Dwarf Conifers for the Garden-- Part 2
Linda Anson

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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

• 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.
• 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.

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.

• 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.
• 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.

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