Coniferous trees are distributed around the world. They are widely used in landscape design, as these plants have highly decorative properties. Moreover, they have a positive effect on human health. Read about the types of conifers in the article.
Benefits
Why do gardeners and designers around the world prefer conifers? This happens for several reasons:
- These representatives of the flora are evergreen. Only a small part of their varieties throws needles in the winter season. These include larch. In other plants, the needles are updated gradually. The needles fall once every few years, they are immediately replaced by new needles, so the process remains invisible.
- The coniferous tree is undemanding to lighting and humidity.
- Almost all varieties have the correct shape, which means that you don’t need to cut them.
- The aroma of these plants is healing. It positively affects the general condition of a person.
- Conifers can be planted almost anywhere, since their diversity allows you to choose a suitable shrub or tree in shape and size.
- They go well with many ornamental herbs and flowers. You can make a composition with peonies, roses, hydrangea and other representatives of the flora.
An interesting fact is that it is conifers and shrubs that occupy the first lines in the list of long-lived plants. Currently, the oldest representative of the flora is considered to be a spruce found in Sweden. Old Tikko (this name was given to this plant) lived at least 9.5 thousand years. Another centenarian - pine Methuselah from the USA - will soon turn 5 thousand years old. Of the 20 ancient trees known to people, only one is deciduous. This is a sacred ficus growing in the territory of Sri Lanka. His age is 2217 years.
Spruce
Perhaps the most popular conifer is spruce. This plant looks great in both single and compositional plantings. A hedge can be built from the spruce trees planted in a row. By the efforts of breeders not only large tall varieties with a cone-shaped crown have been bred, but also more accurate and small plants. The following varieties are very popular:
- Serbian spruce, reaching a height of 40 meters. She has an unusual color. The upper part of the needles is dark green, and the lower part is covered with white stripes. Brownish-purple cones in combination with bluish-green needles give the plant elegance and charm.
- Siberian spruce has a dense crown. The top of the tree is slightly pointed. The gray fissured bark is almost invisible against the background of bright green, silver or golden needles and brown cones.
- Common spruce, or European, has been active for 300 years. During this time, the trunk reaches a diameter of 1 meter. This variety is deservedly considered the fastest growing. Every year she adds at least half a meter in height.
Fir
This representative of the pine family is distinguished by its appearance. Purple cones grow up. The needles are flat. Soft shiny needles are painted in several colors at once. Their upper part is dark green, and an even white strip stretches along the bottom. An interesting fact is that not all botanists attribute fir to coniferous trees. Some people are convinced that this is a deciduous plant.
One of the most popular varieties is Nordman fir, or Caucasian fir. It has a neat cone shape. Actually, due to its appearance, it got its distribution. In European countries, this culture often replaces the Christmas tree. Indeed, it is very convenient to dress up the branches raised up. Dark green needles have a brilliance. The needles are very small and fluffy. From them comes a citrus aroma.
Juniper
This representative of the flora leads in bactericidal properties. A plant appeared on the planet at least 50 million years ago. Currently, there are at least 70 varieties of culture. You can choose a variety for every taste. There are giant junipers, whose growth is more than 30 meters, and there are dwarfs that rise only 15 cm above the ground. Its features and requirements for care directly depend on the variety. However, there is one common feature that makes juniper one of the most common plants: it looks great in any composition. It can be grown in rock gardens or rockeries, with its help you can build a unique hedge.
If you want to plant juniper in the garden or in the country, do not place it next to fruit crops. This coniferous tree can infect other plants with a disease like rust. Therefore, you need to regularly inspect the juniper and the crops growing next to it and take timely measures to trim the affected branches. You should stock up on fungicides to treat damaged areas.
Cedars
Cedars are the most popular conifers in the world. They are grown in almost all corners of the planet. They were especially popular in the UK. It is difficult to imagine an English landscape gardening without a cedar. The plant surrounds the plot and is used as a decoration of the front door. Cedar not only gives the surrounding space an atmosphere of home comfort, but also makes it more solemn.
In nature, these plants are most often found in mountain ranges. In the composition of such elevations, they seem to be real giants. Still would! Cedar can reach a height of 50 meters. Despite the fact that humanity has known about this tree for at least a quarter of a century, botanists still have not come to a single conclusion about the number of varieties of cedar. It is believed that in adulthood all individuals are absolutely identical, that is, there is only Lebanese cedar. From another point of view, short-coniferous, Atlas and Himalayan species stand out.
By the way, beloved by many pine nuts have nothing to do with this plant, except for the name. The fruits of this cedar are inedible. People eat cedar pine seeds, which the people nicknamed the Siberian cedar.
Cypress
In the wild, this coniferous tree reaches a height of 70 meters and in appearance resembles cypress. Currently, breeders are working on the development of new varieties of this culture. Low-growing varieties are widely used in landscape design as a hedge. Medium-sized trees look equally good in single plantings and in compositions. Dwarf varieties are used in rock gardens and mixborders. The plant can be included in any design ensemble, because it has a very soft fluffy needles. The most popular are dwarf varieties, whose maximum growth is 360 cm. They are universal and highly decorative.
Cypress
The names of conifers may be similar. A prime example is cypress and cypress. These are completely different representatives of the flora, do not confuse them. Cypress is a slender evergreen tree or shrub. The shape of the crown resembles a pyramid or cone. The slender trunk is covered with thick fluffy bark. The foliage is pressed to the branches. In the second year after planting, cones mature.
Of the 25 known species, 10 have found application in landscape design and gardening. Growing conditions, care requirements and characteristics are directly dependent on the variety.
Larch
Sometimes the names of conifers are misleading. For example, larch, contrary to its name, is a representative of conifers. It belongs to the pine family. It grows in many parts of the world. Culture is rightfully considered a long-liver. Some representatives live almost a millennium, to be more precise - 800 years. Larch conifer is one of the most common of its kind. Outwardly, it resembles a Christmas tree, but every year it dumps its needles.
If environmental conditions are favorable, the trunk of the plant reaches a diameter of 1 meter. The maximum height of this coniferous tree (larch) is 50 meters. Thick bark is abundantly covered with deep brown furrows. Branches form an openwork crown of a conical shape. They grow randomly up. A total of 14 plant species are distinguished.
Larch is not only a highly decorative crop, but also used in industry. Firstly, the tree has solid and strong wood, resistant to mechanical damage. Secondly, the plant is widely used in folk medicine. Young shoots and buds are harvested by many doctors. Turpentine is obtained from the resin, which is used in the treatment of many diseases. The bark is rich in many vitamins.
Microbiota
This coniferous shrub belongs to the cypress family. The only species grows in the Far Eastern region of Russia. The microbiota is listed in the Red Book, as it is threatened with extinction due to forest fires and the inability of seeds to move away from the parent bush. Creeping shoots resemble one of the forms of thuja. Scaly needles in the summer have a green color, and in winter it acquires a brown hue. Small cones consist of 2-3 scales. The shrub grows extremely slowly. In a year, he adds only 2 cm in growth. But he can be safely called a long-liver, because he has been growing for 100 years.
Pine
Coniferous tree, known since ancient times to mankind. There are at least 115 species of pines. The needles of these plants give off a pleasant aroma. They are collected in small bundles (only 2-5 pieces in each). Pine species are determined by these beams. The plant is so popular that many people plant it on their sites. Landscaping uses miniature pines, which are characterized by slow growth. In large plantings, for example, in parks, tall species are grown. Low varieties are planted on lawns, in mixborders and rock gardens. The most common varieties:
- An ordinary pine, which is deservedly called the symbol of the Russian forest. A tree of the first magnitude rises 40 meters above the ground. The bluish-green dense needles can have any form. It falls out every 3 years.
- Mountain pine is not considered high. Her height is only 10-20 meters. Dwarf varieties do not even reach a meter in height. The plant is highly decorative, has a long dark needles.
Thuja
These compact coniferous forest trees are gaining in popularity. They are planted in parks and botanical gardens. The culture is resistant to decay, as well as adverse environmental conditions, such as drought and frost. The branches grow up and form the shape of a pyramid or column. Small cones ripen in the first year after planting. The leaves are scaly and dark.
Breeders are breeding more and more varieties of arborvitae, so dwarf, creeping and weeping varieties are already being cultivated. Western thuja is especially popular. Its powerful trunk grows very quickly, its height is 7 meters and its diameter reaches 200 cm. The needles are evergreen. The needles of some varieties acquire a copper shade.
Tuyu began to be cultivated in Europe. The French king called this plant "the tree of life." On his orders, the space around the palace in Fontainebleau was planted with a thuja. After 200 years, the culture began to grow in the eastern part of Europe.
The most popular varieties are considered varieties such as Columna and Smaragd. The first grade has a dense crown, which resembles a column and reaches a height of 7 meters. The leaves of conifers of this species, that is, needles, are painted dark green all year round with a shining tint. Another variety has not such impressive parameters. Its height is 4 meters, and its width is 1.5.
Cupressociparis
These conifers in Russia are very, very rare. A decorative plant that remains green all year round resembles columns in shape. Its height reaches 20 meters. Shoots increase by 1 meter annually. Scaly leaves cover the branches. The plant has small fruits. The birthplace of culture is the United Kingdom. Here hedges are made of wood. In Russia and other CIS countries, only advanced gardeners cultivate it.
Cryptomeria
Many conifers (photos and names of some of them are presented in this article) are found everywhere. For example, cryptomeria is the national tree of Japan. It is found in wild forests, on mountain slopes, in park alleys. At the age of 150 years, the plant reaches a height of 60 m. Under favorable environmental conditions, the trunk diameter is 2 m. However, breeders have bred a number of varieties that can be grown not only in private households, but also in apartments. Their height does not exceed 200 cm.
A narrow thick crown may have a dark or light shade. In winter, some varieties change the color of needles to reddish or yellowish. Short styloid needles do not prick at all. Rounded cones are small in size, they are painted brown. They ripen year-round. Since the homeland of cryptomeria is an eastern country, the plant has several names. One of them is Japanese cedar. This naming is not recognized by scientists, since cryptomeria and cedar are completely different plants. In China, cultures are called Shan, and in Japan, they are called Sughi.
Yew
Shrubs or yew trees have a smooth mountain of purple-smoky color. The needles are very soft and long. 8 varieties of plants are found in Europe, Africa, East Asia and North America. In the CIS countries, berry, or European yew is common. This culture reaches a height of 20 meters. The bark is reddish-brown, the base of the leaves is narrowed. The upper part of the needles is painted in a glossy dark green color, and the lower part is light matte. Yew is undemanding to care and environmental conditions. However, the plant can cause problems, because the needles are a danger to animals.
Yew is a raw material used by pharmaceutical companies for 20 years. The fact is that this plant has medicinal properties. It is used to combat malignant tumors of the mammary glands, intestines, ovaries and stomach. Yew processing centers operate in European countries. Here people bring cut branches after trimming hedges.