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