Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom' (left); Pinus mugo 'Valley Cushion' (right)

Picea pungens 'St. Mary's Broom' (left); Pinus mugo 'Valley Cushion' (right)

Pinus cembra 'Blue Mound'

Pinus cembra 'Blue Mound'

Conifers and Chocolate

The world of conifers is expanding at a steady clip during this golden age of green introductions. On the growing roster there is a lengthening list of miniature and dwarf needled evergreens. The wonderful selection in these pages is like a sampler of chocolates. Each is a confection that will feed the spirit as a bite of chocolate will elate the body and feed that obsession that dwells in so many of us.

Many of these delectables are “witches' brooms”. A witches broom is a sport, smaller than the plant upon which it is found growing. These genetic mutations like little shrubs growing on the branches of regular sized plants are often miniatures, sometimes dwarfs. They mostly don’t resemble the plant from which they originated. Other smaller conifers are found in batches of young plants from sewn seed. These, too, are genetically different from the mother cone-bearer therefore they usually have a very different appearance as compared with their parents.

In conifer jargon a plant that produces up to one inch of growth per year classifies it as a miniature. Dwarf average 1 to 6 inches of branch extension each season. Because many of these plants grow densely on shorter branches they are likely to collect discarded needles in the crotches. It is important to gently remove the collecting brown needles or fungal diseases may take hold. A long pair of tweezers may by helpful when collecting detritus from the tinier plants. Other than this caution they are as carefree as most of their larger counterparts as long as their basic needs are met.

These unusual members of the conifer clan can satisfy uses in very specialized situations in which larger plants would not fit. From miniature conifer and railroad gardens to accents in heath and heather borders to foundation plantings and even medieval knot gardens they can be valuable textural and color components. They add permanence and year round interest wherever and however they may be used.

These conifers appear differently from each other as sweet chocolates in a sampler box are made from different recipes. An individual will prefer certain confections over others just as some of these conifers will better satisfy the palette and preferences of a particular reader. But there are some that will unquestionably hit your “G Spot”. In any case I’ve opened this box of confections especially for you. Enjoy!

Abies lasiocarpa ‘Duflon’ – Alpine Fir. Small needles of green touched with blue form a tight round ball on this rare miniature fir. It was discovered by two sisters with the last name of Duflon in Washington State. Plant it in a trough with Sempervivum pumila (Dwarf Hens and Chicks) and Opuntia fragilis variation fragilis, a small hardy cactus, for an interesting evergreen combination.

Height x Width: Never big, ‘Duflon’ grows ½ inch per year at best.

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Well-drained soil with added grit for drainage

Zone: 4 to 6(7)

Application: Trough, Miniature railroad, Rock garden, Xeriscape garden

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Topsie’ – False Cypress, also Japanese Hinoki Cypress. This miniature develops small fans of rich green which turn chocolate in winter. Introduced by Jim Cross from Environmentals Nursery in Long Island, New York, it develops into a broad flat-topped globe. Consider planting one with Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans Nana’ (Japanese Cedar) which can develop bronzy rust colors in the winter and will contrast handsomely with the purple brown of ‘Topsie’. Team them both with a dwarf arctic willow such as Salix uva-ursi (Bearberry Willow) and/or Chaenomeles japonica var. alpina ‘Pygmaeus’, a very tiny Quince with typical crimson flowers in late spring and golden fruit in the fall.

Height x Width: 15 x 30 inches in 15 years

Light: Full to part sun

Conditions: Draining soil with moisture retentive humus added

Zone: 5 to 8

Application: Dwarf conifer planting, Heath and Heather border, Rock garden, Bonsai

Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘White Pygmy’ – Sawara Cypress. The new growth on this flattened bun has white tips that mature light sage green. In a knot garden with Buxus microphyllya ‘Morris Dwarf’ (Miniature Boxwood) and Berberis thunbergii ‘Bagatelle’ (Dwarf Purple Barberry) it could be stunning. Cluster plant 3 or 5 in a section of a woodland garden with lower growing companions such as Iris cristata, Alchemilla faroensis variation pumila (Dwarf Lady’s Mantle) or Mitchella repens (Partridge Berry) and Polygonatum humile (Dwarf Japanese Solomon Seal).

Height x Width: 8 x 12 inches in 15 years

Light: Part to light shade

Conditions: Moderately good and well-drained soil. Wind protection is warranted

Zone: 4 to 8

Application: Dwarf conifer garden, Miniature railroad, Knot garden, Woodland garden

Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Little Jamie’ – Atlantic White Cedar. Discovered at Mitsch Nursery in Aurora, Oregon in 1989 this dwarf Atlantic White Cedar forms a narrow upright cone. The bluish green foliage often takes on a dark purple cast in winter if in more sun. Use it as an upright element with other small growing conifers such as Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ and Pinus parviflora ‘Ogon-janome’. As a grouping they would afford year round interest and could be especially beautiful in the dull days of winter.

Height x Width: 3 x 2 feet in 12 to 15 years eventually turning into a fat, symmetrical gumdrop 5 to 6 feet tall

Light: Full sun to part shade

Conditions: Moisture retentive soil with added humus

Zone: 4 to 8(9)

Application: Foundation, Dwarf conifer garden, Heath and Heather garden, Formal garden, Rock garden, Bonsai

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Tenzan-sugi’ – Japanese Cedar. This mossy green bun is like a hedgehog of prickly, congested foliage. With mosses and mat-forming ground-covering plants in a lightly shaded Japanese Garden it could be quietly breathtaking. Or you might add a few Cyclamen hederifolium (Hardy Cyclamen) for a more Occidental feeling.

Height x Width: Perhaps 8 to 10 inches tall x 12 inches wide in 12 years. Grows only ½ inch each year

Light: Partial to light shade

Conditions: a good draining soil to which humus has been added. Avoid dessicating winds

Zone: 5 to 8

Application: Trough, Dwarf conifer garden, Miniature railroad, Woodland

Ginkgo biloba ‘Witches Broom’ – Maidenhair Tree. Though Ginkgos are not conifers – they do not bear cones, they are, nevertheless, grouped with conifers because of other biological similarities. Their beautiful fan-shaped leaves are actually modified needles. The Ginkgo is the sole surviving relic from an ancient lineage – the last of its kind. Ginkgo biloba ‘Witch’s Broom’ is a delightful addition to the gymnosperms that loses its foliage in the autumn. Those lovely leaves shaped like little fans turn bright gold before they drop. This curiosity will become a tight ball of congested foliage. Why not plant one in a mixed foundation with Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Golden Mop’ (Golden Mop Sawara Cypress) with Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’ (Gold Cone Juniper)?

Height x Width: It grows 2 to 4 inches each year, for me it has spread no more than 2 inches each year. It will never grow large, 4 to maybe 6 feet over the decades. Pinch it to keep it in shape.

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Well-drained soil

Zone: 4 to 8(9)

Application: Foundation, Dwarf conifer garden, Heath and Heather garden, Bonsai

Larix laricina ‘Nana #17’ – Tamarack Larch. This wonderful dwarf to mini is a Sid Waxman introduction and part of his Newport Beauty collection. It is an unusual form of Tamarack Larch comprised of blue green foliage on stout fingers. Curiously, it sometimes can produce different new foliage on each stem. The overall outline is rounded. As with the Ginkgos, Larches are also deciduous. 'Nana #17' has gold autumn color before the needles drop. Place one near a carpet of Blue Rug Juniper with a Thuja occidentalis ‘Wansdyke Silver’ (Dwarf Variegated Arbor-vitae) nearby. To capitalize on its fall color, Vaccinium angustifolia (Low Bush Blueberry) with rich claret to red fall color near a cluster of lavender-pink Colchicum contrasting with the gold of this larch would gladden an October heart.

Height x Width: 2 x 2 feet in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Well-drained with some moisture retaining organic matter

Zone: 3 to 5 - not a plant for the southern U.S.

Application: Foundation, Accent, Rock garden, Heath and Heather garden, Conifer collection, Bonsai

Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ – Norway Spruce. Short green needles cover each stem of this rounded flattened bun. Introduced in the Netherlands in 1970 it is a witches broom of the well known “Bird’s Nest Spruce”. Use it beautifully and simply in a landscape of rock and boulder with a side of Athyrium filix-femina var. nana (Dwarf Lady Fern).

Height x Width: At maturity 1 x 3 feet

Light: Sun to ¾ sun

Conditions: Well-drained. Tolerant of sandy and alkaline soils but happier in a better soil that is neutral or slightly acid.

Zone: (3a)3b to 7

Application: Foundation, Dwarf conifer collection, Heath and Heather garden

Picea glauca ‘Pixie’ – Alberta Spruce. This very slow mini is an upright cone becoming fatter with age cloaked in short, stiff medium dark green needles. Consider using ‘Pixie’ as knot accent replacement in a less than traditional medieval knot garden where the bands of the plants coincide. For instance, plant one in place of Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea’ (Gold Barberry) and Berberis thunbergii ‘Concorde’ (Dwarf Purple Barberry) at the point where they cross paths at specific junctures (but not all junctures) to enrich the tapestry. That will make a design within the design notching up the overall richness of the presentation.

Height x Width: after 14 years in a trough my specimen is about 10 inches tall

Light: Morning sun with some protection from hot afternoon sun

Conditions: Well-drained soil with humus added

Zone: (2)3 to 6

Application: Trough, Miniature railroad, Miniature conifer garden

Picea mariana ‘Nana’ – Black Spruce. This low spreader, densely covered in deep blue needles touched with gray, is a beautiful miniature shrub spruce. For colorful interest year round place one with Calluna vulgaris ‘Winter Chocolate’ (Heather) and Erica carnea ‘Vivelli’ (Heath). Another beautiful scheme would be to place Picea mariana var. nana in front and to one side of Cornus sericea ‘Silver ‘n Gold’ (Variegated Yellowtwig Dogwood), both underplanted with Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’ (Dead Nettles) or perhaps Ophiopogon planiscapus var. nigrescens (Black Mondo Grass).

Height x Width: 1 x 1 ½ in 10 to 12 years, Mature at 1 ½ x 3 feet

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Moisture retentive to well-drained soil

Zone: 3 to 5(6)

Application: Heath and Heather garden, Foundation, Rock garden, Conifer Collection

Picea pungens ‘Saint Mary’s Broom’ – Blue Spruce. With very bright blue needles this slow, low mounding witch’s broom becomes somewhat globose with age. Beautiful with a cluster of the sweet little dwarf Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Honey’ (Dwarf Fountain Grass) backed with a specimen of Ulmus parviflora ‘Seiju’ which only (Japanese Elm) grows to 4 feet with fascinating corky bark especially noticeable in winter.

Height x Width: 1 x 1 foot in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Well-drained fertile soil

Zone: 3 to 7(8)

Application: Foundation, Dwarf conifer collection, Rock garden, Possibly a xeriscape garden with cacti and succulents

Pinus cembra ‘Blue Mound’ – Swiss Stone Pine. This lovely five-needled pine becomes a dense mound of silvery blue. It may develop into a squat cone in time. Place one in front of Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’ (Smooth Witherod) with a side of dwarf Chrysanthemum such as ‘Bronze Beauty’ or ‘Mei-kyo’ (purple) for a fall spectacular.

Height x Width: 3 x 2 feet in 15 years, at best growing 2 inches each year

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Moisture retentive to well-drained soil

Zone: 3b to 7

Application: Foundation, Conifer collection, Rock garden, Heath and Heather Border, Bonsai

Pinus mugo ‘Valley Cushion’ – Swiss Mountain Pine. The clean dark green needles of this cute mugo pine are refresing to the eye. This bun to eventual low, irregular spreader planted between and in front of two taller companions in a foundation would be effective. Near Kalmia ‘Little Linda’ (Dwarf Mountain Laurel) and Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Little Jamie’ (Dwarf Atlantic White Cedar) where it will grow into them and connect the 3 it would be beautiful. I have mine planted in the foreground of a Heath and Heather garden near a boulder where it has formed a handsome pool of rich dark green.

Height x Width: 10 x 24 inch shrub in 12 to 15 years, some years 'Valley Cushion' will cross the line into Dwarf

Light: Full sun to ¾ sun

Conditions: Well-drained soil with some moisture retaining organic matter though it can tolerate sandy and alkaline soils

Zone: (2)3 to 7(8a)

Application: Foundation – front of the border, Rock garden, Heath and Heather garden

Pinus parviflora ‘Ogon-janome’ – Japanese White Pine. This rare and wonderful five-needled pine has the look of the “Dragon Eye Pine” (Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus-draconis’). But this spreading mini with shorter needles than its much larger cousin is banded in bright sunny yellow. As with many conifers it is extremely slow as a small shrub and will remain rounded for many years. 'Ogon-janome' will eventually develop a leader and become an extraordinary upright pyramid. For a warm, almost hot, eye-opening scheme team it with Rose ‘Knockout’ and Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ in the foreground.

Height x Width: 3 x 3 feet in 10 years, 8 feet x 5 feet in 25 years

Light: Sun to ¾ sun

Conditions: Moisture retaining soil with added organic matter

Zone: 4 to 7

Application: Foundation, Specimen, Dwarf conifer collection, Heath and Heather Garden, Bonsai

Pinus strobus ‘Brevifolia’ – Eastern White Pine. This sweet miniature sports dark blue-green needles with a silver underside. The long needles on newest wood tend towards a vertical posture. It grows in a pyramidal form. It could make an excellent upright accent in an ericaceous garden with Andromeda polifolia ‘Blue Ice’ (Bog Rosemary), Vaccinium vitis-idaea variation minus (Prostrate Lingonberry) as a groundcover and Calluna vulgaris ‘Easter Bonfire’ (Heather) on the side.

Height x Width: 2 feet x 1 to 1 1/2 feet

Light: Full to part sun

Conditions: Moisture retentive to well-drained with organic matter added

Zone: 3 to 7(8)

Application: Specimen, Foundation, Dwarf conifer collection, Heath and Heather garden, Bonsai

Pinus sylvestris ‘Repens’ – Scots Pine. This prostrate irregular mat with long, stiff and thick grayish needles may mound in the middle some with age. Consider using it in xeric garden near Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasque Flower) and a pink blooming cactus such as an Opuntia rufispina or O. ‘Purple Desert’ with purple infused pads. Good contrast could be found in a three-way with Daphne cneorum variation pygmaea and Sempervivum ‘Lavender and Old Lace’ (Hens and Chicks).

Height x Width: 10 x 24 inches but much shorter than 10 inches for many years

Light: Full sun

Conditions: Well-drained

Zone: 3 to 6(7a)

Application: Xeriscape garden, Foundation, Dwarf conifer collection

Tsuga canadensis ‘Coles Prostrate’ – Canadian Hemlock. Sprays of gently arcing stems cloaked in short, dark green needles adorn one of the slowest growing members of the genus Tsuga. Older branches are likely to shed needles exposing an extraordinary architecture of branching patterns. Each plant is unique. It would be just beautiful spread over a boulder or hanging over a wall adjacent to colonies of Trillium grandiflorum and Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’. A group would be gorgeous cascading down a boulder strewn knoll mimicking the roiling waters of a mountain stream.

Height x Width: 3 x 24 inches in 15 years

Light: Morning sun to light shade

Conditions: Moisture retaining humusy soil with added leaf mould

Zone: 3 to 6(7)

Application: Specimen, Dwarf conifer collection

Tsuga canadensis ‘Minuta’ – Canadian Hemlock. Perhaps even slower growing than ‘Coles Prostrate’ this tiny Hemlock grows only ¼ inch each year. A congested bun of irregular form composed of stubby stiff tiny needles. Originally, several miniature plants were discovered in the wilds of Vermont around 1935 in close proximity to a cone-bearing mom of the same stature. As such it could be argued that this is a botanical variety. Plant one in a trough with the mini Hosta venusta ‘Masquerade’ and the tiny, grouncovering Salix lindleyana, a prostrate willow from Nepal with leaves the size and shape of rice grains on reddish stems. In spring little red catkins turn black. What a cute combination the three would make!

Height x Width: 6 x 6 inches in 10 years

Light: Morning sun to light shade

Conditions: Moisture retaining humusy soil with added leaf mould

Zone: 3 to 6(7)

Application: Trough, Miniature railroad, Miniature conifer collection, Knot garden

My mouth waters at the sight and smell of a freshly opened box of chocolates just as my eyes widen at the sight of the enormous variety of dwarf and miniature conifers available to gardeners today. I know full well that when I delve into a box of delicious chocolates I’m going sample more that just one. I can’t help myself! May this sampler of earthly delights tempt you to try a couple of savory miniature conifers or three or more… With so many forms, colors and uses how could you resist such a treat? Eat hearty!

Penned by Wayne Paquette, October 2005