think of the blue juniper) also play their role.
We pick out a few
The conical Abies procera ‘Glauca’ with its bluish-gray needles will eventually only a few meters high. Even though young trees are 20-25 cm long, upright cones. This cultivar is sometimes a blue Christmas tree (with root) purchased. Not suitable for chalky soil.
Cedrus deodara ‘Golden Horizon’ is a ground cover, yellow signal term cultivar of up to 60 m high himalajaceder to include in the mountains of Afghanistan occurs at altitudes up to 3000 m. ‘Golden Horizon’ grows low and wide, and is only 50 cm high. Sun and for each soil. Pretty as a solitary.
Pinus thunbergii ‘Banshosho’ forms a dense, up to 1 m high, spheroid, grows well in clay and sandy soil and tolerates salty sea air. The bright green needles are close together in pairs on the branches that bear many buds. In Japan, bonsai are often formed from. The bright, spring-like green dwergden this is very striking.
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ivonne’ is a golden yellow, conical cultivar of the California cypress that is very hardy, well pruned leaves and grows by any means. Californian cypresses false cypresses are discontinuous with foliage. You recognize them from the twigs, which are wider than thick, slightly flattened. For full sun and prefer slightly acid soil.
Gardening tips for February
It’s time for pruning and pollarding (trained lime trees, etc.), but leaves bloody, such as birch, maple and walnut, with rest. By the start of this month, grape and kiwi pruning. You can limit ivy and a part of the old blade flipping. Virginia creeper and bridal veil (Fallopia) you may now address. Make sure evergreens and plants in containers do not dry out while bare frost (if no snow) and bright sunshine.
Gardening Techniques 