Category: Specialty Conifers

The foliage of Pinus parviflora ‘Blauer Engel’ is among of the lightest and brightest blues you might find in a pine. Long, slightly curved needles cover branches and fill in empty spaces giving the plant a full and fluffy appearance and a calming presence in the garden. Mature size: 12’H x 8’W Zone 5

The wide and rounded, tiny gray-green needles of Tsuga canadensis ‘Hebefolia’ look more like the tiny leaves of the Hebe genus. Green on top, the needles are held very close to the stems so that the white undersides are very exposed. With such short needles lots of stem is exposed for a twiggy look. Mature size: 3’H x 2’W Zone 4

An irregular, dwarfed alpine shape makes Picea abies ‘Gregoryana Parsonsii’ the perfect rock garden specimen. It sports relatively thick, green needles, tan stems and bright brown buds. Longer, flatter needles and a slightly more open habit distinguish P.a. ‘Gregoryana Parsonsii’ from P.a. ‘Gregoryana’. Mature size: 10’H x 8’W Zone 3

Picea abies ‘Fat Cat’ has very short, stiff needles and short shoots that give it the appearance of a rotund, green cat, curled up in a ball for a snooze. Iseli Nursery acquired the plant, a witch’s broom from Picea abies ‘Graciosa’, in 1994 and officially named it for a tubby, slumbering feline. Extremely hardy, reliable and slow-growing, this kitty creates a presence in the landscape, but don’t try to pet its “fur”. Mature size: 4’H x 4’W Zone 3

For longer needles, a more natural, open look and a consistent habit, the versatile Pinus mugo ‘Palouse’ is perfect for a casual landscape where a larger Mugo Pine is warranted. The robust green selection grows into a bushy, rounded mound, or with annual candle pruning, it can be kept smaller and more refined. A reliable and hardy addition to the sunny mixed border, it also works well as a divider or to fill a corner. Mature size: 6’H x 6’W Zone 2

Tsuga canadensis ‘Jeddeloh’ is a dwarf, spreading mound, sometimes referred to as Bird’s Nest Hemlock, this seedling cultivar has a unique, depressed, funnel shape at its center. The slow-growing plant has bright green foliage with feathery, arching tips. Discovered by Jeddeloh Nursery in 1950, growing in a German cemetery. Mature size: 2’H x 4’W Zone 4

Truly a miniature, Pinus strobus ‘Sea Urchin’ has giant appeal. Soft bluish green needles cover this little mound that reminds one of its namesake, the sea urchin. Selected by Sydney Waxman in 1978, ‘Sea Urchin’ remains one of the most sought after miniature conifers. Its small rounded shape and very slow growth make it perfect for the patio garden in troughs or containers. Plant with companion alpine plants in the rock garden for excellent results. Like most miniature pines, annual removal of fallen interior foliage is beneficial. Mature size: 2’H x 2’W Zone 3

The habit of the extremely dense Picea glauca ‘Humpty Dumpty’ explains it’s name: short and plump and kind of egg-shaped, like the nursery rhyme character. With nearly equal base width and height, it forms an almost perfect pyramid that is only two-thirds the size of P.g. ‘Conica.’ Mature size: 3’H x 2’W Zone 4

Small, blunt needles look like green grains of rice interspersed with tiny brown buds. Diminutive branches crowded with branchlets form a tight, congested bun. Tsuga diversifolia ‘Loowit’ was selected from seed collected in the high alpine region of Fukushima prefecture, Japan. It was given the Native American name for Mt. St. Helens, Iseli Nursery’s famous volcanic neighbor. Mature size: 2’H x 2’W Zone 4

Abies koreana ‘Cis’ has radiating, dark green needles which lie flat on the stems and are highlighted by attractive, small, brown buds at the branch tips. This slow-growing, flattened, spherical plant has a formal, tidy appearance and glistening foliage that draws attention in the garden. Selected in Holland in 1989. Mature size: 1.5’H x 2’W Zone 4