Among those representatives of the flora that adorn the gardens of our cities, decorative coniferous plants occupy an important place. Thanks to them, these parks acquire a noble appearance and seem well-groomed and bright throughout the year, even when the leaves fall from the trees. These plants are also loved by florists because they have a very beautiful, slightly solemn look and can set the tone for various flower arrangements. However, conifers are especially popular (see photo in the article) on New Year's Eve and Christmas. Even if the owners of this or that house do not install a decorated Christmas tree, they nevertheless decorate their doors, walls, courtyards with spruce or pine branches. In Europe, for many centuries, these trees have been associated with the New Year holidays. However, today more and more people use coniferous plants as a building material, as a decorative element when creating ikebanas, ritual wreaths and various flower bouquets, as an excellent cosmetic and even medical remedy, and northern housewives even make jam from cones.
Characteristicconifers
In nature, there is a huge variety of trees of this species. These are pines, arborvitae, juniper bushes, larches, firs, cedars, etc. All these trees are long-lived. Most of them live for centuries and reach very large sizes. What is especially characteristic of coniferous plants? The fact that they do not change their color throughout the year, therefore they are called evergreens. True, not everyone has this quality. So, for example, larch turns pink in autumn, then turns yellow, and in winter it is freed from needles. The rest change their needles gradually, in stages, and this happens every few years. Plants perfectly tolerate moisture and lack of light. Gardeners consider these two qualities, as well as the fact that almost all representatives of this species basically have the correct shape, the main advantage of conifers. In addition, they fit perfectly into landscape design. In general, there are a lot of advantages. And yet, if you decide to buy and plant coniferous plants on your garden plot, then their choice should be taken very carefully.
Classification
Conifers are dwarf or, conversely, tall. They may be pyramidal or cone shaped. Some have needles, while others have peculiar leaves-needles. Their main species are araucaria, capitate, cypress, pine, podocarp, sciadopitis, yew, etc. Later in the article we will present you the names of some of the coniferous plants with a photo and talk about each of them.
Spruce
Tree name,decorating our house for the New Year, which we affectionately call the Christmas tree, in Latin it sounds like Pícea. This is an evergreen wind-pollinated gymnosperm monoecious plant. It is widely used in industry. This is due to the absence of a core in spruce wood and its softness. The trees are pyramidal in shape. By the way, botanists in nature have more than 50 species of this plant. True, only 8 of them are known in Russia. Unlike other conifers, spruce prefers strong lighting. The roots of the tree do not go deep into the ground, but are close to the surface of the earth. In the matter of soil, spruce is very whimsical. It needs fertile land - light, loamy and sandy.
Serbian firs are especially good for landscape design, which, by the way, in nature can rise up to 40 meters. They have a very interesting coloration - a shiny dark green top, and a bottom with white rather noticeable stripes. Such trees are called blue. Their buds are purple-brown in color. In nature, there are dwarf spruces, the height of which does not exceed two meters. But Siberian spruces (Picea obovata) grow up to 30 m. Their crown is very dense, wide-conical and sharpens towards the top. The bark of these plants is fissured, gray. Cones ovoid-cylindrical, brown. Spruce has several subtypes, which differ in the color of the needles - from pure green to silver and even golden. European spruce (Picea abies) can reach a height of 50 meters. This is a real longevity. Many trees of this species "live" for more than 300 years, while the width of their trunk can reach 100-120 centimeters.
Pine
This is another very famous name for a coniferous plant. Pine trees come in over 100 species. These trees grow mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Pine forests can also be seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but they are all artificially planted plantations. There they feel very good, because these trees perfectly tolerate moisture. In a city with a polluted atmosphere, these coniferous plants, the photos of which you see in the article, suffer very much and may even die. Unlike spruce, which does not need sunlight, pines do not like to be in the shade and tend to the sun, they tolerate drought well, but are also quite resistant to frost. Surely many are interested in what is the value of pines and how these people use coniferous plants. The trunks of these trees are an excellent building material, they are also good as fuel. The resin of these trees is also widely used in the national economy and medicine. These plants have some amazing properties, for example, with the onset of cold weather, pine needles are “laminated”, covered with a thin layer of wax, and their stomata close, that is, the plant stops breathing and hibernates.
Pine species
As already mentioned, these plants have a lot of species. Here are some of them: Weymouth pine, Waliccha pine, cedar, mountain, ordinary (Russian), yellow, white-bark, etc. Speaking of the Russian species, we mean ordinary pine. It grows very fast and can reach 40 meters in height. Girththe trunk in this case can be about one and a half meters. Her needles are very different - curved, sticking out, collected in bunches of 2 needles, etc. Pine changes it every three years. This takes place in autumn. Pine cones are either single or three pieces on one leg. They are not very large, they are 6-10 cm in size. If an ordinary pine is in unfavorable conditions, then it stops growing and remains dwarfed. A tree lives from two to four hundred years.
Mountain species (Pinus mugo) is a multi-stemmed coniferous plant. These pines reach 20 meters in height. And dwarf varieties can be up to 50 cm high. These trees seem to grow in breadth and can reach up to three meters in diameter. Dwarf varieties are most often used in the park landscape. In North America, the most common type of pine is yellow. They practically do not tolerate urban conditions. Trees also don't like to be in the wind, which is why they grow in groups to protect each other. Their buds are egg-shaped.
Another type of pine that grows in North America is the Weymouth tree. This is a very beautiful coniferous plant, the needles of which have a blue-green tint. Their buds are very large and have a somewhat curved shape. This tree got its name thanks to Lord Weymouth, an Englishman who brought this tree from North America in the 18th century and delivered it safely to the British Isles.
Fir
This coniferous plant, whose Latin name is Pihta, can be up to 60 meters tall. Crownconical shape. Fir at first glance look like spruce. The diameter of the columnar (cylindrical) trunk can reach two meters. Some representatives of these coniferous trees can live up to 700 years. Fir needles stay on the tree for about 10 years, and then they fall off, and young and fresh ones rush to replace them. These trees begin to bear fruit in the thirtieth year of life. Fir has very large cones. Despite its impressive size, it is a very delicate tree. It does not tolerate frost, heat, drought. But he is comfortable in the shade. However, it grows better in bright light. Landscape designers are very fond of using these trees to create alleys.
Types of firs
There are several varieties of this plant, such as balsam fir - Abies balsamea Nana. This is a dwarf cushion tree. It grows wild in North America. It loves bright lighting, is afraid of gusty winds. Such a fir has a growth of no more than 1 meter. That is why it is perfect for decorating small garden areas. This tree propagates both by seeds and annual cuttings with an apical bud. Its needles are bright green, have a special luster and exude a delicate resinous aroma. Fir cones are red-brown, have an elongated shape and are medium in size, about 5-10 centimeters.
Caucasian, or Nordmann fir, is an evergreen coniferous tree. This plant grows in nature on the slopes of the Caucasian mountains and in Asia Minor. Under favorable conditions, it can even reach a height of 80 meters. The crown has a conical shape, which, in contrast tofrom other plants of this family, very neat, as if trimmed. In some European countries, it is the main decoration for Christmas, as it is much more convenient to hang toys on it. Branches, unlike spruce, have raised edges. Its needles are dark green and also have a sheen, the length of the needles is from 15 to 40 millimeters, making the tree look very fluffy.
Juniper
It is also an evergreen conifer that belongs to the cypress family. It can be either a shrub or a tree. As a rule, this plant - Juniperus communis - grows freely in nature in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Asia Minor and on the shores of the Mediterranean it forms entire forests. Here you can also find undersized species that almost creep along the ground of natural parks. They can also be found in Africa. However, this is a special variety of juniper - East African. Biologists have described more than 50 species of this coniferous plant. It is very durable and undemanding. Juniper is also a long-liver. Can live up to 500 days. This plant has a characteristic bluish-green color of the needles, and the cones are not elongated, but, on the contrary, have a spherical shape. And they are either gray or blue in color. Since ancient times, the tree has been considered the owner of magical properties. For example, it is said that a juniper wreath can scare away evil spirits and bring good luck to the wearer. That is why many Europeans hang wreaths from this coniferous plant on the doors of their houses before Christmas. In addition, the aroma of juniper needles calms the nerves. That is why, if you ask gardeners which coniferous plants are best planted in their mini-park, they will definitely name juniper among others. The most common species used for these purposes is scaly juniper.
Thuya
Everyone must have seen this plant, because it is an obligatory attribute of any city park - it is called the basic one. From thuja hedges are created. They can be quite small, the size of a bush, and can rise several meters high. Thuja is slightly different from other conifers in the shape of its needles. Yes, and she lives less than other conifers. The oldest representatives of this species live up to 150 years. However, everything happens in nature, and scientists have found such specimens that even lived up to 1000 years. The most common types of thuja are: western, giant, eastern, Japanese, Korean, etc. Thuja needles are not sharp, they have a light green color. Thuja is a gymnosperm coniferous plant. Its cones are oval in shape, and they ripen immediately - in the very first year of life. And it is perhaps the most unpretentious of all types of coniferous plants. It tolerates gas pollution well, and therefore feels quite good in urban conditions.
Larch
This is one of the rare conifers whose needles fall off in winter, like many deciduous plants. Hence its name. Larches are quite large, love the light, grow quickly and do well.felt in the polluted air of cities. They are especially beautiful at the end of March, when their branches are again covered with delicate light green needles, but in late autumn they turn bright pink. Larch cones appear only when the tree is 15 years old. They are ovoid in shape, and if you look closely at them, you can see a resemblance to a rose. At first, the cones have a bright red, even purple color, and after they ripen, they become brown. Larches are also long-lived. They can live up to 800 years, during which they are able to reach a height of 25-30 meters. Larch wood is an excellent building material. However, it is the nuclear part of the barrel, which has a red tint, that is in particular demand. Larch also has medicinal properties, due to which it is widely used in medicine. Turpentine is made from it, or, as it is otherwise called, Venetian turpentine, and the bark of the plant is used as a vitamin remedy.
Tees
This coniferous plant is found both as a shrub and as a fairly large tree. Its needles have a special shape - they are dark green, flat, short, like noodles. And very densely sticks to the branches of yew. This plant is unpretentious and does not require special care, which makes it very convenient for use in landscape design. But the choice of soil when planting it should be taken especially carefully. The tree likes to grow in calcareous soil that drains well, but in acidic soil it can get sick. To gassed yewalso quickly gets used, but it does not tolerate frost. From them, yew can be saved by snow covers. This, in particular, applies to dwarf varieties of this plant. Yew in its natural form is a very picturesque tree. One of its varieties - berry - is especially beautiful. It grows bright red berries, which gives the tree an incredibly colorful look. However, the same cannot be said about their taste. They are toxic, although they look very, very appetizing.
Landscape design
Designers are very fond of using coniferous plants when forming a garden (see the photo with the names in the article). Here are some reasons for this:
- Variety of colors of needles, making it very convenient to combine plants.
- Trees are great for landscape design in any style - from classic to modern.
- They are able to decorate the garden all year round.
- Great specific aroma emanating from the needles - another plus of these plants.
- Unpretentious care also appeals to designers.
- The ability to use to create hedges and mixborders is also a definite plus for conifers.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of coniferous trees, but they are all united by common properties and qualities, among which the most pronounced are the presence of prickly needles, evergreen color, specific aroma, resinousness, large size (under favorable conditions), cone-shaped or pyramid shape, welland, of course, incredible beauty. Their wood is widely used for industrial purposes, which can also be attributed to the undoubted advantages of these plants.
