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Dwarf
Conifers for the Garden-- Part 2
Linda Anson
Fresh Air Garden Designs
540-872-5132 or info@freshairdesigns.com
In
Part 1, we talked about some of the less well known conifers that
can be used in our Virginia gardens and which are readily available.
In Part 2 we'll consider some select pines and spruces, the falsecypress,
and discuss the plight of the Canadian hemlock. But first, what
is a conifer? Obviously, as the name denotes, conifers are woody
plants whose fruit develops into a cone. Even the Eastern Red
Cedar, which is really our native juniper, Juniperus virginiana,
develops a cone - only we perceive it as a small blue berry, which
is used in medicine, varnish and for flavoring gin. For a more
specific definition: "Conifers are trees or shrubs that bear
woody cones containing naked seeds. Junipers are included because
the berry-like fruits are actually small cones with fleshy, fused
scales." Most conifers are evergreen, although a few, like
the Larch and the Bald-cypress, are deciduous. A "dwarf"
conifer is a relative term, in that some so-called dwarfs are
may be big enough to stand under. However, for our purposes here,
a dwarf means that the cultivar will be much smaller than the
species, generally no more that 10-15'. In most cases, dwarf conifers
are very slow growing*, and so remain quite manageable for a long
time.
Some interesting pines to consider include the Umbrella pine,
the Lacebark pine, the Japanese Red Pine.
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The Umbrella pine, although a member
of the Pinaceae family, is really Sciadopitys verticillata.
Its ultimate mature size may be 20-30' by 15-20', although
it is very slow growing. It should be used a specimen or accent,
as it has a very unusual texture due to the way the needles
radiate around the stem creating the umbrella effect. Considered
a zone 5-7 plant, in zone 7 it prefers some light pine shade
or late afternoon shade and rich, moist, acid soil and some
protection from wind.
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The Lacebark pine, Pinus bungeana,
is often cited for its handsome bark, which exfoliates in
patches, creating the "lace" effect. As such it
is best used as an accent plant. Also slow growing, the mature
size of the species may be 30-50', but there is a 'Compacta'
cultivar which grows more compact and uniform, and even more
slowly than the species. It prefers well-drained soils and
sun.
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The Japanese Red Pine, Pinus densiflora
(right) , is also best reserved for use a specimen, as
it too has an interesting bark, in this case orange to orange-red
when young, peeling off in thin scales, and grayish at the
base in old age. 'Umbraculifera' and 'Tanyosho' are semi-dwarf
cultivars, reaching perhaps 10' or more. Both have rich green
needles and prefer a sunny, well-drained slightly acid soil.
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 Some
spruces to consider are the Norway spruce and the white spruce.
Both prefer full sun, but will tolerate light shade. And they
both prefer a well-drained most soil, and transplant readily because
of the shallow root system.
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A dwarf cultivar of Norway spruce, Picea
abies 'Little Gem' (left) , is considered very dwarf, tight
growing with short needles, with a flat bun shape.
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A white spruce dwarf cultivar to try
is Picea glauca 'Jean's Dilly'. It is compact, conical, slow
growing, with small thin needles, and the needles at the end
of the shoots are twisted.
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The
Falsecypress group offers a number of interesting cultivars suitable
for the home garden. As a group they tend to span zones 4-8, and
do best in full sun in rich, moist, well-drained soil. They do
particularly well in cooler, moister microclimates where they
can be protected from drying winds.
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The Hinoki cypress or Falsecypress, Chamaecyparis
obtusa, has three slow growing dwarf cultivars worth considering.
The first two, 'Gracillis' and 'Nana Gracillis', reach a mature
height of about 15' and 6' respectively. Both have rich deep
green foliage and a conical shape. The third, 'Tetragona Aurea',
matures at about 15' and has golden-yellow fren-like foliage
that turns green in the interior of the plant.
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The Japanese Falsecypress, Chamaecyparis
pisifera, also has a few dwarf cultivars that can make
interesting accents for your garden. 'Boulevard' is a popular
cultivar because of its silvery blue-green summer foliage
which turns grayish blue in winter. It reaches a height of
10-15' and is rather narrow-pyramidal. The 'Filifera' cultivars
as a group have drooping threadlike foliage, very fine-textured
and arresting. 'Filifera Golden Mop' is a dwarf with the brightest
gold of the golden thread leaf cultivars.
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 And
now, about the plight of the Canadian hemlock, Tsuga candensis
(right), zones 3-7. Most of us are familiar with the beautiful
form and fine-textured foliage and small cones of the hemlock.
Unfortunately, in our area, and north and east, the hemlock is
particularly susceptible to the wooly adelgid pest. If, in spite
of this warning of you wish to try some of the smaller cultivars,
consider 'Pendula', a weeping form that reaches about 10' height,
and 'Bennett', a low-spreading, fan-like and mounding form with
short light green needles. Although the best growth is achieved
in full sun, they will withstand even full shade. They demand
good drainage, cool acid soils and adequate moisture, and will
languish in too much heat.
To best select which cultivars will suit your preferences and
property, visits to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, to the Natioanl
Arboretum in DC, or to some nurseries will prove quite helpful.
Two books that can be helpful also are Conifers, by van Gelderen
& van Hoey Smith, and A Garden of Conifers by Robert A. Obrizok.
*Cultural requirements based on Manual of Woody Landscape
Plants, by Michael Dirr, revised 1998
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