Category: Specialty Conifers

Picea glauca ‘Big Berta’ is not your typical Dwarf Alberta Spruce, this cultivar is a “big ‘berta”. It has the same ‘Conica’ type juvenile foliage but the needles are much longer and growth rate is much faster, resulting in a more open form. A hybrid of Picea glauca ‘North Star’ and P. pungens ‘Montgomery, it’s a hardy choice for northern landscapes. Mature size: 12’H x 6’W Zone 2

Discovered as a witch’s broom by Don Shadow, Picea orientalis ‘Shadow’s Broom’ was given to Jean Iseli in 1984. This beautiful selection produces bright, spring-green new growth that quickly matures to one of the darkest, richest greens in the conifer world. Short, closely held, shiny, green needles cover the tree’s ascending, rigid branches. When young, ‘Shadow’s Broom’ frequently displays a funnel-like center. As it matures, a leader develops and it slowly becomes a broad, mounding specimen. Mature size: 6’H x 4’W Zone 4

Texture, color and an irregular sculptural habit give the adaptable, slow-growing Picea omorika ‘de Ruyter’ its unique character and make it an excellent focal point for the small garden. Individual shoots display either blue needles for a frosty look, or green needles for a softer look, both on the same plant. The interesting, rustic appearance will accent many garden styles. Mature size: 10’H x 8’W Zone 4

The blue needles and dense, weeping branches of Picea pungens ‘Pendula’ create a beautiful, cascading effect that is reminiscent of a waterfall. Whether staked upright and allowed to drape or simply permitted to ramble along the ground, ‘Pendula’ makes a graceful, dramatic statement in the garden. Zone 2

A selected seedling from Picea orientalis ‘Nigra Compacta.  ‘Tidy Timm’ has lustrous, tiny, dark green needles and a tidy globe shaped habit that make this plant a must have in the garden. Small short sprays of stiff foliage cover this spruce with a symmetrical growth habit. Small tan buds showcase against the dark tiny needles.  Great for use in borders as well as in groupings to anchor a space. ‘Tidy Timm’ will bring years of tidy neatness to the garden. Mature size: 4’H x 4’W Zone 4

Tsuga canadensis ‘Pendula’ is perhaps the most widely known and used form of Canadian Hemlock—especially when it is staked and trained to develop height and character. Pendulous branches form a thick exterior “shell” of foliage that covers the plant’s interior structural scaffold. Very useful and beautiful throughout the garden from sprawling ground covers or unique sculptural qualities to providing shade and softness to the garden gazebo. Zone 4

Blue Korean Arborvitae have large flat sprays of dusty blue foliage with bright white stomatal bands on the undersides that provide a unique color element for the landscape. The branches are scattered along the main trunk and droop in a random fashion, providing an open informal habit. Korean Arborvitae is best in full sun but will appreciate some afternoon shade in hot climates. Moist, well-drained soil is preferable as it is intolerant of drought conditions. Mature size: 20’H x 15’W Zone 4

Very fine textured threadbranch foliage is the main feature of Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Angel Hair’. With slower growth and thinner foliage than ‘Filifera’, it adds a light airy element to the garden. It was found in southern New York by Mike and Ken Yeager of Hickory Hollow Nursery. Mature size: 6’H x 6’W Zone 4

The handsome, cascading Pinus strobus ‘Niagara Falls’, chosen 2009 Collector’s Conifer of the Year, was found as a sport of P.s. ‘Pendula’ and demonstrates a distinct improvement over that familiar landscape tree. The compact, weeping form boasts many draping branches and long, two-tone needles. Every dense, wide specimen develops a unique character and flowing habit that mimics the action of the roaring Niagara Falls. Found by Mike and Ken Yeager of Hickory Hollow Nursery in New York in 1998 while working on a landscape job, this is a distinctive specimen for the discerning client. Mature size: 6’H x 10’W Zone 3

This witch’s broom selection of Serbian Spruce has the characteristic two-tone needles that are dark green with white stomatal bands on the undersides, displaying a silvery appearance. The shorter growth,
compared to other ‘Nana’ types, and short needles make for a darker colored plant than other similar cultivars. It is quite dense and globose at an early age but develops a leader over time. Selected by Gunter Horstmann of Horstmann Nursery in Germany in the 1970’s. Mature size: 4’H x 4’W Zone 4