Coniferous evergreens list. Coniferous trees. Fir - a tree with purple cones

Sometimes, looking at evergreen coniferous trees, people wonder: why does a person have such a short life on earth? Intelligent creatures that can think, feel and create live on average 70-80 years, and ordinary trees live more than a thousand. Perhaps someday the dream of eternal life will come true, and then people will be able to enjoy environment to the fullest. Until this time comes, it’s worth getting to know different types of coniferous trees better in order to decorate your summer cottage with them.

It is these evergreens that fit harmoniously into any landscape design. Their strict and sophisticated forms stand out clearly on the green lawn in summer. And in cold weather, they refresh country house rich greenery and pleasant resinous aroma. Many gardeners grow evergreen beauties on their plots, because their diversity is truly impressive. They are tall and dwarf. They are found in the form of a pyramid or cone. Therefore, the unforgettable landscape of coniferous trees remains in the hearts of grateful people forever. Let's take a closer look at the most popular types.

Among the huge number of long-lived conifers, unique specimens are especially impressive: the “Old Tikko” spruce in Sweden (over 9 thousand years old), the “Methuselah” pine in the USA (about 5 thousand years old). In total, there are up to 20 such trees on the planet.

The people's favorite - spruce

There is probably not a person on earth who has not heard about this tree. Many poems and songs have been written about him, paintings and fairy tales have been written. The plant is associated with various holidays, customs, and sometimes with bad omens. Because of this, the plant suffers from excessive cutting, which brings a lot of grief to nature lovers.

Spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree that belongs to the Pine family and can grow to a height of 35 meters. It has a pyramidal or triangular crown shape, ending with a sharp tip. The branches are located along the entire trunk, so it is practically invisible from the side. They grow dark green needles with a glossy shiny coating, which are much shorter than those of pine.

The tree is found almost everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the main component of the Russian taiga, where it grows next to oak, pine, hazel and. There are about 50 species of spruce in nature. Some of them successfully take root on lawns country houses. The following types are especially widely used.

The spruce roots are close to the soil surface, so a strong hurricane wind can knock it down. Therefore, the tree should not be planted near residential premises.

Akrokona

This type of spruce is characterized by a wide conical crown with hanging branches. Considered to be slow growing. In 30 years it grows up to 4 meters in height. The diameter of the plant is about 3 m. It prefers shaded places. Spruce tolerates cold temperatures well. In the summer heat it needs watering.

Inverse

The tree has a columnar crown and cascading weeping branches that, like a train, touch the ground. Grows up to a maximum of 8 meters. The diameter of an adult plant is about 2.5 m.

European Maxwelly

Dwarf shrub in the form of a wide cone. It tolerates winter frosts and shaded areas without problems. Grows up to a meter in height. The diameter of an adult bush is 2 m.

Glauka Globoza

The famous spruce stands out with its needles blue color. Grows in height up to 2 meters. Used in many countries to decorate landscapes of urban and suburban areas. Due to the fact that the tree can be trimmed, original blue balls are made from it, which delight their fans all year round.

Fir - a tree with purple cones

An evergreen representative of the Pine genus. It differs from its close relatives in the characteristics of its needles:

• softness;
• shine;
• flat shape.

White stripes are visible on the underside of each needle, which gives the plant a festive look. The fir tree is decorated with purple cones, which is its main highlight. It grows slowly for 10 years, after which growth accelerates. Lives about 400 years. Breeders have developed decorative varieties that are used to decorate urban and suburban areas.

Since tree needles have healing properties, grow fir on summer cottage- great idea. It helps in the fight against colds, radiculitis and wound healing.

Columnaris

The tree has a straight trunk and a narrow crown, reminiscent of a column. Grows up to 10 meters. The dense branches point upward, giving the tree a majestic character.

Prostrata

This fir is famous for its long branches spread above the ground, which can reach 2.5 meters in length.

Argenta

The variety is characterized by original silver needles, the tips of which are painted whitish. Every spring, shoots of a luminescent yellow color emerge from its buds. This unusual combination creates a stunning view of the site country house. And it lasts almost a whole month.

Nana

A dwarf tree that grows only up to 50 cm. The diameter of an adult plant is 1 m. The crown is rounded, slightly flattened. It takes root wonderfully in small areas.

Majestic cedar

Since time immemorial, these trees have been considered a symbol of greatness. In their natural environment, they grow at an altitude of 3 km above sea level and resemble real giants. They grow up to 50 meters. They live for more than two centuries.

Despite its greatness, this is a unique tree because it can decorate any garden landscape. If you plant it at the front entrance, an atmosphere of some kind of celebration is created. The spacious lawns provide the comfort of home.

Some dwarf varieties are used for growing bonsai plants. To create original landscapes, species that vary are widely used:

• needle color;
• length of needles;
• the size of the tree.

When choosing a suitable species, it is advisable to first become acquainted with the plant. The following varieties are used for home cultivation:

Mysterious larch

Many people think that if a tree is called larch, then it does not belong to coniferous species. Actually this is not true. The plant is a representative of the Pine family, but unlike its relatives, it loses its needles in the fall.

Larch grows up to 50 m in height. In this case, the trunk reaches 1 m in diameter. The branches grow in a chaotic manner, with a barely noticeable slope. As a result, a cone-shaped crown is formed. The needles are noticeably flattened, soft to the touch, and bright green in color. In the natural environment there are 14 different varieties. The following types are used for garden design:

This diversity allows you to create magnificent landscapes on the territory of summer cottages.

Majestic pine

Biologists count more than a hundred different varieties of this evergreen plant. Moreover, the distinctive feature is the number of needles on one bunch. The pine tree often grows to a height of 50 meters. The straight trunk is covered with reddish-brown, cracking bark. Long needles are located on the spreading branches of the tree and have a rich aroma. Pine lives for about 600 years and tolerates cold and summer heat well.

Planting a pine tree should be done quickly, since its roots can dry out in a quarter of an hour. Such a plant does not take root in a new territory.

For garden decoration breeders created original miniature species:

Without a doubt, such evergreen living decorations are suitable for creating landscape rock gardens or mixborders. In any case, pine can become the calling card of a summer cottage.

Her Majesty - Thuja

An evergreen tree of this type is almost always used to decorate city parks and green areas. IN lately This plant is widely used to decorate home gardens. It is valued by gardeners for its ability to withstand severe winter frosts, drought and high humidity.

The thuja tree is distinguished by lush branches on which scaly leaves of a dark green color are located. Every year the plant is covered with miniature cones that resemble scattered beads on green fabric. In addition to traditional forms, thujas come in:

• dwarf;
• weeping;
• creeping.

Most often for design personal plot They use seedlings called "Occidentalis". The tree can grow up to 7 m in height, and create a crown of about 2 m. Another species - “Cloth of Gold” - has a golden hue of needles. It takes root well in shady areas of the garden.

A medium-sized variety - “Columna” amazes with its needles of dark green coloring with a glossy tint. It does not disappear even in winter, for which it is highly valued by lovers of green spaces. "Columna"

The compact appearance of the thuja tree - "Holmstrup" has a conical shape, despite its height - 3 m. It tolerates cold winters wonderfully, can be pruned and is used as a hedge. Another giant – “Smaragd” – grows to approximately 4 m. The diameter of an adult tree is up to 1.5 m. The needles are juicy, dark green in color with a shiny tint. Such a beauty will surely decorate the garden landscape of greenery lovers.

Having become more familiar with the majestic coniferous trees, it is easy to choose suitable option. And let the suburban area turn into a green oasis of joy, where persistent coniferous trees grow.

Conifers in landscape design - video

In Russia, dark coniferous forests occupy quite significant areas, in the European part and Eastern Siberia - approximately 15 million hectares, with a total timber reserve of 2.6 billion m3. Coniferous trees grow both in mountainous regions and on plains. In dark coniferous forests, mainly evergreen, shade-tolerant coniferous trees grow, such as:

• Fir;
• Spruce (European or common);
• Cedar Pine Siberian.

These forests are always gloomy, shady, and humid. This is explained by the fact that in them there is low illumination and low heating of the underlying forest plants and soil due to the densely packed crowns of these trees and the high density of the tree canopy.

The average temperature in dark coniferous forests in July, the warmest month, is slightly above 10 degrees. It is at this temperature that, firstly, in coniferous trees, the “ripening” of young shoots that appeared in the spring occurs; secondly, the formation of a tank-protective layer on the surface of the needles and branches, necessary for the wintering of these plants.

In dark coniferous forests there are both pure stands of trees and mixed species of coniferous trees with other deciduous species. For example, in the Carpathians and the Caucasus, Fir grows together with Beech; in Siberia - Fir and Siberian Cedar Pine; on Far East– Korean Cedar Pine, Fir, Ash; on o. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands - Fir together with Ayanskaya Spruce. Mountain fir forests are of great water-protection, climate-regulating, soil-protecting and water-regulating importance.

Fir

The pine family is widespread in the mountains, less often on the plains, from the Carpathians to the Kuril Islands. This is an evergreen ornamental, coniferous pine tree of the dark coniferous forest. It has a straight trunk, the height of which reaches 80 (sometimes 100 m), diameter - 0.5-2 m, a dense cone-shaped crown with whorled branching and interwhorled shoots. At the ends of the shoots there are developing buds, blunt or slightly pointed, greenish, reddish or brownish in color, in some species of Fir they are resinous.

On the smooth bark of the plant, numerous swellings (nodules) containing fragrant, transparent resin are visible.

Fir leaves are perennial, flat, linear, fragrant, non-thorny, dark green, shiny needles. At the top the needles are slightly blunt, on its lower side there are two oblong, white stripes. Each strip has 3-4 rows of stomata. Observations have shown that each needle can survive on a tree for 7-10 years. Fir blooms in May.

In the lower part of the edge, on the upper side of two-year-old shoots, in the axils of the needles, there are male spikelets (microstrobiles), single, oblong, with yellow or red anthers. The transfer of spikelet pollen even over long distances occurs due to the presence of two flying, air sacs in pollen grains.

In the upper part of the crown, at the end of last year's shoot, there are female seed cones (megastrobiles), single, green or reddish-violet. Inside the cone there are scales arranged in a spiral manner, covered with a protective layer of resin, in the axils of which the bud seeds sit in pairs. Ripe cones are erect, purple or brownish in color, oval or cylindrical. The winged seeds, after ripening in the first year, scatter along with the scales in September-October.

Fir reproduces by seeds, rarely vegetatively (cuttings and layering). Fir is a shade-tolerant, moisture-loving tree of the pine family that is demanding on soils: they should be light, sandy loam, loamy, fairly moist, well fertilized. The plant does not tolerate air pollution from smoke and gas; very unstable to fire, so fir forests suffer greatly from fires.

Various species of this plant have great value in various industries and medicine. Turpentine is obtained from fir resin, and from cone needles - essential oil– raw materials for the production of medicinal camphor. IN folk medicine for treatment various diseases use an infusion of pine needles and a decoction of buds.

As the main forest-forming species, it is used in construction, in the pulp and paper industry, and in container production. As a beautiful ornamental plant, it is planted in gardens and parks of populated areas.

European or common spruce

Evergreen coniferous tree, pine family. Distributed in the European part of Russia, the Baltic states, Belarus, the Carpathians, Asia and North America. They are graceful, slender, ornamental trees pine forests, whose height reaches 20-50 m, have a straight, large trunk that gradually becomes thinner, up to the very top. Covered with scaly bark of red-brown color. The crown is slender, dense, pyramidal, with horizontally spaced or slightly drooping branches, with rising branches at the ends.

Since El is shade-tolerant plant, its lower branches are well preserved and can even take root. But, having a superficial root system, it is not very stable and therefore can be uprooted by a strong wind. On the folds of the bark, which look like oblong pads, needles are located singly and spirally, which remain on the tree for up to 7-8 years. The needles are tetrahedral, prickly, pointed at the apex; "blooms" in May. In a closed forest stand it begins to “bloom” at the age of 25-30 years, in a sparse stand - from 10-15 years.

In spring, Spruce produces male spikelets and female cones. Male spikelets (microstrobiles) are greenish-yellow in color, located at the ends of last year's shoots. They consist of numerous scales arranged spirally on a rod. Each scale has two anthers containing pollen grains. Each pollen grain has two air sacs, which increases its flight properties. This coniferous pine tree is pollinated by the wind.

Female cones (megastrobiles) are fusiform or ovoid, have a central axis on which scales are located along the edge - wavy, in the axils of which there are other scales containing two ovules. The cones before ripening are erect, purple in color, after ripening they are sagging, light brown in color, shiny, the length of which is 10-16 cm, diameter - 3-4 cm. The seeds are oblong, winged, ripen in the year of “Spruce flowering” in October- November, after which they completely fall asleep (the scales do not crumble). Seed germination is good and lasts for 8-10 years.

Common or European spruce reproduces in nature - by seeds and vegetatively (by layering). In culture, mainly - rarely - vegetatively (by cuttings and grafting of apical shoots).

The soil for growing these coniferous trees requires well-drained, fresh, loamy, clay or sandy loam. This frost-resistant plant tolerates frosts of 40-55 degrees Celsius, suffers from both spring and autumn frosts, dry air, and gas pollution.

European spruce, common spruce, is an important forest-forming species. On the territory of Russia, the area of ​​spruce forests exceeds 80 million hectares, the timber reserve is about 12 billion m3. Its elastic, soft wood is used in construction, furniture production, for paper making, musical instruments(violas, violins, double basses).

Rosin, tar, and turpentine are extracted from Spruce, oil for making drying oil is obtained from the seeds of cones, and tannins are obtained from the bark. Cone seeds are a favorite treat for squirrels. A decoction of spruce buds, syrup from fresh buds, and ointment from oleoresin are used in folk medicine. As a beautiful ornamental plant, it is planted in gardens and parks, as well as in forest protection plantings.

Cedar Pine Siberian

The pine family is widespread in the northeastern regions of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, and North America. This is an evergreen, coniferous tree, the height of which is 40 m and the diameter of the trunk is 1.5-2 m. Young pine trees have a sharp-pyramidal crown, in adults it is multi-vertexed, wide-spreading; has whorled branching. The upper branches are raised upward, candelabra-shaped.

On young branches and trunks, the bark is ash-silver in color, with transverse lentils of a brownish color. In adulthood it becomes fissured and gray-brown in color. The needles are long (5-12 cm), soft, in bunches of 5 needles, triangular in cross section, dark green with a bluish bloom. It remains on the tree for 3-7 years.

In early spring, male spikelets and female cones appear on the branches of the Siberian Cedar Pine. In the middle part of the crown there are male spikelets (anthers). At the ends of the upper shoots there are female cones, 2-3 at the apical bud. Only bears fruit upper part crown, the length of which is 1-1.5 m (rarely 2 m).

The cones are ovoid, 6-13 cm long, 5-8 cm wide, light brown in color. The scales of the cones are tightly pressed with thickened scutes. The cones contain from 80 to 140 brown seeds, the length of which is 10-14 mm, width - 6-10 mm. The seeds are mostly wingless, however, they are rarely found with a falling wing.

Siberian Cedar Pine has a taproot type root system, with lateral, widely spread roots; “blooms” in June. In closed stands it begins to “bloom” at the age of 40-50 years, in sparse stands - at the age of 13-15 years. In the second year after flowering, the seeds ripen in August, and a massive fall of cones occurs in September.

In a good year, one such large tree of the pine family can produce up to 10-15 thousand cones. It propagates in nature - by seeds, in culture - by seeds, seedlings, saplings, graftings. Cedar Pine Siberian, being a plant of a sharply continental climate, is frost-hardy. Light-loving in maturity, can grow on different soils, but loves well-drained, light, loamy, deep loamy, podzolic soils. Cannot tolerate air pollution from smoke and replanting in adulthood.

Siberian Cedar Pine is the most important forest-forming and nut-bearing species. The total area of ​​forests that grows in Russia is 40 million hectares, the timber reserve is 8 billion m3. Industrial collection of pine nuts mainly occurs in the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia.

Pine nuts - valuable food product– source of cedar oil. Resin is obtained from growing trees when they are cut. From pine needles - vitamin concentrates, pine pastes, pine flour. The soft, light, pinkish-yellow wood is used to make pencils, furniture, and musical instruments.

Cedar Siberian Pine is a very ornamental plant, thanks to its thick, golden, bluish, dark green needles. Therefore, it is planted in group or single plantings in gardens and parks in many countries around the world.

Among the plants that decorate our gardens, conifers occupy a special place. They give the garden a noble look and decorate it all year round. They are loved because they are very decorative and set the tone in many compositions. But, coniferous plants are especially popular in winter - on the eve of the New Year. They look spectacular in New Year's decorations in our apartments, under caps of snow in large parks and squares, and in very small areas.

As for the landed coniferous plants, then we can say that the sympathies of gardeners are almost evenly distributed among various types firs, pines, thujas, junipers and larches. All of them can be called long-livers; many of them live for hundreds of years.

Almost everything conifers are evergreen. Only some of them, for example, larch, shed their needles for the winter. Still, the rest renew their needles gradually. Every few years the old needles fall off and new young green needles appear in their place.

The variety of coniferous plants allows gardeners to choose the most suitable tree or shrub for their garden.

The following advantages of conifers make them very popular in landscape gardening:

• Tolerates lack of light and moisture well
• Many varieties naturally have the correct shape and therefore do not require pruning
• Thanks to its medicinal pine aroma, it is widely used in folk and official medicine.
• Due to the variety of types and shapes, they are actively used in landscape compositions in areas of any size.

If you decide to plant a coniferous plant on your site, you need to approach the choice very carefully.

Key questions to ask yourself:

• What do you want to plant - a tree or a shrub?
• Is the composition ready for the conifer?
• Have you taken into account your climatic conditions and the composition of the soil on the site?

Coniferous plants go well, in particular with cereals, roses, etc. If the answers are ready, you can start selecting the variety, type and shape of the coniferous plant.

Types of conifers

Spruce

An evergreen monoecious and wind-pollinated plant. Its Latin name (lat. Picea) spruce is due to the high resin content in the wood. Wide Application in industry due to the softness of the wood and the absence of a core.

Spruce- perhaps the most beloved and widespread coniferous tree in our country. These beautiful slender trees with a pyramidal crown occupy one of the first places in the coniferous kingdom and number almost 50 species of plants in their genus.

The largest number of spruce species grows in Western and Central China and in the northern hemisphere. In Russia, 8 species of spruce are well known.

Spruce is considered a fairly shade-tolerant plant, however, it still prefers good lighting. Root system she has a superficial one, i.e. close to the ground. Therefore, they do not dig up the soil at the roots. Spruce is demanding on soil fertility and loves light loamy and sandy loam soils.

Types of fir trees successfully used in landscaping:

Sometimes it reaches 40 meters. Fast growing tree. Thanks to the special color of the needles - the top is shiny dark green, and the bottom has noticeable white stripes - it gives the impression that the tree is bluish-green. Brown-purple cones give the plant a special charm and elegance.

Serbian spruce looks great both in single and group plantings. An excellent example is the magnificent alleys in parks.

There are dwarf varieties no more than 2 meters high.

(Picea obovata). On the territory of our country it grows in Western and Eastern Siberia, the Far East and the Urals.

Coniferous tree up to 30 m high. The crown is dense, wide-conical, with a pointed apex. The bark is fissured, gray. The cones are ovoid-cylindrical, brown. It has several subtypes, differing in the color of the needles - from pure green to silver and even golden.

Norway spruce or common spruce (Picea abies). The maximum height of a coniferous tree is 50 m. It can live up to 300 years. This is a slender tree with a dense pyramidal crown. Norway spruce is considered the most common tree in Europe. The width of the trunk of an old tree can reach 1 m. Mature buds common spruce - oblong-cylindrical in shape. They ripen in the fall in October, and their seeds begin to fall from January to April. Norway spruce is considered the fastest growing. So, in a year she can grow 50 cm.

Thanks to breeding work, several very decorative varieties of this type. Among them there are weeping, compact, and pin-shaped spruces. All of them are very popular in landscape gardening and are widely used in park compositions and as hedges.

Spruce, like any other coniferous plant, becomes especially beautiful with the arrival of winter. Any shade of pine effectively emphasizes the snow cover, and the garden looks elegant and noble.

In addition to the types of spruce described above, prickly spruce, oriental spruce, black spruce, Canadian spruce, and ayan spruce are also popular among gardeners.

The pine genus consists of more than 100 names. These conifers are distributed throughout almost the entire Northern Hemisphere. Also, pine grows well in forests in Asia and North America. Artificially planted pine plantations do well in the Southern Hemisphere of our planet. It is much more difficult for this coniferous tree to take root in urban conditions.

Tolerates frost and drought well. But pine doesn’t really like the lack of light. This coniferous plant gives good annual growth. The dense crown of pine is very decorative, and therefore pine is successfully used in landscaping parks and gardens, both in single and group plantings. This conifer prefers sandy, calcareous and rocky soils. Although there are several types of pine that prefer fertile soils - these are Weymouth, Wallich, cedar and resin pine.

Some properties of pine are simply amazing. For example, the peculiarity of its bark is fascinating: the bark below is much thicker than the one above. This makes us think once again about the wisdom of nature. After all, it is this property that protects the tree from summer overheating and possible ground fire.

Another feature is how the tree prepares for the winter in advance. After all, the evaporation of moisture in frost can destroy the plant. Therefore, as soon as cold weather approaches, pine needles are covered with a thin layer of wax, and the stomata close. Those. The pine tree stops breathing!

Scots pine. It is rightfully considered a symbol of the Russian forest. The tree reaches a height of 35-40 meters, and therefore is deservedly called a tree of the first magnitude. The trunk circumference sometimes reaches 1 meter. Pine needles are dense, bluish-green. They come in different shapes - protruding, curved, and even collected in bunches of 2 needles.

The lifespan of needles is 3 years. With the onset of autumn, the needles turn yellow and fall off.

Pine cones, as a rule, are located 1-3 pieces on the legs. Ripe cones are brown or brown in color and reach a length of 6 cm.

Under unfavorable conditions, Scots pine may stop growing and remain a “dwarf”. Surprisingly, different specimens can have different root systems. For example, in dry soils, a pine tree can develop a tap root that extracts water deep underground. And in conditions of high occurrence groundwater lateral roots develop.

The lifespan of Scots pine can reach 200 years. History knows of cases when pine lived for 400 years.

Scots pine is considered a fast-growing tree. Over the course of a year, its growth can be 50-70 cm. This coniferous tree begins to bear fruit at the age of 15. In forest and dense planting conditions - only after 40 years.

Latin name Pinus mugo. This is a multi-stemmed coniferous tree reaching a height of 10-20 meters. Dwarf varieties - 40-50 cm. Trunks - semi-lodging and ascending. In adulthood it can reach a diameter of 3 m. A very decorative coniferous plant.

The needles are dark, long, often curved. The bark is brownish-gray, scaly. The cones ripen in the 3rd year.

To date, more than 100 varieties of mountain pine have been registered. And every year this number increases. In landscape gardening, dwarf varieties are especially used, which form beautiful compositions along the banks of reservoirs and in rocky gardens.

Magnificent species with a narrow pyramidal crown. Homeland - North America. In our country it grows well in the southern and middle lane. Grows up to 10 meters. It does not tolerate urban conditions very well. Especially at a young age, it often freezes. Prefers places protected from winds. Therefore, it is better to plant yellow pine in groups.

The needles are dark and long. The bark is thick, reddish-brown, cracking into large plates. The cones are ovoid, almost sessile. There are about 10 varieties of yellow pine.

A very impressive variety of pine. Homeland - North America. The needles have a blue-green tint. The cones are large and somewhat curved. A mature tree can reach a height of more than 30 meters. It is considered a long-liver, as it can live up to 400 years. As it grows, it changes its crown from narrow-pyramidal to wide-pyramidal. It acquired its name thanks to the English Lord Weymouth, who brought it to his homeland from North America in the 18th century.

Does not tolerate salty soils well. It is relatively resistant to frost, but does not like winds. Weymouth pine is characterized by red pubescence on young shoots.

A relatively low coniferous plant - up to 20 m high. It is a slow-growing tree. The bark is light gray, lamellar. The needles are bright green, hard, curved. The cones are yellowish, shiny, long. The crown diameter can reach 5-6 meters.

Some experts consider it Geldreich's pine. Indeed, the similarities are great. However, since there are varieties under both names, we will still focus on whitebark pine. To date, about 10 varieties of this species are known. Geldreich's pine has about the same amount. Often varieties can be mixed.

In the conditions of our country, this type of pine takes root best in the southern regions, as it does not tolerate frost well. Whitebark pine is light-loving and undemanding to the nutritional composition of the soil, but grows better on moderately moist, drained and moderately alkaline soils.

Looks good in Japanese, rocky and heather gardens. Excellent for both solitary planting and mixed groups.

Fir

Tall (up to 60 m) coniferous tree with a conical crown. A bit like spruce. The diameter can reach 2 meters. This is a real long-lived plant. Some specimens live 400-700 years. The fir trunk is straight and columnar. The crown is dense. At a young age, the fir crown has a cone-shaped or pyramidal shape. As it matures, the shape of the crown becomes cylindrical.

The needles, depending on the variety, have different lengths and live 8-10 years. Fir begins to bear fruit at the age of approximately 30 years. The cones are erect and long (up to 25 cm).

This coniferous plant does not tolerate frost, drought and extreme heat. The advantage is that this is the most shade-tolerant tree. Sometimes seedlings may appear under the mother tree in complete shade. With good lighting, firs naturally grow better.

This coniferous plant is a real find in landscape gardening. Fir is used both in single plantings and for decorating alleys. Dwarf forms look great in a rocky garden and on an alpine hill.

The botanical name is Abies balsamea "Nana". This coniferous plant is a dwarf cushion-shaped tree. IN natural conditions grows in North America.

Unpretentious in care. Loves good lighting, but also tolerates shadow well. For balsam fir, it is not so much frost that is dangerous as strong gusty winds, which can simply damage a small tree. Prefers light, moist, fertile, slightly acidic soil. It reaches a height of 1 m, which makes it a favorite decorative object in landscape gardening. It is equally good for decorating the garden, landscaping terraces, slopes and roofs.

Propagated by seeds and annual cuttings with an apical bud.

The needles are dark green with a special sheen. Exudes a characteristic resinous aroma. The cones are red-brown, elongated, reaching a length of 5-10 cm.

This is a very slow growing coniferous plant. In 10 years it grows no more than 30 cm. It lives up to 300 years.

Nordmann fir (or Caucasian). An evergreen coniferous tree that came to us from the mountains of the Caucasus and Asia Minor. Sometimes it grows up to 60-80 meters in height. The crown shape is neat cone-shaped. It is for this neat appearance that gardeners love Nordmann fir.

It is she who is decorated instead of a Christmas tree on new year holidays in many European countries. This is largely due to the structure of the branches - the branches are often located and raised upward. This distinctive feature Nordmann fir.

The needles are dark green with some shine. Young shoots have a light green, even yellowish tint. The needles are from 15 to 40 mm and look very fluffy. If you lightly rub the needles between your fingers, you can feel a specific citrus aroma.

The trunk of an adult plant can reach two meters in diameter. When young, the bark of Caucasian fir is grayish-brown and smooth. As it matures, it cracks into segments and becomes dull.

Nordmann fir grows quite quickly. Under favorable conditions, this coniferous tree can live up to 600-700 years. Moreover, the increase in height and width continues until the very last day of life!

Depending on the type of soil, the root system can be either superficial or deep with a central core. The cones of this fir are large, up to 20 cm, located vertically on a short stem.

It has a unique property - the needles on the branches remain even after they dry out, even to the point of mechanical damage.

A coniferous evergreen plant belonging to the Cypress family. It could be either a tree or a shrub. Common juniper ( Juniperus communis) grows mainly in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. However, in Africa you can also find your own juniper - the East African one. In the Mediterranean and Central Asia, this plant forms juniper forests. Quite common low-growing species, which creep along the ground and rocky slopes.

Today, more than fifty species of juniper are known.

As a rule, this is a light-loving and drought-resistant crop. Completely undemanding to soils and temperatures. However, like any plant, it has its own preferences - for example, it develops better in light and nutritious soil.

Like all coniferous plants, it is a long-lived plant. Its average lifespan is about 500 years.

The needles of juniper are bluish-green, triangular, pointed at the ends. The cones are spherical, gray or blue. Tap root.

This coniferous plant was also attributed magical properties. For example, a juniper wreath was believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Perhaps this is why in Europe there is a fashion for hanging wreaths on the eve of the New Year.

IN landscape design Both juniper trees and shrubs are widely used. Group plantings are good for creating hedges. Single plants also cope well with leading role in composition. Low-growing creeping varieties are often used as ground cover plants. They strengthen slopes well and prevent soil erosion. In addition, juniper lends itself well to pruning.

Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata)- creeping shrub. Dense branches with equally dense needles look very decorative.

Evergreen coniferous plant. Looks like trees or shrubs. Depending on the genus and species, it differs in color, quality of needles, crown shape, height and life expectancy. Representatives of some species live up to 150 years. At the same time, there are specimens - true centenarians that reach almost 1000 years!

In landscape gardening, thuja is considered one of the basic plants, and like any conifer, it is good both in group planting and as a solo plant. It is used to decorate alleys, hedges and borders.

The most common types of thuja are western, oriental, giant, Korean, Japanese, etc.

Thuja needles are soft, needle-like. The needles of a young plant are light green. With age, the needles acquire more dark shade. The fruits are oval or oblong cones. The seeds ripen in the first year.

Thuja is famous for its unpretentiousness. It tolerates frost well and is easy to care for. Unlike other coniferous plants, it tolerates gas pollution well in large cities. Therefore, it is indispensable in urban landscaping.

larches

Coniferous plants with needles that fall off in the winter. This partly explains its name. These are large, light-loving and winter-hardy plants that grow quickly, are undemanding to soil and tolerate air pollution well.

Larches are especially beautiful in early spring and late autumn. In spring, larch needles acquire a soft green hue, and in autumn they become bright yellow. Since the needles grow every year, their needles are very soft.

Larch bears fruit from the age of 15. The cones have an ovoid-conical shape, somewhat reminiscent of a rose flower. They reach a length of 6 cm. Young cones are purple in color. As they ripen, they acquire a brown tint.

Larch- a long-lived tree. Some of them live up to 800 years. The plant develops most intensively in the first 100 years. These are tall and slender trees, reaching 25-80 meters in height, depending on the type and conditions.

In addition, larch is a very useful tree. It has very hard and durable wood. In industry, its red kernel is in greatest demand. Also, larch is valued in folk medicine. Folk healers harvest its young shoots, buds and larch resin, from which they obtain “Venetian” turpentine (turpentine), which is used for many diseases. The bark is harvested throughout the summer and used as a vitamin supplement.

Photos of coniferous plants

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Coniferous trees include almost all of their species, the seeds of which ripen in cones. Contrary to popular belief, evergreens grow not only in our latitudes, but also in tropical countries.

In terms of their distribution area, they can easily compete even with the forests of South America. There are about 800 species in total, many of which date back to dinosaurs. Most modern conifers are trees, but many shrubby forms are found.

In taiga biotopes, it is coniferous species (as the most hardy) that make up the majority of the local flora.

As we have already said, almost all evergreen conifers form cones, although junipers reproduce with the help of berries. They got their name due to the fact that they do not have a seasonal change of foliage cover: the needles are gradually renewed all year round throughout life cycle tree.

It is this circumstance, as well as the fact of the presence of shrub forms, that made them extremely popular among landscape designers.

It was from coniferous trees that many palaces and castles were created, distinguished by their stunning appearance. In addition, all their types emit many phytoncides that effectively purify the air. Unfortunately, evergreen coniferous trees cannot be used for landscaping cities, because they do not tolerate smog.

Along with ferns, these plants are among the most ancient. Thus, coal seams largely consist of petrified wood of coniferous trees.

Now let's look at some of their particularly outstanding varieties.

The evergreen sequoia can reach a height of 115.2 meters (as much as a 45-story house) and grow for more than one millennium. But all evergreen conifers look like just "weeds" in front of some of the currently growing specimens of this tree. It is assumed that some of the currently growing specimens of this tree are over 3000 years old! But even this is not a record.

Even these achievements pale when you look at the Long-lived Pines (Pinus longaeva), which are close to five THOUSAND years old! It is assumed that these are the oldest living organisms on our entire planet.

The thickest coniferous tree is Taxodium Mexicana, whose diameter is 11.42 meters.

I wonder if there are dwarfs among them? Yes, and what others! Thus, the southern conifer Dacridium looseleaf grows in New Zealand. His entire height does not exceed five centimeters.

Conifers are the most common trees in the world. Despite their low species diversity, they play an extremely important role in the ecology of the planet. In addition, they are used to harvest most of the industrial wood, which is actively used in almost all spheres of human life. Even their resin, being petrified, turns into a jewel: it is enough to remember just one

Almost any coniferous evergreen tree of the pine family can be fully used by humans: it will be used not only for wood production, but also for the production of medicines.

Coniferous trees are beautiful all year round; their resistance to changing seasons invariably attracts gardeners and landscape designers. For the most part, they are undemanding in terms of growing conditions and care, and can withstand both summer heat and winter cold. In addition, currently there are many varieties of coniferous plants - trees and shrubs; choosing something suitable for a given site is not at all difficult.

Spruce

Spruce is a landscape classic, an evergreen tree suitable for any site. Spruce will look great both as a central element and as a background for other plants; in a single planting, in a group, in the form of a hedge. Currently, there are more than 40 species of spruce, including species of natural origin and hybrid varieties. Many of the natural species have several ornamental varieties.

Spruce is a long-living tree; in Sweden, a spruce tree grows in a national park, which is 9550 years old. This is a record figure even for spruce trees, whose life expectancy is on average 200-500 years. The long-liver received his own name - Old Tikko.

The spruce grows slowly, in 10 years it grows to only one and a half meters in height, but it grows for centuries. In nature, this tree can be seen in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Spruce forest is dark and dense, most often without undergrowth, consisting of beautiful, slender trees up to 30 meters high.

Spruce is a monoecious tree, the crown is cone-shaped or pyramidal, with a whorled, prostrate or drooping arrangement of branches.

The roots of young trees are taproots, but with age the main root dries out and is replaced by numerous shoots that spread horizontally and shallowly in the ground.

The bark is gray or brown-gray, with thin flaky plates. The needles are tetrahedral, short, sharp, green. Each needle grows separately, from a leaf cushion, which becomes noticeable after the needles fall.

The cones are oblong and pointed, up to 15 cm long, 3-4 cm in diameter. They do not crumble, but fall off after the seeds ripen in the year of fertilization. The lionfish seeds ripen in October and fall out of the cones. At this time, the wind picks them up and carries them around. Once in favorable conditions, they germinate and give birth to a new tree; their germination capacity lasts for about 10 years.

In the photo, one of the representatives of the family is a dwarf Canadian blue spruce:

Cedar

Cedar is another coniferous tree that has numerous forms that are attractive to designers. Naturally, if it is real cedar and not cedar pine. Cedar differs from other coniferous trees in the arrangement of its needles; they are collected in bunches of 20-50 pieces, whereas in pines and spruces they are single. A similar fastening of needles is observed in larch, but its needles are soft, while those of cedar are prickly and hard, and do not fall off in the fall.

Cedar cones stand on the branches, and do not hang down, like those of pines and spruces. They are similar in shape to fir cones, but rounder. After ripening, they crumble into pieces, while the seeds are scattered by the wind.

The shape of the crown is also unique. In Lebanese cedar it is wide, spreading like an umbrella. The branches in it are arranged in tiers, the symmetry of which is not observed in all trees. The needles are green, gray-green, blue-green, the length of the needles is 3-4 cm, they are collected in bunches of 30-40 pieces.

Atlas cedar

Atlas cedar has a cone-shaped crown, which makes it similar to a regular spruce. Its needles are also collected in bunches, they are very short - about 2.5 cm. The color is silver-gray or blue-green.

There is even a weeping form of Atlas cedar, which, without a doubt, will become the highlight of the landscape, especially if it is a rocky Japanese garden with a natural or artificial pond. Let's look at the photo:

Atlas cedar

Its branches hang down just like those of a weeping willow, only instead of delicate leaves there are prickly needles that look unusual, but are quite gentle and attractive:

Atlas cedar

Himalayan cedar

Himalayan cedar has a wide cone-shaped crown with a blunt top and horizontally growing branches. But it also has hanging shoots, although a non-specialist will easily mistake it for a spruce of a slightly unusual shape:

Himalayan cedar

The needles of the Himalayan cedar are light green, up to 4-5 cm long, and grow in bunches.

Despite certain differences, cedars have a lot in common. All of them are evergreen trees that grow up to 50-60 meters in height. At an early age they grow slowly, then increase in height faster.

The bark of young specimens is smooth, but with age it becomes scaly, cracking, and dark gray in color.

Cypress

Cypress is a completely different matter, a special species in the family of evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs. It’s not for nothing that in the East it is considered the standard of harmony. This tree with its entire appearance seems to indicate that it will not take up much space in your garden and will not require special care. But not all cypresses are laconic; among them there are also shrubs with wide, spreading crowns. This large family consists of 20 genera and 140 species.

Cypress prefers warm climates. In the Northern Hemisphere, it can be seen in the tropical and subtropical zones, on the coasts of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. And also in the Himalayas, the Sahara, and China. In the Western Hemisphere it grows in Central America, Mexico and the southern states of the USA.

The leaves of cypress trees are small, at first they are needle-shaped, like needles, then scale-like, tightly pressed to the branches. Cypress is a monoecious plant - male and female flowers appear on the same tree. The cones are ovoid or round, ripen in the second year after appearance, the seeds are flattened, with wings.

Cypress evergreen

Evergreen cypress is a tree that can be seen on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Crimea. Its height reaches 30 meters, the crown is narrow, columnar, with short branches raised up and pressed to the trunk. It has been cultivated since ancient times; it is a true long-liver, capable of living for more than 2 thousand years. In Turkey it is considered a tree of sorrow and is planted in cemeteries. In the photo are evergreen cypress trees:

Cypress evergreen

Arizona cypress

Arizona cypress is native to the southwestern regions of the United States and Mexico. This is a fairly tall tree, up to 20 meters high, with well-developed roots. Despite its southern origin, it can withstand frosts down to -25 degrees, but young trees must be covered with agrofibre for the winter.

Arizona cypress

Large-fruited cypress

Large-fruited cypress has a columnar crown. But this feature occurs only in young specimens; with age, the branches become gentle, bend and form a wide, spreading crown.

The needles of large-fruited cypress have a pleasant lemon smell, so they are readily grown in winter gardens, or in bonsai culture.

Large-fruited cypress

Weeping Cypress

Weeping cypress has drooping branches. The plant comes from China, where it is often planted in cemeteries.

Cypress is also part of the Cypress family, and there are 7 species that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. The plant is evergreen, monoecious, coniferous, with a cone-shaped crown. Branches growing upward or prostrate and drooping, trunk scaly, brown or brown. Under natural conditions it grows up to 70 meters, in culture – up to 20-30 meters.

The leaves of the cypress tree are pointed and look like small scales. The cones are not large, woody, round, up to 12 mm in diameter. The seeds ripen in the first year.

Weeping Cypress

Lawson's cypress

Lawson's cypress is a tall and slender tree with a narrow cone-shaped crown that widens downwards. Its top is tilted to one side. The trunk has thick, red-brown bark, which becomes patchy and scaly over time. The needles are shiny, green, with whitish stripes. The cones are oval and round, about 1 cm in diameter, light brown, with a bluish-blue coating.

In general, the tree is very beautiful, looks great in alleys and in plantings together with other types of cypress trees, but, unfortunately, low frost resistance does not allow it to be grown in regions with harsh winters. In the photo there is a Lawson cypress:

Lawson's cypress

Pea cypress

Pea-bearing cypress is a tall, up to 30 meters, tree with a cone-shaped crown, native to Japan. Outwardly, from a distance it looks like deciduous trees, but its needles are the same as those of all members of the family.

Pea cypress

Cryptomeria

Cryptomeria - the name of this evergreen tree is often written or pronounced along with the definition: “Japanese”. And for good reason - the tree comes from the Japanese islands, is considered a symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun, and has a second name: Japanese cedar. Although it belongs to the Cypress family, it does not belong to the cedar genus.

There is only one species of this plant in nature; there are no hybrid varieties based on it yet, although it has been known in cultivation since 1842. In Russia, it is grown in Crimea and on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea.

The tree is quite tall and fast-growing, growing up to 70 meters. The crown is dense but narrow. The bark is fibrous, red-brown, the trunk is massive - up to 4 meters in diameter.

The needles are subulate, more like rose thorns than needles, but up to 3 cm longer. The color of the needles is light green, but in winter it acquires a yellowish tint.

The tree is monoecious, male flowers grow from the axils of the shoots in bunches. Female single, located at the ends of the shoots. The cones are round, 2 cm in diameter, ripen in the first year, but fall off the following summer. Seeds with wings, about 5-6 mm in length.

In the photo, Cryptomeria japonica:

Cryptomeria japonica

Larch

Larch is a deciduous tree of the Pine family. The leaves of this tree are very similar to needles, but in the fall they fall off and appear again in the spring, like deciduous trees, which is why in Russia it is called larch. There are 20 species of this tree in total, 9 of them grow in Russia.

The tree is large, up to 50 meters high, and a trunk diameter of about 1 meter. The growth per year is 1 meter, larch is a long-liver, capable of living up to 400 years, but it is rarely used in culture.

Its crown is not dense, in young specimens it is cone-shaped, in areas with constant winds it can be one-sided or flag-shaped. The root system is strong, branched, without a pronounced main root, but with numerous and deeply extending lateral processes.

The needles are soft, bright, grow spirally on long shoots, and in bunches on short shoots, like cedar. In autumn it falls off completely. The tree is monoecious with male and female flowers. Seeds develop into female bumps, from 15-20 years old.

From a distance, larch can be mistaken for a beautiful spreading spruce:

Larch

Microbiota

Microbiota is a coniferous shrub of the Cypress family. There is only one species of this plant - cross-paired microbiota, growing in the Far East of Russia. The number of the species is declining due to the fact that seeds cannot spread far from the parent bush, and perennial thickets are destroyed by forest fires, so the species is included in the Red Book of Russia.

This is a prostrate shrub with creeping thin shoots, so it can be mistaken for creeping shape thuja. The needles are scaly, green in summer and brown in winter; in young plants they are needle-like on shaded shoots. The cones are small, single-seeded, and consist of 2-3 scales. The root system is fibrous and dense.

The microbiota grows very slowly, producing only 2 cm of growth per year, but is distinguished by its longevity - it can grow in culture for more than 100 years. In general, microbiota looks very appropriate in single and group plantings, therefore it is always in demand among gardeners. In the photo:

Microbiota

Juniper

Juniper is a dioecious, coniferous plant of the Cypress family, very common in the Northern Hemisphere. More than 70 species of this plant inhabit different climatic zones of the planet, some of which thrive in Russian spaces and can live up to 600 years.

Tree-like junipers are capable of forming separate forests, while shrubby ones grow as an understory or third layer in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as on rocky slopes.

Juniper shrubs are creeping, with shoots about 1.5 meters long, but tree-like forms can reach 30 meters in height.

Juniper leaves are opposite, needle-shaped, oblong. In young specimens they can be in the form of needles, in adult plants they can be scale-like, pressed to the stems. The berries are cone-shaped, with tightly closed scales, each containing from 1 to 10 seeds, which ripen in the 2nd year.

Juniper

Fir

Fir is a coniferous tree of the Pine family. Just like cedar, its cones grow upward and fall apart on the tree. Up to 50 species of fir grow in the Northern Hemisphere. The tree is powerful and tall - up to 60 meters, with a moderately spreading cone-shaped crown.

The trunk bark is gray, different types may be smooth and thin throughout its life, or thick and fissured.

In the photo there are Korean fir cones:

The root is taproot, strongly recessed. The needles are flat, with a pointed or rounded tip, located singly or spirally on the branches.

The cones are cylindrical, ripen in 1 summer, disintegrate in the fall, releasing seeds with wings, carried by the wind.