Because of their all-year loveliness, vigorousness and longevity, evergreen plants rightfully dictate a slight increased amount over deciduous trees which drop their leaves in winter.
Evergreens have a wide scope from broad-leaved shrubs, such as laurel and rhododendrons to coniferous pines and majestic spruces.
Highly effective as windscreens, the giant spruces and firs are widely used not just for their beauty, but also because of their shape. In addition, such species do well in the shade, which causes them to be excellent choices for foundation planting.
Following are some highly conventional evergreens to select from (in alphabetical order):
Cedar
The decorative Arbor Vitae, such as cedar, yields the flat evergreen branch frequently found in floral arrangements during the Christmas season. It is best in moist, protected spaces. Although it can be cut to any size or shape, left alone it forms a broad 35 to 50 feet high pyramid.
Fir
Strong, durable, and drought-resistant, the Douglas fir grows rapidly and compactly. The best fir choice for wind breaks and screening, its tall pyramid makes a good yard element. White fir has an attractive silvery color, while balsam fir, AKA the Christmas tree, is noted for its special fragrance and lustrous foliage.
Hemlock
The hemlock tree/shrub, with feathery foliage, is most effective when planted in a grove with others. The Canadian hemlock can be easily sheared for symmetrical effect.
Juniper
The large species of juniper, for example the formal columnar juniper and the upright juniper, are quite useful in planting. As a spreading evergreen, the Pfitzer juniper is best used for banks, edgings and ground cover. Its green feathery foliage grows fast, can withstand crowding and at maturity stands 8 feet tall, and up to 12 feet across. Ground-covering junipers include creeping, prostrate, Sargent, and Waukegan.
Pine
The most generally known evergreen is the pine. Renowned for its long, soft, light silvery-green needles, the white pine can reach 80 feet when mature. In addition to the white pine, the red pine is great for backgrounds and wind breaks. A broad, compact tree, the ponderosa pine is used for protection and ornamental screens.
The Austrian pine (black pine), popular in the Midwest, has a rich, green color and spreading branches.
Spruce
Short and thick, with light blue-green needles, the white spruce reaches 70 feet and is good for general landscaping and privacy screens. Although it does poorly in drought and heat, the Colorado blue spruce is a hardy tree. Red cedar, on the other hand, is a fine decorative evergreen for hedges and wind breaks because it withstands dry weather, and the thick green foliage has a bronze color in winter.
Probably the most widely planted windbreaks evergreen, the Norway spruce is hardy. A slow grower, it has short needles of dark green and is compact and pyramidal shaped. The Black Hills variety grows to 40 feet in time, and is hardy and drought-resistant.
Yew
With its thick, glossy needles and dense, upward-reaching branches, the yew is useful as both a shrub and tree. Although it grows well in sun and shade, it's best used as a single feature against a wall of the garden rather than as foundation planting. The low-spreading bushy dwarf yew can be clipped, while other varieties such as the upright yew and Japanese yew are tapering or conical plants best used for hedges.
Protection
Since evergreens tend to be adversely affected by dry, hot summer weather, they should be watered every 10 - 14 days during that season. Make sure the water reaches at least 6 inches deep.
An excellent way to protect the tree from loss of water in dry weather is with a mulch of grass clippings or peat moss.
To help an evergreen thrive, pruning in the late spring is recommended, making sure that the inner branches will develop.
No comments:
Post a Comment