Tall slender spruce trees with a pyramidal crown are common conifers forests, which can often be seen in park areas, in urban landscaping, and among homestead landscapes. Many different species and varieties, the presence of dwarf and slow-growing forms allows these plants to be successfully planted in a flower garden, rock garden and on, in mixed compositions with other woody plants.
Types of fir trees
The genus Spruce (Picea) has up to 45 species, which natural conditions grow in cold and temperate climates, on sandy and rocky soils, less often in wetlands. The center of origin is considered to be the harsh mountainous terrain of China. The plants are quite unpretentious, drought-resistant, most tolerate the harshest winters without loss, some species are quite tolerant of excessive soil moisture and air pollution.
As soon as you decide on the type and variety of spruce, we recommend reading our article “”, it will help you grow an excellent tree from a spruce seedling.
Norway spruce (Picea abies)
A large tree, growing up to 50 m in height, characterized by a pyramidal crown with a pointed apex. The branches are directed to the sides or obliquely downwards, raised at the ends. The needles are juicy green, glossy, tetrahedral in shape, up to 2.5 cm long. The cones are oblong, greenish or purple when immature. The hardy local species is widespread in the European part up to the Urals, and usually does not cause problems in acquisition and care.
Acrocona
A bright, slow-growing variety that appeared at the end of the 19th century in Finland. The crown forms a wide pyramid, is located low, reaches a height of 4 m, with a diameter of 2.5–3 m. The young plant is compact, round in shape. The difference between Akrokona is early, abundant and very colorful fruiting; immature lilac-crimson cones appear in abundance at the ends of skeletal branches and wonderfully decorate the plant.
The needles are dark green in tone, with delicate hanging young growths of a herbaceous hue, which makes a striking contrast. An excellent choice for landscaping small gardens and solitary plantings on the lawn.
Ohlendorffii
Dwarf spruce with a compact crown comes from Germany. By the age of ten it reaches 1–2 m, develops slowly, grows 3–6 cm annually. The crown is wide, first round, then pyramidal in shape, multi-peaked. The branches are dense, spread to the sides and raised at the ends, densely covered with fine green needles, sometimes with a golden tint. The variety is shade-tolerant, unpretentious, suitable for creating mixborders or decorating rocky hills.
Frohburg
Swiss original weeping spruce with a straight, slender trunk. The plant is medium-sized; by the age of ten it can grow up to 2–4 m. The branches are sloping, fall to the ground, and spread with age, forming a kind of lush trail, which looks unusual and attractive.
The needles are light green in color, short and stiff. Immature cones are greenish-crimson, growths are emerald green, oblong-round in shape. A stunning variety for solitaire plantings, it gives compositions an elegant vertical accent and is of interest to lovers of unusual ornamental plants.
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)
A tall tree with a narrowed conical or columnar shape with a pointed top. The needles are flattened, glossy, dark green, on the reverse side is marked with two silver-white dashes. The cones are small, bluish-black in color.
This beautiful, stable species is unpretentious to soils, tolerates air pollution well, and under natural conditions is distributed in the mountainous areas of the Balkan Peninsula.
Nana
The dwarf variety is characterized by a dense, rounded crown in young specimens, then the crown becomes broadly conical with a pronounced pointed tip. The height of an adult plant is no more than 3.5 m and a width of about 2 m; it develops at a pace that is moderate for low-growing varieties; by the age of ten it reaches one and a half meters.
The main branches are directed obliquely upward, covered with radially directed glossy needles of emerald color with a distinct bluish tint and light stripes on the underside. Planted in oriental gardens, thanks to its spectacular blue tint and compactness, it is successfully used to create contrasting woody compositions.
Peve Tijn
The undersized sport of the previous variety was selected by Dutch breeders. The cone-shaped wide crown is very dense, with a smooth, dense surface. It grows by 5–6 cm per year, reaching just over one and a half meters in height by the age of ten. The needles are golden-green with a blue or silver tint. Attractive color combination It is especially pronounced in annual growths and in plants planted in open sunny areas.
Canadian or gray spruce (Picea glauca)
A powerful tree reaches a height of 25–30 m; in cultivation it grows moderately – no higher than 10–15 m; in nature it is widespread in the forests of North America. The crown is dense, the main branches of young plants are raised, and those of adults are directed downwards. The needles are thick, bluish-green. The cones are small, light green, turning brown when ripe.
Alberta Globe
The miniature, round-shaped plant becomes dome-shaped in maturity. By the age of ten, the diameter of the dense crown is about 30 cm, with annual growth of 2–3 cm; over the years, the lush conifer grows in width up to 0.7 m and reaches 1 m in height.
The needles are light green, elegant, densely covering the dense side branches, forming a bumpy continuous surface. A wonderful variety for planting in rockeries or flower beds, it looks good in homogeneous groups.
Conica
A slow-growing variety of Canadian selection, it is distinguished by a dense conical crown of regular shape. In adulthood, it grows no higher than 2 m with a width at the base of about one and a half meters. The surface is smooth, dense, the branches are directed upward. Spiny elastic needles of juicy green color are located radially.
Konica does not require formative pruning and is wonderful for arranging mixborders, decorating rocky hills and growing in containers. The plant is resistant, prefers sparse partial shade, growths are susceptible to spring burns.
Sanders Blue
Canadian spruce variety Sanders Blue (Sander's Blue)
The famous blue variety is one of the best in its color group. It develops slowly, growing 4–5 cm per year. By the age of ten it reaches 0.7 m in height and 1.3–1.5 m in diameter. The crown is conical, regular, and becomes loose in the shade.
The needles are bright, fresh silver-blue in color, on young growths they are more saturated in color, on old branches they are bluish-green, which is why the surface appears unevenly colored, which is especially noticeable on specimens growing in the shade. Sometimes reversions may appear - completely green branches that in early spring carefully cut out at the trunk so as not to spoil the overall impression.
Engelmann spruce or weeping spruce (Picea engelmanii)
Slender conifers up to 50 m high naturally grow on the poor soils of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The crown is cone-shaped, wide, with sloping branches covered with sharp bluish-green needles on the growths, darkening at the base of the branches. The cones are small, oblong-conical, up to 7 cm long, burgundy in color when ripe.
Bush's Lace
A beautiful unusual variety with a straight trunk and a pyramidal loose crown. The young plant actively produces growth - 20–30 cm per year, growing up to 7 m in height and about 1.8 m in diameter. The skeletal branches are raised at the base, drooping at the ends, the lower branches lie on the ground, forming a lush trail.
The main color is bluish-green, the spectacular large growths are bright, contrasting, silver-blue. Looks best alone on open areas, in the shade it loses its richness of color and attractive shape, growing unevenly.
Snake
A tall tree with a sparse crown and bluish-green needles, silvery on growths. The skeletal branches are practically without lateral branching, characterized by growth from the apex, horizontally directed, spread out, slightly raised at the ends. The variety is rare, mainly grown by exotic lovers, excellent as a tapeworm, adding sophistication to oriental and rocky gardens.
Prickly or blue spruce (Picea pungens)
A common cultivated species, beautiful and frost-resistant, tolerates air pollution well. Distributed in the mountainous areas of North America, grows up to 30–40 m in height, characterized by a dense, wide-pyramidal crown, evenly developed. The skeletal branches are directed horizontally, spread out and raised at the ends.
Young shoots are bright brown, bare. The needles are gray, becoming increasingly green with age. The advantage of the species is its tolerance to excess moisture and the ability to develop well in low-lying areas.
Hermann Naue
A dwarf, spectacular, cushion-shaped variety, without a pronounced central stem, with numerous lateral branches directed towards the different sides. By the age of ten, the compact plant reaches half a meter in height and up to 0.7 m in diameter. The needles are bluish-gray, bright. Numerous oblong cones of light brown color appear in abundance at the ends of the shoots at an early age and serve as a wonderful decoration.
The Blues
A stunning blue sport of the Glauca Pendula variety. The plant is medium-sized - no higher than 2.5 m and up to 1 m in diameter, with a straight stem and drooping top. The branches are horizontally spread, the ends are directed downwards. The needles are long, silver-blue in color, as if covered with frost, the growths are bright blue. Successfully grafted onto a standard.
Hoopsii
The classic form of gray spruce was developed in the USA in 1958. The lush beauty does not require a huge plot, growing up to 10–12 m in height and no more than 3–4 m in width at maturity. It develops quickly - 15–20 cm per year, the branches are strong and elastic, and do not break during snowfalls. The crown is harmonious, pyramidal, with outstretched, densely packed skeletal branches and multiple lateral branches, diversified.
The needles are large, up to 2.5 cm long, rich blue in color; the growths are light blue. Small purple cones provide an additional color accent. Looks great in single plantings and alleys, as well as in multi-colored compositions of conifers.
Black spruce (Picea mariana)
A large tree with a narrow pyramidal crown, in natural conditions it grows up to 20–30 m, in cultivation by the age of ten it is no higher than 3 m. The needles are short, bluish-green, and dense. The branches are brick-brown, covered with reddish pubescence. The winter-hardy, unpretentious species does not have a huge selection diversity, numbering only 6–7 varieties.
Nana
The dwarf plant is characterized by a dense, rounded-flattened crown with a smooth surface. The main branches are horizontally directed, completely covered with lateral branches directed in different directions. It develops slowly, growing 3–5 cm per year. In adulthood, it reaches no more than half a meter in height and about 1 m in diameter.
The needles are short, bluish-green, on the shoots of the current year they have a spectacular bright green color, contrasting. An unassuming compact variety will serve as a wonderful element of a flower garden and rock garden; it grows well in container culture.
Aurea
A slow-growing tree of a pyramidal shape grows no higher than 1.5–2 m by the age of ten, then growth accelerates, and mature plant reaches 5–7 m. The branches are outstretched, drooping at the ends, densely covered with short bluish-green needles with cream tips. The growths are much lighter, golden yellow. The elegant conifer looks great both in colorful, diverse compositions and as a solitaire.
Siberian spruce (Picea obovata)
A slender spruce with a narrow cone-shaped crown growing low to the ground is considered one of the most resilient species. Growing shoots are light brown in color, with slight pubescence. The glossy needles are sharp, up to 3 cm long, dark green in color. The species is in many ways similar to Norway spruce, but develops more slowly, reaching a height of no more than 35 m. It is distributed in the forests and mountainous areas of Siberia, China, Mongolia and northern Europe.
Glauka (Var. glauca)
The medium-sized variation with a pyramidal crown 10–12 m high grows intensively – 20–25 cm per year. The skeletal branches are widely spread, directed obliquely upward, the central stem is smooth and clearly defined. The needles are elastic, linear-needle-shaped, tetrahedral, silver-blue, very impressive. Glauka is highly frost-resistant, unpretentious and quite shade-tolerant. Used as a tapeworm, for group plantings and alleys.
Eastern spruce (Picea orientalis)
A common species grows in the mountainous areas of the Caucasus and northern Turkey. The tree is large, up to 60 m in height. The dense pyramidal crown is symmetrically developed, with branches raised at the base and sloping at the ends. It grows up to 20 cm per year, young trees develop much more slowly.
The needles are short, hard, thick green in color. The cones are a striking reddish-purple hue, oblong, narrowed in shape, 6–8 cm in size. Spruce prefers light soils, does not develop well on heavy soils, and freezes slightly in harsh, dry winters.
Nutans
A beautiful tree in the shape of an uneven pyramid, formed by unevenly growing branches, horizontally spread and raised at the ends. The side branches hang down. At first it grows moderately, in adulthood it grows more intensively, growing 20–30 cm per year. Mature trees can reach 18–20 m in height, with a diameter of 7–9 m.
The needles are needle-like, very thick and short, about 1 cm long, dark green, glossy. Young shoots light green bright tone. Immature cones are showy, reddish-purple, mature ones are brown. A fairly large conifer requires sufficient space; it is usually grown in a single planting.
Aureospicata
The magnificent oriental spruce was obtained by German breeders at the end of the 19th century. A medium-sized tree in maturity reaches 10–15 m, characterized by a wide pyramidal crown, slightly loose. The drooping branches are located unevenly, raised at the ends, the side branches hang beautifully.
The needles are thin, very short, dark green. The greenish-yellow bright growths, as well as small crimson-colored cones, make the conifer especially attractive. The elegant tree is rightfully considered one of the best representatives of the species.
Spruce mariorika (Picea x mariorika)
Obtained by crossing black and Serbian spruce in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century; later a few, but very interesting varieties. It is a large plant up to 30 m high, with a wide pyramidal crown. The branches are horizontally directed, covered with flat bluish-green needles, with distinctive silver stripes on the underside. The cones are small - up to 5 cm long, purple in color when immature.
Machala
Czech dwarf variety, up to half a meter high and about 1 m wide, cushion-shaped. The branches are diversified, horizontal, dense, raised from the base. The spiny needles are up to 1.5 cm long, silver-blue in color, lighter on the inside. The origin remains the subject of heated debate - various sources claim that the interesting variety was obtained not from Serbian spruce, but from Iez or, according to another version, Sitka.
Iezskaya or Ayanskaya spruce (Picea jezoensis)
A wonderful coniferous tree, in nature reaching 30–50 m in height, in cultivation by the age of thirty it grows no higher than 8–10 m. Under natural conditions, the species is common in the Far East and the Korean Peninsula, China and Japan, is considered extremely winter-hardy, grows near rivers , loves sprinkling of the crown, shade-tolerant.
The crown is pyramidal, the skeletal branches are directed obliquely upward. Flat needles up to 1.5–2 cm long, blunt or with a small point, dark green, with bluish-white stripes below, last up to 10 years. The needles fit tightly to the branches; in good lighting they tend to puff up, which gives the plant a light silvery tone. The cones are oval-oblong, up to 8 cm long, in an immature state, purple-crimson or light green.
Nana Kalous
A dwarf, squat plant without a pronounced central conductor, round, about 1 m in diameter. The skeletal branches are evenly spaced, directed horizontally and obliquely upward, the lateral branches are short and grow in abundance. The tousled needles with a bluish underside are bright and attractive. Very nice shape, looks good on alpine slides, in the foreground of mixborders.
Groups of spruce varieties by growth vigor
In natural conditions, the overwhelming majority of spruce species are large trees up to 30–50 m high. Over hundreds of years of cultural cultivation, breeders have obtained luxurious tall varieties of ideal proportions, as well as many very decorative medium-sized and dwarf forms.
Low growing varieties
Blue Pearl
A dwarf conifer with a rounded crown, which over time becomes cushion-shaped or broadly conical. By ten years it reaches half a meter in height and 0.8 m in diameter, growing slowly - 2-3 cm per year.
The branches are dense, multi-directional, the side branches are located vertically, forming a convex textured surface. The needles are radially arranged, hard and prickly, bluish-blue in color, creating an attractive contrast with the red bark of the shoots.
Lucky Strike
A charming dwarf Christmas tree with a pyramidal crown reaches 1.2 m in height and 0.8 m in diameter by the age of 10, and does not exceed 2 m in adulthood. Dense branches are unevenly located, directed horizontally or obliquely upward. The glossy needles are dark green, the growths are bright, yellowish. Purple cones appear early and in abundance, they are large, directed vertically, and over time they turn brown and droop.
Goblin
The attractive dwarf form of Norway spruce resembles a bright green, lush tussock. The central conductor is not pronounced, the short skeletal branches are covered with many vertically directed lateral branches, completely covered with short protruding needles of a juicy green hue, especially bright on young growths.
It develops slowly, growing 2–2.5 cm per year, and reaches a height of 0.4 m by the age of ten. The variety was obtained from the famous cushion-shaped variety Nidiformis.
Medium-sized varieties
Cruenta
This stunning “red” variety of Norway spruce is winter-hardy and drought-tolerant. It develops at a moderate pace, reaching 2–4 m by the age of ten. The crown is dense, of a regular pyramidal shape, with skeletal branches raised obliquely upward and drooping side branches.
A notable feature is the purple-crimson large growths, which over time acquire a green color. Immature buds are bright, raspberry-purple. The spectacular combination of crimson and green tones makes this ephedra exceptionally elegant, invariably attracting the eye.
Pendula Bruns
An original plant of medium size, growing up to 4–5 m in height, less often up to 10 m, develops at a moderate pace - annually 7–10 cm in height and about 3 cm in width. The crown is narrowed, about 1.2–1.7 m in diameter, with a straight central conductor, curved upward to varying degrees. The branches are directed downward, pressed against the trunk and slightly raised at the ends, growing from the ground itself, forming a wide, dense trail.
The needle-like narrow needles are dark green in color, with two silver stripes on the reverse side. The cones are small, reddish-purple when immature. To maintain a spectacular, even and narrow shape, the trunk is tied up until it reaches a height of 1.5–2 m. The variety does not develop well on dense soils that are too moist.
Christmas Blue
A slow-growing tree in maturity reaches a height of 3–4 m with a width across about 1.5–2 m. The main difference is the ideal proportions of the conical crown with a flat surface. The skeletal branches are directed horizontally, evenly covered with lateral branches growing in different directions.
The needles are elastic, radially arranged, silver-blue, exceptionally pure in tone. It grows best in open areas and is successfully grown in groups and to create dense blue hedges.
Tall varieties
Iseli Fastigiata
A beautiful prickly spruce grows up to 10–12 m, the growth rate is intense - about 20 cm per year, reaching 3 m by the age of ten. The crown is neat, harmonious conical shape, does not tend to grow too much, the base width of an adult tree is about 3 m. The branches are directed obliquely upward, lateral branches and growths directed vertically.
The needles are bluish-green, with a pleasant, fresh tone; in sunny areas the blue tint is more pronounced. One of the best tall, narrow varieties, allowing you to successfully grow a luxurious blue spruce even in a limited space.
Columnaris
The tall natural form of Norway spruce is found in the wild in Scandinavian countries. The narrow columnar crown is formed by short skeletal branches and horizontally located lateral branches densely covered with dark green glossy needles.
The plant is large, reaches 12–17 m in maturity, develops quickly, and gives growth of up to 30 cm per year. Young trees tend to freeze and burn in the sun. Used to create alleys and solitaire planting.
Video about the variety of types and varieties of spruce trees
Various varieties of spruce trees are widely used in landscaping, for decorating front entrances, arranging dense emerald or blue hedges, single or group plantings, in mixborders and rockeries. Incredible varietal diversity will not only satisfy the most demanding demand, but can also seriously captivate the gardener, turning him into a passionate collector of wonderful evergreens.
All over the world they are called Pinophyta - Pine. We usually call them Coniferous trees. A distinctive feature of the taxa is Needles, Needles.
Remember the children's song: “What grows on the Christmas tree? Cones and needles" Coniferous tree with large needles: spruce, pine, fir, cedar, larch. Who has more needles - spruce or pine? Can you always distinguish spruce from pine, and fir from cedar?
Which pine tree has the longest and largest needles? Coniferous tree with large needles
North American pine Long Pine Leaf. As the name suggests, Longleaf pine has the largest needles. The needles reach a length of 45 cm, hanging gracefully on the short branches of a mature tree. Once mature, the needles remain on the tree for ten years or more.
It is also called Swamp pine, Southern pine, Yellow pine, Georgia pine, and lodgepole pine. This marvel, a conifer with large needles, grows from southern Virginia to Florida and west to Mississippi.
What are pine needles?
Pine needles are the leaves of a pine tree. The leaf begins its growth in dense tufts of pine branches. Over the course of three to five years, the needles mature. Some fall off at the end of the ripening period, others stay on the tree for many years. On a coniferous tree, needles grow in different lengths. With an average needle length of, say, 10 cm, some needles will be 8 cm and others will be 12 cm.
About a hundred species of pine trees grow in modern world. Most conifers live in the Northern Hemisphere. Conifers that grow in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are not native to these areas; they were introduced into these areas.
Which coniferous species have large needles? — Coniferous trees with large needles
- Benguet pine (Pinus insularis), needles 23 cm, grows in the Philippines, Burma and southern China.
- Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), needles 20 -30 cm long, grow in the Himalayas
- Guatemala pine trees (Pinus pseudostrobus), needles about 40 cm long, grow in Mexico and Central America.
- Telecote or Mexican yellow pine (Pinus procumbens), has needles up to 30 cm, grows in Mexico.
- Montezuma pine (Pinus montezumae) with needles up to 38 cm, grows in Mexico and Guatemala. Some are grown in Southern California.
- Canary Island pines (Pinus canariensis) with 20 - 30 cm needles, are native to the Canary Islands, but some grow in Southern California.
- Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana), also called Del Mar Pine or Soledad Pine. The needles of these trees are up to 35 cm in length. Its natural habitat is a nature reserve north of San Diego and on Santa Rosa Island.
- Digger pine (Pinus sabiniana) from California, 20-30 cm needles.
- Coulter pine trees (Pinus coulteri) have on average 25 cm long needles.
- Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), with needles 15-25 cm.
Ecology of life. Estate: Spruce is the “queen” of the forest, leading the popularity rating among craftsmen landscape art. This sacred tree, acting as a talisman for the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but also for its extraordinary decorativeness.
Spruce is the “queen” of the forest, leading the popularity rating among masters of landscape art. This sacred tree, acting as a talisman for the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but also for its extraordinary decorativeness.
Needle-like foliage in emerald, dark green and even blue shades can transform plant compositions, adding a unique twist to the landscape design of the site.
Options for using spruce in landscape design
It’s rare that anyone can remain indifferent to the luxury of color and frozen beauty of conifer needles. It is not surprising that spruce is used quite often in landscaping. It looks great as container plantings to frame garden paths and when decorating rocky gardens.
Ephedra is ideal for creating multi-level compositions, combining harmoniously with low-growing shrubs and beautifully flowering perennials.
Trees with needle-like foliage of a rich green hue look interesting in combination bright flowers one and perennial plants. Perfect for creating compositions: Japanese anemones, pansies, aquilegia, phlox and hosta. Conifers are an ideal basis for creating evergreen sculptures that can make the appearance of the garden richer and more colorful.
Among the main advantages of using spruce in the design of a site, it is worth highlighting:
1. The ephedra will delight you with its rich shades of needle-like greenery in the summer, without fading under the sun's rays, and winter period, contrasting with the whiteness of the snow.
2. The phytoncides released by the plant can productively purify the air, having a healing effect on the human body.
3. Spruce is great for any style of landscape design.
4. Fluffy branches are convenient to use when making crafts: creating paintings, herbariums, New Year's compositions.
But spruce, like any other plant, has its drawbacks. For example, this conifer is capable of growing greatly, darkening the area and depleting the soil. Therefore, spruce species that have a dwarf shape are used to decorate gardens.
Spruce is also convenient because it is easy to trim. Thanks to this, even an experienced gardener does not have problems giving the crown a unique shape.
It is advisable to plant spruce along the fence. In a short period of time, the conifer grows into a magnificent shape, and its thick paws form a solid and dense wall.
Variety of decorative forms
There are more than 20 types of spruce trees in modern parks and gardens. The main thing when choosing the type of conifer is the configuration of its crown and the size of the plant in adulthood.
In landscape design, 3 types of spruce trees are most widespread:
1. Ordinary– a typical species represented by more than 50 garden forms. Low-growing forms created on its basis reach a height of 1.2 m, and medium-sized ones reach 3 or more meters. A wide palette of colors of needles, starting from golden and ending with rich green, on branches collected in pyramidal or cushion-shaped crowns, makes conifers of this species welcome guests in garden plots.
2. Barbed– more than 70 varieties are represented in the culture. Most of them are medium- and tall-growing trees up to 40 meters high with a beautiful cone-shaped crown. Although there are also dwarf forms up to 2 m high. The needles are very prickly: hence the name of the species. It can be bluish-white, steel-blue, silver and bluish-green.
3. Gray– has more than 20 decorative forms. The species got its name due to the ash-gray color of the bark and the bluish tint of the needles. The dwarf forms of this species have a spherical and nest-shaped crown, while the tall ones have a cone-shaped crown. The color palette of needles is quite wide, starting from yellowish-golden and gray-blue and ending with bright green.
Spruces, like any plants, are divided into three groups: dwarf, medium- and tall. When landscaping garden plots, the most popular are dwarf and medium-sized representatives of conifers.
Among the variety of coniferous ornamental plants in landscape design, creeping and dwarf varieties are especially popular.
Dwarf varieties
Low-growing forms include plants, the size of which in adulthood is several times smaller in comparison with the original maternal species. For example, in natural conditions, the common spruce, called Picea abies, is a 50-meter beauty with a neatly decorated crown, the width of which reaches 8-10 meters.
The decorative form of this tall conifer, known as Picea abies "Nidiformis" or "cushion spruce", reaches no more than two meters in height with a crown width of 2-3 meters.
The main advantage of dwarf forms of conifers is the minimal annual growth of young shoots, which in most cases is limited to 10-15 cm.
Among modern varieties created on the basis of Norway spruce, the most decorative ones are conifers, the crowns of which have a nest-like or spherical shape.
The miniature shrub Picea abies “Nidiformis” is perfect for forming low borders and decorating rocky gardens.
The dwarf spruce "Nidiformis" reaches a height of only 40 cm in adulthood, forming a spreading crown with a diameter of up to one meter.
The fan-shaped thin graceful shoots of “Nidiformis” are decorated with soft and short needles of a delicate emerald shade.
“Little Gemm” is no less attractive. The shoots extending from the middle of the crown, framed by dark green thin needles, form a neat hemispherical “cushion”. It looks especially interesting in the form standard form, planted in a floor container or flowerpot.
The branches of the miniature beauty Picea abies “Little Gem” are covered with soft short needles of a rich dark green hue.
Picea abies “Will’s Zwerg” has a beautiful narrow-conical dense crown shape. The plant is interesting due to the soft green tint of young needles covering the milky shoots, which contrasts favorably against the background of the dark green of old needles. evergreen shrub well suited for small home gardens.
Spruce "Will's Zwerg" looks interesting in group compositions and as a solitaire when arranging gardens with a small area.
The selectively bred “Glauca Globosa” is famous for its extraordinary decorativeness. The dwarf plant does not have a clearly defined trunk. Its spreading branches, studded with millions of thin needles of an elegant silver-blue hue, form a beautiful spherical crown. Cones formed on the branches that resemble new Year decoration, give the tree a special attractiveness.
The blue beauty "Glauca Globosa" is often used to decorate city landscapes, often acting as an elegant addition to park alleys.
You can’t ignore the low-growing varieties that creep along the ground picturesquely. Miniature "Nana" resembles soft pillow, and “Echiniformis” is identified with kolobok, round shapes which act as an original frame for garden paths.
Most types of spruce trees themselves are shade-tolerant, but often their dwarf forms are very sensitive to lack of light.
Medium-sized species
When creating a home garden design, it is also customary to use medium-sized conifers, the height of which reaches no more than 15 m. A low single tree with a clearly defined crown looks picturesque against the background of a lawn “carpet” or the walls of a house. A spectacular driftwood or white stone will help complete the picture.
Spruce trees with spreading crowns can create a shady area for relaxation, filled with a special atmosphere home comfort and unity with wild nature.
Blue spruce is one of the most popular types of conifers, revered by designers not only for its ease of care, but also for the fascinating change in shades of needle-like foliage throughout the year. Only 20% of representatives of this species have a pronounced sky color, the rest are rich in green and bluish tones.
Blue beauties are not able to withstand temperature fluctuations in the northern regions and feel comfortable only in temperate latitudes. Spruce with blue needles looks great along garden paths, against the backdrop of wooden buildings or stone buildings.
A prominent representative of this species is Picea pungens “Blue Diamond”, which means “blue diamond”.
The graceful beauty "Blue Diamonds" with a tall thin trunk and a neatly formed conical crown is often used for mixed mixborders.
Weeping spruce species will help diversify the collection. Considering their desire for the aquatic environment, conifers can be safely used when decorating the banks of reservoirs.
Full-size weeping spruce trees reach a height of 10-15 meters with a width of 2-3 meters. Thin branches, hanging down, bend around the curved trunk of the plant, giving it a weeping shape.
Serbian spruce “Glauka Pendula” with flexible thin shoots hanging along the trunk is a win-win option when implementing non-standard solutions in garden compositions.
Canadian spruce is more suitable for our climate. Konica is famous for its frost resistance and ease of care. It is interesting for landscape design because it has a decorative conical crown shape, gives a small increase over the year and fits harmoniously into the design of even very small areas.
Sparkling in sun rays young shoots make the coniferous beauty “Migold” look like a queen wrapped in gold.
mantle The crown of the tree, reaching a height of 6 m, has a loose pyramidal shape. The creamy-yellow needles on young shoots gradually change color after a few weeks, acquiring an equally attractive bluish-green hue.
Combinations of conifers
If the area of the plot allows, then to create a picturesque and original picture it is better to use spruce trees of different types and varieties.
Tall trees fit well into any landscape as tapeworms; more compact forms of conifers can be safely combined with other plantings.
In order for the intended composition to turn out harmonious and attractive, masters of landscape art advise taking into account a number of key points:
- The composition should not be too colorful. For a group of three conifers, use two colors. When composing a composition of five evergreens, use only three colors.
- When creating a multi-level composition, including 20-30 plantings, place the elements in groups, matching them by color.
- The fir-shrub ensemble requires proper placement of accents: the foreground is occupied by low-growing plants, the background by medium-sized conifers.
- Arranging a regular or Moorish lawn in the near-trunk area of conifers will help to avoid the feeling of density of Christmas tree plantings.
Juicy needles of a dark shade will emphasize the beauty of the nearby flowering bush. In addition to beautifully flowering plants, shrubs with unusually colored foliage will be a good addition to the coniferous beauty: weigela, mock orange, barberry.
Spruces combine well with others coniferous varieties and flowering perennials, creating a picturesque picture that looks elegant at any time of the year.
Proper planting and care is a guarantee that coniferous beauties will delight you with their presentable appearance almost all year round.
Wanting to decorate your site with one or more fir trees, experienced gardeners It is advised to adhere to certain rules:
Boarding time. It is better to plant ephedra in early spring or early autumn, when the plant has not yet entered or has already passed the vigorous growth phase. To protect young shoots from frost and rodents, it is advisable to mulch the tree trunk area with peat for the winter.
Placement. Under natural conditions, spruce develops well near the river valley, where it receives enough moisture to nourish a powerful root system. But at the same time, she does not like wetlands, and therefore needs drainage.
Soil composition. All types of spruce trees love fertile alkaline and acidic soil. They are intolerant of heavy soil types. When planting conifers in depleted soil, the planting hole should first be enriched by adding 100 grams of complex mineral fertilizer. With a lack of oxygen and nutrition, the plant may even die.
It is worth considering that spruce greatly affects the flowers and shrubs surrounding it, so it is better to place it at a short distance from sun-loving plants. You should not plant conifers close to each other, since their branches will limit the access of sunlight.
By following these simple rules when selecting varieties, you can create a cozy and picturesque design on your site that will delight the eye throughout the year.
Video instruction: setting up a fir fence
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Spruce is the “queen” of the forest, leading the popularity rating among masters of landscape art. This sacred tree, acting as a talisman for the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but also for its extraordinary decorativeness. Needle-like foliage in emerald, dark green and even blue shades can transform plant compositions, adding a unique twist to the landscape design of the site.
Options for using spruce in landscape design
It’s rare that anyone can remain indifferent to the luxury of color and frozen beauty of conifer needles. It is not surprising that spruce is used quite often in landscaping. It looks great as container plantings to frame garden paths and when decorating rocky gardens.
Ephedra is ideal for creating multi-level compositions, harmoniously combining with low-growing shrubs and beautiful flowering perennials
Trees with needle-like foliage of a rich green hue look interesting in combination with the bright flowers of annual and perennial plants. Perfect for creating compositions: Japanese anemones, pansies, aquilegias, phlox and hosts. Conifers are an ideal basis for creating evergreen sculptures that can make the appearance of the garden richer and more colorful.
Among the main advantages of using spruce in the design of a site, it is worth highlighting:
- The ephedra will delight you with its rich shades of needle-like green in the summer, without fading under the sun's rays, and in the winter, contrasting with the whiteness of the snow.
- The phytoncides released by the plant can productively purify the air, having a healing effect on the human body.
- Spruce is great for any style of landscape design.
- Fluffy branches are convenient to use in making crafts: creating paintings, herbariums, New Year's compositions.
But spruce, like any other plant, has its drawbacks. For example, this conifer is capable of growing greatly, darkening the area and depleting the soil. Therefore, spruce species that have a dwarf shape are used to decorate gardens.
Spruce is also convenient because it is easy to trim. Thanks to this, even an experienced gardener has no problems giving the crown a unique shape.
It is advisable to plant spruce along the fence. In a short period of time, the conifer grows into a magnificent shape, and its thick paws form a solid and dense wall.
Variety of decorative forms
There are more than 20 types of spruce trees in modern parks and gardens. The main thing when choosing the type of conifer is the configuration of its crown and the size of the plant in adulthood.
In landscape design, 3 types of spruce trees are most widespread:
- Ordinary– a typical species represented by more than 50 garden forms. Low-growing forms created on its basis reach a height of 1.2 m, and medium-sized ones reach 3 or more meters. A wide palette of colors of needles, starting from golden and ending with rich green, on branches collected in pyramidal or cushion-shaped crowns, makes conifers of this species welcome guests in garden plots.
- Barbed– more than 70 varieties are represented in the culture. Most of them are medium- and tall-growing trees up to 40 meters high with a beautiful cone-shaped crown. Although there are also dwarf forms up to 2 m high. The needles are very prickly: hence the name of the species. It can be bluish-white, steel-blue, silver and bluish-green.
- Gray– has more than 20 decorative forms. The species got its name due to the ash-gray color of the bark and the bluish tint of the needles. The dwarf forms of this species have a spherical and nest-shaped crown, while the tall ones have a cone-shaped crown. The color palette of needles is quite wide, starting from yellowish-golden and gray-blue and ending with bright green.
Spruces, like any plants, are divided into three groups: dwarf, medium- and tall. When landscaping garden plots, the most popular are dwarf and medium-sized representatives of conifers.
Among the variety of coniferous ornamental plants in landscape design, creeping and dwarf varieties are especially popular
Dwarf varieties
Low-growing forms include plants, the size of which in adulthood is several times smaller in comparison with the original maternal species. For example, in natural conditions, the common spruce, called Picea abies, is a 50-meter beauty with a neatly decorated crown, the width of which reaches 8-10 meters.
The decorative form of this tall conifer, known as Picea abies “Nidiformis” or “cushion spruce,” reaches no more than two meters in height with a crown width of 2-3 meters.
The main advantage of dwarf forms of conifers is the minimal annual growth of young shoots, which in most cases is limited to 10-15 cm
Among modern varieties created on the basis of Norway spruce, the most decorative ones are conifers, the crowns of which have a nest-like or spherical shape.
The miniature shrub Picea abies “Nidiformis” is perfect for forming low borders and decorating rocky gardens.
Dwarf spruce “Nidiformis” reaches a height of only 40 cm in adulthood, forming a spreading crown with a diameter of up to one meter
The fan-shaped thin graceful shoots of “Nidiformis” are decorated with soft and short needles of a delicate emerald shade.
“Little Gems” is no less attractive. The shoots extending from the middle of the crown, framed by dark green thin needles, form a neat hemispherical “cushion”. It looks especially interesting in the form of a standard form, planted in a floor container or flowerpot.
The branches of the miniature beauty Picea abies “Little Gem” are covered with soft short needles of a rich dark green hue.
Picea abies “Will’s Zwerg” has a beautiful narrow-conical dense crown shape. The plant is interesting due to the soft green tint of young needles covering the milky shoots, which contrasts favorably against the background of the dark green of old needles. The evergreen shrub is well suited for small home gardens.
Spruce “Will’s Zwerg” looks interesting in group compositions and as a solitaire when arranging gardens with a small area
The selectively bred “Glauca Globosa” is famous for its extraordinary decorativeness. The dwarf plant does not have a clearly defined trunk. Its spreading branches, studded with millions of thin needles of an elegant silver-blue hue, form a beautiful spherical crown. The cones that form on the branches, reminiscent of New Year's decorations, give the tree a special attractiveness.
The blue beauty “Glauca Globosa” is often used to decorate city landscapes, often acting as an elegant addition to park alleys
You can’t ignore the low-growing varieties that creep along the ground picturesquely. The miniature “Nana” resembles a soft pillow, and “Echiniformis” is identified with a kolobok, the round shapes of which act as an original frame for garden paths.
Most types of spruce trees themselves are shade-tolerant, but often their dwarf forms are very sensitive to lack of light.
Medium-sized species
When creating a home garden design, it is also customary to use medium-sized conifers, the height of which reaches no more than 15 m. A low single tree with a clearly defined crown looks picturesque against the background of a lawn “carpet” or the walls of a house. A spectacular driftwood or white stone will help complete the picture.
Spruce trees with spreading crowns can create a shady area for relaxation, filled with a special atmosphere of home comfort and unity with wild nature
Blue spruce is one of the most popular types of conifers, revered by designers not only for its ease of care, but also for the fascinating change in shades of needle-like foliage throughout the year. Only 20% of representatives of this species have a pronounced sky color, the rest are rich in green and bluish tones.
Blue beauties are not able to withstand temperature fluctuations in the northern regions and feel comfortable only in temperate latitudes. Spruce with blue needles looks great along garden paths, against the backdrop of wooden buildings or stone buildings.
A prominent representative of this species is Picea pungens “Blue Diamond”, which means “blue diamond”.
The graceful beauty “Blue Diamonds” with a tall thin trunk and a neatly formed conical crown is often used for mixed mixborders.
Weeping spruce species will help diversify the collection. Considering their desire for the aquatic environment, conifers can be safely used in the design of shores.
Full-size weeping spruce trees reach a height of 10-15 meters with a width of 2-3 meters. Thin branches, hanging down, bend around the curved trunk of the plant, giving it a weeping shape.
Serbian spruce “Glauka Pendula” with flexible thin shoots hanging along the trunk is a win-win option when implementing non-standard solutions in garden compositions
Canadian spruce is more suitable for our climate. It is famous for its frost resistance and ease of care. It is interesting for landscape design because it has a decorative conical crown shape, gives a small increase over the year and fits harmoniously into the design of even very small areas.
“Piccolo” is a bright, elegant variety with emerald green needles that cast a slight bluish tint in the sun, looks impressive in group plantings
Against the background of plain green “sisters”, Picea pungens “Maigold” stands out, adding to the collection of varietal beauties in 1988. It will look great as a tapeworm.
Young shoots sparkling in the sun make the coniferous beauty “Majgold” look like a queen wrapped in a golden robe
The crown of the tree, reaching a height of 6 m, has a loose pyramidal shape. The creamy-yellow needles on young shoots gradually change color after a few weeks, acquiring an equally attractive bluish-green hue.
Combinations of conifers
If the area of the plot allows, then to create a picturesque and original picture it is better to use spruce trees of different types and varieties.
Material about coniferous compositions in garden landscape design:
Tall trees fit well into any landscape as tapeworms; more compact forms of conifers can be safely combined with other plantings
In order for the intended composition to turn out harmonious and attractive, masters of landscape art advise taking into account a number of key points:
- The composition should not be too colorful. For a group of three conifers, use two colors. When composing a composition of five evergreens, use only three colors.
- When creating a multi-level composition, including 20-30 plantings, place the elements in groups, matching them by color.
- The fir-shrub ensemble requires proper placement of accents: the foreground is occupied by low-growing plants, the background by medium-sized conifers.
- Arranging regular or conifers in the near-trunk area will help to avoid the feeling of density of Christmas tree plantings.
Juicy needles of a dark shade will emphasize the beauty of the flowering shrub located nearby. In addition to beautifully flowering plants, shrubs with unusually colored foliage will be a good addition to the coniferous beauty:,.
Spruce trees combine well with other coniferous varieties and flowering perennials, creating a picturesque picture that looks elegant at any time of the year.
Proper planting and care is a guarantee that coniferous beauties will delight you with their presentable appearance almost all year round.
If you want to decorate your plot with one or more spruce trees, experienced gardeners advise adhering to certain rules:
- Boarding time. It is better to plant ephedra in early spring or early autumn, when the plant has not yet entered or has already passed the vigorous growth phase. To protect young shoots from frost and rodents, it is advisable to mulch the tree trunk area with peat for the winter.
- Location. Under natural conditions, spruce develops well near the river valley, where it receives enough moisture to nourish a powerful root system. But at the same time, she does not like wetlands, and therefore needs drainage.
- Soil composition. All types of spruce trees love fertile alkaline and acidic soil. They are intolerant of heavy soil types. When planting conifers in depleted soil, the planting hole should first be enriched by adding 100 grams of complex mineral fertilizer. With a lack of oxygen and nutrition, the plant may even die.
It is worth considering that spruce greatly affects the flowers and shrubs surrounding it, so it is better to place it at a short distance from sun-loving plants. You should not plant conifers close to each other, since their branches will limit the access of sunlight.
By following these simple rules when selecting varieties and composing plant compositions, you can create a cozy and picturesque design on your site that will delight the eye throughout the year.
Video instruction: setting up a fir fence
Despite the high prevalence of pine crops in coniferous forests, natural spruce forests (Piceeta abietis) grow in the altitude zone of 1200-1650 meters above sea level, where the forest litter mainly consists of layers of immature humus. Such plantings are especially well formed in the conditions of the Marmaro crystalline massif and the Montenegrin ridge. Here spruce forms pure stands over large areas.
Fir-spruce forests (Abieto-Piceetum) formed on very acidic, poor, but with a high proportion of fine earth, mainly on waterlogged soils in the mountain fir-beech belt. Under such habitat conditions, beech is not competitive.
In some places, pine pine (Pinus cembra) and larch (Larix decidua) grow on the border of the forest. In the Kedrin reserve and on the slopes of Mount Popadya, relict cedar-fir and larch-cedar-fir plantations are protected.
Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), green alder (Alnus viridis) and Siberian juniper (Juniperus sibirica) throughout the entire area form almost completely pure thickets with undergrowth, varying depending on the properties of the substrate, exposure and other habitat factors.
Douglasia green
(Another name: green pseudohemlock) (Genus "Douglasia")
A tree up to 125 m high and 5 m in diameter. Lives 500-800 (1500) years. Brought to Russia in 1827. The trunk is straight, columnar, full of wood, cleared of branches by 55-75%, and therefore gives a large yield of clean lumber. The crown is dense, broadly conical or broadly pyramidal, pointed. The branches are irregularly ring-shaped. The needles are perennial (up to 8 years), placed spirally on elongated annual shoots. The age of maturity of Douglas finch reaches 10-20 years. Fruits every year. This breed is moderately sensitive to heat. It does not tolerate severe frosts, heat, late spring frosts, long droughts and dry winds.
Siberian larch
(Genus "larch")
The tree is 30-37 meters high and 80-160 cm in diameter. Lives 400-500 years. The trunk is straight, full-wooded, cylindrical, highly cleared of branches. The bark of young trees is thin, in old ones it is thick, deeply fissured, and red at the end. The crown is narrow at a young age, and wide at an older age. The needles are 2.5-5.0 cm long and up to 1 mm wide, arranged singly and spirally. On shortened shoots, the needles are collected in bunches of 25-60 pieces. It blooms in space from 12-15 years. The cones are 1.5-3.0 cm long and 18-35 mm thick. The root system is strong (strongly developed main tap root and deep lateral ones). This breed is significantly demanding of light, frost-resistant, winter-hardy and heat-resistant. Not picky about soil fertility.
European larch
(Genus "larch")
Photo of European larch
The tree is 25-45 m high and 80-100 (160) cm in diameter. Lives 450-500 years. The trunk is straight (sometimes saber-shaped at the bottom), full of wood. Young trees have a narrow-conical, pointed crown, while old trees have an irregularly shaped crown. Longitudinal shoots are bare, thin and yellowish-brown. The needles are 1-4 cm long and 1.5 mm wide, light green, with a sharp yellowish tip. The needles appear in March-April, turn yellow and fall off in the fall. Propagated by seeds. It bears fruit from 15-20 years and repeats every 3-5 years. A very light-loving breed. Relatively frost-resistant and winter-hardy. Wind-resistant, tolerates air pollution well, and has little demands on moisture and soil.
Spruce
(Other names: common spruce, Norway spruce) (Genus "spruce, fir")
The tree is 30-45 m high and up to 1.5 m in diameter. Lives 250-300 (500) years. The trunk is almost cylindrical and slender up to 1/3 of its height. Dead branches do not fall off for a long time. The bark is thin. The crown is dense and compact. The needles are shiny, hard, prickly, 2-3 cm long and up to 1.5 mm wide. The cones are drooping, cylindrical, 10-15 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter. In the wild, it bears fruit from 15-20 years. Harvest years are repeated every 4-7 years. The seeds ripen in the year of flowering. The root system is superficial, but on loose soils the lateral roots are deep. Shade-tolerant, moderately demanding of soil fertility.
Spruce or Norway spruce (Picea abies) is the dominant tree species of the highland and subalpine zones in the Alps and northern taiga. In the forests of Montenegro there are optimal growing conditions for it. It can reach an age of 500-600 years, a height of 60 meters and a diameter of 2 meters. Its crown can be cone-shaped or pyramidal, and the external shape is very different and is determined by the type of branching. Depending on the location of the branches - hanging, brush-like. The slender, column-like crowns of pine trees in the higher zones of Montenegro are striking. Thanks to such crowns, they do not experience heavy snow load.
Young needles appear here, depending on the altitude, from mid-May to early June and grow for 5-7 years. Strict conditions in the upper belts determine some features in the biology of pine. Thus, in the lower zones, abundant harvests are repeated after 3-6 years, and in the high mountains - only after 6-9 years. Also, with height, both the size of the cones and the weight of the seeds decrease. A thousand pine seeds weigh only 5-8 grams.
Siberian spruce
(Another name: spruce) (Genus "spruce, fir")
A tree 25-30 m high and 0.7-0.9 m in diameter, lives 250-300 years. The view is close to the previous one. The crown is narrow and dense. The trunks are straight. Poorly cleared of knots. The shoots are relatively thin. The needles are 10-15 (20) mm long and 1 mm wide. Blooms in June from 20-25 years. Cones hanging down. According to environmental indicators, it is close to common spruce. But more frost-resistant, cold-resistant and drought-resistant.
Scots pine
(Genus "pine")
Tree 25-40 m high and more than 1 m in diameter. Lives up to 350 (600) years. The needles are steamy, emerging from leathery brown sheaths, 4-9 cm long (it all depends on the age of the tree) and up to 2 mm wide, linearly spirally placed on the shoot, hard, prickly. Above: dark green, below: bluish-green with a waxy coating. The needles live 2-3 (8) years. The seeds ripen in the fall of the following year after flowering. The cones are single or in groups of 2-3, oblong-ovate, short pointed, 3-7 cm long, 2-4 cm in diameter. The cones open in March-April. For example, one hectare of old pine forest gives 4-15 kg of seeds. It bears fruit annually, but fruitful years are only after 3-4 years. Scots pine is a very light-loving species, as evidenced by its openwork crown. The trunk is cleared of knots. About competition: easily replaced by more shade-tolerant and fast-growing species. It is not demanding on soil fertility and moisture. The breed is frost-resistant and cold-resistant.
Banks Pines
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 18-25 m high and 50-70 cm in diameter. Lives up to 120 years. The crown is medium dense, compact, and in old trees it is widely spreading and liquefied. The trunks are often variegated, often forked and gnarled. Coniferous steam room, 2-4 cm long and up to 1.5 mm wide, twisted, bent. Banks pine bears fruit annually from 5-7 years and abundantly. Cones are lateral, sessile, 2-3 (7) pieces each, oblong-oval, strongly curved. The root system is strong. The species is frost-resistant and drought-resistant, more shade-tolerant than Scots pine. A fast-growing breed, but growth stops at 40-50 years of age.
Weymouth Pine
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 30-35 (50) meters high and 120-150 cm in diameter. Lives 220-270 years. This breed was brought from North America in 1705 by Weymouth. The crown is wide-pyramidal and dense. The shoots are thin, greenish. The trunks are straight. Highly cleared of knots. The bark on trees up to 30 years old is thin, in middle age it is lamellar, and in old age it becomes thicker. The needles are linear, 6-11 cm long and up to 0.5 mm wide, in bunches of 5 pieces. The needles live for 2-3 years. Weymouth pine blooms in May. The cones ripen in the fall of next year. It bears fruit from 15-25 years (depending on the growing conditions of the tree). Harvest years are repeated every 2-5 years. The cones are hanging, slightly bent. The breed has little demand for soil fertility and moisture. It tolerates wet soils and even flowing swamps, where the root system is superficial and windiness can be observed. Requires moist air. Moderately sensitive to light.
Mountain pine
(Genus "pine")
A creeping tree species, mountain pine (Pinus mugo), common in the subalpine zone. Some specimens of mountain pine reach an age of 350 years. The trunks grow up to 12 meters in height with a diameter of up to 25 cm. Traditional medicine uses mountain pine in the treatment of various colds. Before the First World War, there was even a small factory in Montenegro for extracting essential oils from it.
Mountain pine often forms dense thickets up to 3 meters high over large areas, almost impassable by humans. This, according to legend, was used by a young shepherd who had to herd the sheep of a rich peasant. There was a condition: none of the sheep should be torn apart by wolves. The shepherd drove the sheep to Goverla, where there were pastures surrounded by dense pine thickets. Natural protection worked - not a single sheep was lost. In the fall, he drove all the sheep into the valley and asked for the rich man’s daughter to be his wife. The old man agreed. So mountain pine helped the young shepherd not only keep the entire herd unharmed, but also find himself a wife.
European cedar pine
(Another name: European cedar) (Genus "pine")
The tree is 20-27 m high and 100-130 cm in diameter. Lives 500-600 (1000) years. The trunk is straight, poorly cleared of knots. The bark is smooth when young, then becomes thick and fissured. The crown in youth is dense, cone-shaped, and then pyramidal and broadly cylindrical. There are 5 needles each, the cones are located at the ends of the shoots, erect. The root system is wide, powerful, and even on rocky soils they penetrate deep into the ground. The breed is wind-resistant and grows slowly. Demanding on soil moisture, quite shade-tolerant.
Korean cedar pine
(Another name: Korean cedar) (Genus "pine")
The tree is 30-35 (60) m high and up to 2 m in diameter. Lives 400-700 years. The crown is of medium density, broadly cone-shaped, low-set. The trunks are straight, moderately tapered, poorly cleared of knots. The shoots are not thick, green. The needles grow in groups of 5 in sparse bunches. Length 7-15 (20) cm, and width up to 1 mm. The seeds are grey-brown. Contains 65% fat. Harvest every three years. The breed is slow growing. For example, at 20 years old the height reaches only 3 meters. Frost-resistant, shade-tolerant.
Siberian cedar pine
(Another name: Siberian cedar) (Genus "pine")
A tree up to 35 m high and up to 180 cm in diameter lives up to 500 years. The trunk in plantings is cylindrical, straight, slightly tapered, and in open spaces it is tapered, very thick in the lower part. The crown is dense, ovoid or oval spreading, wide. First order branches extend from the trunk at right angles. Blooms in June. The cones are erect. Fruiting occurs at 25-30 years. Most of all in 80-180 years. Reproduces with the help of rodents and birds. This breed is not demanding on soil fertility and moisture. Frost-resistant and cold-resistant, relatively shade-tolerant. Does not tolerate pollution well.
Crimean pine
(Genus "pine")
The tree is 25-30 m high and 70-90 (110) cm in diameter. Lives 250 (350) years. The crown at a young age is dense, pyramidal; in old age - flat umbrella-shaped. Steam needles, 10-18 cm long and up to 2.5 mm wide. The needles live for 3-5 years. Crimean pine blooms in May. The seeds ripen in the third year. The cones are sessile. Natural regeneration is not always successful. The breed is drought-resistant, heat-resistant, light-loving and smoke-resistant.
Yew
(Genus "yew")
There are few plants that are so often mentioned in legends as the yew (Taxus boccata). There must be something special about this tree, which can live for over 5,000 years, whose wood does not rot for centuries and sinks in water like a stone. At the age of 100 to 150 years, yew trees reach a height of about 10 meters and a diameter of 20 to 25 cm.
Previously, the yew was very common, as evidenced by the name of the Tisza River. For its valuable wood, the yew was heavily cut down in the years 1400-1700. Because of its decorative, hard and rot-resistant wood, furniture, dishes, jewelry, and even cannonballs were made for the castle in Khust. Yew wood was expensive and the local population apparently paid them tribute.
In Greek mythology, according to Pliny and Dioscorides, the yew was considered the tree of death. This is true because almost all parts of the yew, with the exception of the edible red pulp of the fruit, are highly poisonous. The constituent parts of the toxin are used today in medicine in the treatment of certain diseases of the nervous system and tumors.
Fir
(Another name: European fir) (Genus "fir")
The tree is 42-50 (60) g tall, diameter - 1.5-2.0 m. Lives 350-450 (700) years. The trunk is straight, columnar, full of wood, highly cleared of branches. The bark up to 50-60 years is smooth, thin, light gray. The crown is dense, acute pyramidal or cone-shaped in youth. In the older one it is cylindrical. The needles are 12-30 mm long and 2-3 mm wide, flat, hard, straight or slightly bent. It's dull at the top. The needles live 8-10 years. White fir bears fruit from 30-40 years. The cones are 10-18 (25) cm long, 3-5 cm in diameter, erect. The root system of a tree on light soils is a taproot, but on heavy soils there is no taproot. Doesn't tolerate well low temperatures, dry air and soil, great heat. The breed is also sensitive to late spring frosts.
On the territory of Russia, white fir (Abies alba) forms mainly mixed stands with the participation of fir and beech, and less often elm and ash. Fir can reach 500-600 years of age, 65 meters in height, and 2 meters in diameter. The crown of young trees is predominantly cone-shaped, later acquiring a cylindrical shape. In old trees, the growth of the trunk slows down significantly compared to the growth of the upper beech branches, and therefore the top of their crown takes on a flattened or nest-like shape. Unlike spruce, whose cones hang down, cylindrical fir cones, up to 20 cm long, stand straight on the branches, like candles. After the seeds ripen in late September - early October, the cones quickly disintegrate after the first frost and only the rods remain, which are visible on the tree branches for several years.
