Conifers for Gardens in the Northwest

See regional pick for conifers , and take the clause by Andrew Brand for even more ideas .

“ Evergreen coniferous tree provide the bones for any landscape painting . They offer a variety of colors , textures and habit all year long . While coniferous tree are sometimes bump to the keister or bound of a property where they courteously sieve out nosy neighbors or unkempt K , these plant can make wonderful additions to all component part of a garden . ” Read moreConifers for Any Size Landscape .

1.‘Green Arrow’ Alaskan Cedar

Name:Cupressus nootkatensis‘Green Arrow’

Zones:4 to 8

Size:1 pes wide-eyed and 15 understructure tall in 10 years

condition : Full sun ; well - drained dirt

This selection of a westerly North American indigen is an strange coniferous tree that has undergone numerous name change . ‘ Green Arrow ’ Alaskan cedar tree forms a potent leader with equally strong crying side branches , forming a lazy exclamation degree in the garden . Occasionally , a side branch will take form , becoming a drooping branch arc down from the central trunk . These can be left to add to its striking sculptural qualities or pruned off to accentuate the narrow configuration . This well-off - to - get coniferous tree will fit neatly into nearly any distance and , once established , is tolerant of drouth conditions . Twenty - year - old plant would be about 20 to 25 substructure tall and 2 feet wide , developing a spreading skirt of evergreen branches around the base .

2.Twisted Hinoki Cypress

Name:Chaemacyparis obtusa‘Spiralis’

Size:4 to 5 feet improbable and 2 to 3 invertebrate foot all-inclusive in10years

Conditions : Full Sunday to partial nicety ; well - drained soil

The more this conifer matures , the more beautiful it becomes . It can arise as a individual - trunked specimen or have multiple erect trunk , ultimately forming a slightly more - broad - than - tall evergreen plant tree diagram . Each main trunk will have occasional whorled side offshoot that give the feel of a much older , well - weathered Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . As this tree , grows it will become a living sculpture with the elegant , windswept , twisting branch that mark a ripe specimen . The soft foliage is dark immature and devotee shaped , with brilliant - green new outgrowth in midspring . Its slow - growing habit makes it perfect for container and small urban gardens . It is gentle to bakshis - prune side shoot to keep a nearly columniform specimen .

3.‘Golden Spreader’ Nordmann Fir

Name:Abies nordmanniana‘Golden Spreader’

Zones:5 to 8

Size:2 to 3 feet tall and wide in 10 years

Few conifers can trance one ’s tending like the ‘ Golden Spreader ’ Nordmann fir can . This soft - needled evergreen plant is hardly green at all ! The young ontogeny is a shameful superman yellowness that deepens to gold and chartreuse by midsummer . This glow ball of color is first-class as a focal point . Young plants are typically rounded , but , as they mature , a compact central leader evolve , shape a pleasantly chubby , cone - shape bush with densely layered branches . The bright color is in full sun , where it is surprisingly repellent to burn in summer . In open shade , chartreuse tones will dominate .

4.‘Miss Grace’ Dawn Redwood

Name:Metasequoia glyptostroboides‘Miss Grace’

Zones:5 to 9

Size:3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet widein10 age

Conditions : Full sun to fond ghost ; tolerate almost any grunge shape

The chronicle and mystery surrounding the discovery of the dawn sequoia are reason enough to love this unusual deciduous conifer , but the small-scale size and charming use of the tears ‘ Miss Grace ’ makes it potential to equip this tree into almost any garden . ‘ Miss Grace ’ is not a strong crier ; rather , it has elegantly arching branches that spring a sophisticated superimposed hill . The bright - green , flaccid - to - the - trace foliage come out in spring from a fine-looking model of branches and hold its fresh color through the growing season . In fall , the jet is replaced by out of practice orange hues until the foliage drops .

Richie Steffen is the director / curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle .

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Golden Spreader Nordmann Fir

Photo: Richard Bloom

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Green Arrow Alaskan Cedar

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