What Are Conifers?
Conifers are a group of woody plants that produce cones and typically keep their needles or scale-like leaves year-round. The name comes from the Latin conus (cone) and ferre (to bear). This group includes familiar trees and shrubs like pines, spruces, firs, junipers, cypresses, and cedars. While often associated with forests and towering evergreens, conifers also come in a wide range of shapes, colors, and sizes, many perfectly suited to home gardens.
Why Conifers Make Excellent Garden Plants
Conifers bring structure, texture, and year-round beauty to the landscape. Their evergreen foliage provides color and interest even through winter, while their varied forms—upright, spreading, weeping, or dwarf—fit everything from large yards to small rock gardens. They pair beautifully with perennials, deciduous shrubs, and ornamental grasses, offering contrast in both form and foliage. Many are low-maintenance, long-lived, and adaptable to a range of soil and climate conditions.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, conifers are practical too. They can serve as windbreaks, privacy screens, or erosion control on slopes. Their dense branching also provides valuable shelter for birds and wildlife throughout the seasons.
General Care Tips for Conifers
Most conifers prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Avoid planting them in soggy or compacted areas, as good drainage is key to keeping roots healthy. Water regularly after planting until well established; after that, many species are surprisingly drought-tolerant. A layer of mulch helps conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature. Pruning is rarely necessary, but light shaping can be done to maintain form or encourage density, especially for topiary-friendly varieties.
Common Conifers
Abies (Fir)
The genus Abies, known as the true firs, encompasses a diverse range of evergreens admired for their symmetry, graceful form, and year-round beauty. These trees and shrubs bring structure and texture to the landscape with their distinctive, well-spaced branching and dense, often silver-tinted needles. From tall, stately uprights to compact, ground-hugging and weeping varieties, Abies offers a form for nearly every garden setting, whether as a focal specimen, rock garden accent, or elegant screen. Their upright cones add ornamental interest with their striking colors and sculptural presence. Firs thrive best in rich, well-drained soils with consistent moisture and generally require little care once established. Hardiness and specific growing preferences vary among species.
Cedrus (Cedar)
The genus Cedrus, known as the “true” cedars, originates from the mountainous regions of the eastern Mediterranean and western Himalayas. Renowned for their aromatic, resin-rich, and rot-resistant wood, cedars have been prized since ancient times—used to build temples, ships, and palaces. The species Cedrus atlantica (Atlas Cedar), C. deodara (Deodar Cedar), and C. libani (Cedar of Lebanon) can reach impressive sizes in their native habitats. For landscape use, we offer select smaller cultivars chosen for their refined form and garden adaptability, including graceful weeping types, narrow uprights, and compact dwarfs. Cedars perform best in full sun with well-drained, relatively dry soil.
Chamaecyparis (False Cypress)
The genus Chamaecyparis, commonly called false cypress, includes species native to Japan, Taiwan, and North America. This diverse group encompasses an exceptional range of colors, textures, and growth habits, making it a favorite among conifer enthusiasts. Among the most notable, Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki cypress) features elegant, fan-like sprays of evergreen foliage and thrives in moist, well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade. Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara cypress) stands out for its excellent cold hardiness and soft, feathery texture.
Cryptomeria (Japanese Cedar)
Native to Japan, Cryptomeria is admired for its stately beauty and fragrant, enduring wood. Unlike other conifer genera, Cryptomeria consists of a single species, Cryptomeria japonica that can be cultivated in various forms. From compact garden types to elegant, upright specimens, these evergreens bring refined character to any landscape. Japanese Cedar thrives in evenly moist, well-drained soil, tolerates partial shade, and benefits from shelter against drying winter winds.
Cupressus (Cypress)
Known as the “true” cypress, the genus Cupressus offers handsome evergreens ideal for hedging or as elegant specimen trees in sunny, well-drained sites. Characterized by graceful symmetry and aromatic, colorful foliage, cypress trees also feature decorative bark and resinous, fragrant wood. When given good drainage, they will even tolerate poor or dry soils, making them reliable choices for warm, sunlit gardens.
Juniperus (Juniper)
Found across much of the Northern Hemisphere—from arctic tundra to mountain highlands—Juniperus is one of the most adaptable and useful conifer genera. Its remarkable range of forms, from ground-hugging carpets to stately uprights, ensures there’s a juniper suited to nearly any garden design. With foliage that shifts beautifully through the seasons and exceptional tolerance for cold, drought, and urban conditions, these hardy evergreens are low-maintenance standouts. Plant junipers in full sun and well-drained soil for best performance.
Microbiota (Siberian Cypress)
A charming low-growing conifer native to Russia, Microbiota decussata, commonly called Siberian Cypress, forms soft, feathery mats of fine, scale-like foliage. Its flattened sprays glow bright green through summer, turning rich bronze-purple as temperatures drop. Exceptionally hardy and adaptable, this species makes an excellent groundcover or juniper alternative. It performs best in full sun with well-drained soil but will tolerate partial shade.
Picea (Spruce)
The genus Picea encompasses an extraordinary diversity of form, color, and size, offering options for virtually every landscape need. Spruce cultivars display a dazzling range of hues and shapes from compact domes and spreading mats to tall uprights and graceful weeping towers. Their hardiness spans the coldest regions of North America to milder climates, making them one of the most versatile conifers available. Whatever the design challenge, there’s a spruce ready to enhance the garden with beauty and structure year-round.
Pinus (Pine)
As one of the most diverse and beloved conifer groups, Pinus offers unparalleled variety in color, texture, and form. Columnar and pyramidal forms add structure and height, while pendulous or weeping types deliver striking movement and drama. Pines are generally easy to grow and adaptable, thriving in well-drained soil with minimal care once established. Most are drought-tolerant, require little pruning, and provide year-round interest.
Pseudotsuga (Douglas Fir)
Pseudotsuga menziesii, known as Douglas Fir, is a defining tree of the Pacific Northwest and Oregon’s state tree. In its native forests, it grows to majestic heights, but we offer cultivated selections scaled for home landscapes. These garden forms showcase a range of sizes, colors, and habits, highlighting the natural variation within the species. Douglas Firs prefer full sun and moist, acidic soils but adapt well to a variety of conditions. Hardy and handsome, they bring a sense of the Northwest’s grandeur to any landscape.
Taxus (Yew)
The genus Taxus, or yew, is a timeless landscape favorite valued for its adaptability and refined evergreen foliage. Yews tolerate shade, respond well to pruning and shaping, and remain resilient under a variety of growing conditions. Easy to grow and pest-resistant, yews perform best in rich, moist, well-drained soil.
Thuja (Arborvitae)
Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae or “tree of life”) is a major species of Thuja, commonly found in garden centers. Both are hardy, versatile, and naturally variable, giving rise to a wealth of new and exciting cultivars. Available in an array of colors, shapes, and growth rates, Thuja selections serve beautifully as privacy screens, hedges, or standalone focal points. They adapt to many soil types, tolerate partial shade, and require minimal maintenance. These qualities make them enduring favorites for home landscapes.
Tsuga (Hemlock)
Graceful and finely textured, the genus Tsuga, commonly known as hemlock, includes elegant evergreens valued for their soft needles and layered branching. These adaptable trees perform best in cool, moist climates with acidic, well-drained soil and partial shade. Hemlocks tolerate pruning, making them ideal for shaping or use in refined garden compositions. With diverse forms, including pyramidal, mounding, or irregular, and brilliant spring flushes of new growth, they lend lasting beauty and elegance to both large and small landscapes.
Ready to add year-round interest to your garden? Shop our evergreen selections online for delivery or pick up.
