Conifers are trees and shrubs that bear cones instead of flowers. Conifers add structure to the landscape. And because most are evergreen, they are especially appreciated in a barren winter setting. Think how naked my garden shed would look without the evergreens in this image!

The large plant to the left is a blue spruce, Picea pungens ‘Glauca’, prized for its distinctive gray-blue color. I repeated the color with the upright juniper next to the shed door. This is a Wichita Blue juniper, Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’. It has thrived in this hot and sunny site. The little “roundy moundys” at the corners of the shed are yews, Taxus sp., transplanted from elsewhere in my yard after the shed was built. I wouldn’t say they are thriving, but they are hanging in there. Finally, to the right and behind the shed are some arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’, hiding an ugly fence. You can just see them as backdrop behind the leafless Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and a dormant tan-colored switch grass, Panicum virgatum.

Among the best conifers for Cincinnati are the spruces. The fast-growing Norway spruce, Picea abies, has a stiff pyramid shape that becomes rugged with age as the older branches droop. It’s extremely hardy and wind resistant. Isn’t it fabulous?!

Considered by some to be the most attractive spruce is the Oriental spruce. This is Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’. There are a number of cultivars of oriental spruce, but ‘Skylands’ has beautiful golden foliage. And just look at the spring cones! I wish this plant was in my garden, but I took the picture at Hidden Lake Gardens in Michigan last spring.

The image above shows Canada hemlock, Tsuga canadensis. This is a large deep green tree with an unusually graceful appearance. Numerous dwarf, weeping and variegated selections are sold. This is one of the conifers, along with the yews, that will do well in shade. In fact, it suffers in our hot dry summers if not given afternoon shade. I especially like the Sargent’s weeping hemlock. You can see a magnificent example at the Civic Garden Center here in Cincinnati. I love the small cones!

The dwarf Hinoki Falsecypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana’, is another of my favorites. This small evergreen is a slow grower, putting on only 2-3 inches a year and reaching perhaps 6 to 8 feet after many years. I love its fat conical shape for structure in the garden. I took this picture at the Cornell Plantations on the Cornell University campus.

Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’, golden threadleaf Sawara cypress, is a shamelessly bold plant with bright golden yellow, thread-like branches. It will grow 15-20 feet tall and makes quite a statement in the garden. The more compact ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’ is a denser, much smaller shrub, shown above. I see this compact form used more often in Cincinnati, as a foundation shrub or for color accent.

Lest you should think that all conifers are evergreen, let me recommend the Dawn Redwood and the Bald Cypress. Both lose their needle-like leaves in the fall, but still make a statement in the winter garden with their beautiful bark, pyramidal shape and interesting cones. In the top picture, the deciduous tree to the right of the shed is a Dawn Redwood. I love this plant! I can see its roughly shredded reddish bark from my kitchen window, although it doesn’t show up well in the image.

Happy Gardening!

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