Small plants are getting more popular because of their low maintenance and their ability to fit into a small garden. Dwarf conifers are usually evergreen and come in great variety. Here are some at Dawn Gardens:
Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’)
I planted 100 of these in 2003 and now some of them are 8′ tall. I have cut over half of them down for Christmas trees but they are the main plant in the dwarf conifer garden.
The Alberta Spruce never needs pruning; this is the way it looks all the time. It grows 4-6″ each year and will get 15′ tall.
Picea glauca ‘Daisy White’ was planted in 2020.
Most dwarf conifers are mutations from the natural forms of the trees. Someone may find one twig of a tree with dwarf needles and propagate that twig to produce a plant that is permanently dwarf. Other dwarfs are from cuttings made from juvenile foliage of some conifers.
This is an Alberta Spruce that is reverting to the native spruce which grows to 70′ tall. I will have to eventually take it out because it will be too big under the oak tree.
Picea orientalis ‘Sunrise’
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Mops’
Thuja plicata ‘Whipcord’
Pinus strobus ‘Mini Twists’
Picea pungens ‘Ruby Teardrops’
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Twinkle Toes’. Note the branch on the lower left is reverting to its parent form.
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’
Dwarf pine (Pinus uncinata ‘Paradekissen’)
Regenhold Broom White Pine (Pinus parvifolia ‘Regenhold Broom’)
Dwarf Fir (Abies nordmanniana ‘Golden Spreader’)
Dwarf Spruce (Picea abies ‘Stephanie’s Green Golf Ball’)
Tom Thumb Dwarf Spruce (Picea orientalis ‘Tom Thumb Gold’)
Dwarf Cedar (Cedrus libani ‘Hedgehog’)
Blue Pearl Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Blue Pearl’)
Hage False Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Hage’)
Cumulus Threadleaf False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Cumulus’)
Kenwith Cyprian Cedar (Cedrus brevifolia ‘Kenwith’)
Horstmann Spanish Fir (Abies pinsapo ‘Horstmann’)
Dwarf Yellow Pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia ‘Chief Joseph’) winter color. Bottom photo is green color in the summer.
Dwarf Alberta Spruce (Picea glauca ‘Pixie Dust’)
Dwarf Yew (Taxus media ‘Hicksii’)
Dwarf Larch (Larix laricena ‘Blue Sparkler’) This is a deciduous conifer.
Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’
The beginnings of a new dwarf conifer garden at Dawn Gardens. 1/2/21
After mulching