Dave, I wouldn't bother, it isn't worth it, we've all been here before, it's just unfortunate that many of the species brigade seem to think they're on a higher plane than the rest of us ;o)

God, get a sense of humor guys, didn't you see the ;) at the end of my comment? I was being humorous!

Hahaha ...there you go Larry!

And for the record i like those little 'dwarf' s in Dave's post, especially the spruce! But also they're not trees they're shrubs, but that doesn't take away from their attractiveness. Variegated plants on the other hand...

That's fine...I am not trying to take this thread down a negative road.

The thread in bold type stated: What type of conifer do you favor? Nothing about trees...I happen to consider my cultivars conifers. Calling them shrubs... we are stretching this thread to the limit. In Kansas we call shrubs trash vegetation growing along the highways. I happen to have Acer palms. that produce foliage clear to the ground. Thy are never referred to as shrubs.

So where are we going with this? Species/cultivars... for me I consider both conifers either grown in the upright form, prostrate form with occasional other forms in the mix those being trained for that one of a kind look. Love them all.

Greenlarry...I do like your humor and wit and that is why I wanted your response. Not Resins straight from the book approach... Yes he spelled it out correctly but was dull reading and inappropriate.

Merry Christmas to all,

Dave

Where do we go from here? Well we continue with peoples choice group of conifer! People are still throwing up specifics like they didnnt get the question asked! I could have said What conifer family do you prefer? For me that would be Pinaceae!

Good question.

I like green conifers. Than I like the silvery ones. But I like the goldens too. Maybee the lemonades are also very kind ones. I like the bronze and purple conifers too.

I like the nice big ones. And the very small and very big ones too.

I like them sitting in the swamp, and standing on the mountains.

I also like the irregulars too. The tropical wonders and the arctic wonders too. I'd like to collect all to my garden, and to yours too.

Most of all I like you all, who like conifers. Merry Christmas!

Zsolt

Here is a link that might be useful: Merry Christmas

Nice little family you've got there sitting around the Hungarian Christmas tree ! Merry X mas to all! T.

I like conifers before and after breakfast ;)


Josh

Josh,

That reminds me of the recent post about the person who liked to eat Abies concolor but was rather disappointed when told 'an entire branch' could be poisonous.

Dax

Since I didn't answer the question properly, and I can't apparently spell today either, how about I give my answer this way......

I think I like any species of conifer that people tell me I can't grow here in my climate.....in other words anything I can't have......my mom would say I haven't grown up at all in 55 years.

mark

I think the trouble on here is that this is gardenweb so we discuss garden plants! But im not that interested in garden conifers because i dont have the space plus i just like to see big trees spreading their wings in the wild.

I think Clement said it right one time. Because if you a)have the room, he said, 'please grow the species' to learn the id's, and then use that info to learn to id the dwarfs.

Now everybody is happy...

Dax

The point is!! ..everyone can be passionate about either species or ornamentals or both if they like, no problem with that at all, in fact it's great, love to see all aspects about conifers on this forum. What I do object to! is every once in a while a handful of species posters here can't resist the temptation to have a go!, either directly or indirectly about dwarf and ornamental conifers, as if they themselves were somehow superior to the rest of us.

Sorry blue, 'I've nearly-never read their opinions that way!' More-so, I've seen it as injected humor!!!!!!! Something several people on this forum, were so critical, they couldn't see the humor no matter how hard they may have tried, because the blinders were already, in place.

The cultivar crowd of "gaudy colors" seriously needs to lighten up a bit.

I see it as true as I sit here and type, today. There's always hand grenades being tossed, but usually these are from posters what have an extremely negative tone to (many of) their posts, & often, although these same people post rarely.

Surely , my comment was not directed at any specific group - again just an attempt at bringing friendship (with a little humor, if you recognized that!) ... back onto the table.

Thanks for listening. This is all I have to say.

Dax

"What I do object to! is every once in a while a handful of species posters here can't resist the temptation to have a go!, either directly or indirectly about dwarf and ornamental conifers, as if they themselves were somehow superior to the rest of us"

Please, don't take it seriously! It's only meant as a bit of mild humour (I'll admit not too well expressed, sometimes - it isn't easy with no forum smilies).

Resin

"Maybe the origin of Humbolt County has to do with being humbled at the Redwoods.
I certainly cannot say there was any better tree experience in my life."

Well said, Dax!


Josh

Nearly all conifers are ornamental sorry
dwarf conifers just don't work for me but
most people have small gardens.A good mix
of species and rare cultivars works well
for me if they are blue,green or grey.I
don,t think that any conifer collection
should be just species.

Ha blue no way I could be superior- i only own one conifer! ;)

To my way of thinking conifers are conifers...I never knew there was a issue between species and cultivars until I participated in this forum. I was offended the first time I took a hit on my cultivar garden and got my licks in against those who thought other wise. I then decided this issue was not about me but everyone else that supported cultivar gardens. I now have decided each one of us are different and I have to respect those who think otherwise. This time around we pretty much got through it without any hurt feelings.

I think we can all agree there is nothing like finding a high knob and looking down on 1000's of green conifer sticks in the valley below. Or for that matter cursing through a garden full of cultivars in a well thought out presentation. Doing either one makes my day and something I love to do.

Dave

My first thought in answering the original question was, "Live ones." But I was sure that Ken would have already given that answer. ;^)

Now after reading all the "controversy" - lol - I have to agree with how Dave summed it up right about my post. I love to walk in a forest or through a high dessert filled with old species conifers, but for my gardening pleasure, I prefer the cultivars and all the unusual and appealing characteristics they provide.

I'd have to say my two favorite genera are Chamaecyparis and Picea, but I certainly won't limit myself!

Thanks for the great thread!

We all like what we all like, no matter what. I don't have anything against any certain types of any plants. I have ones I favor for sure. We all do. We all come here to share what we have and what we are proud of, also what we would like / want to have, and to share our knowledge. Another part of it, at least for me, is that maybe I might be introduced to something that I really like alot, that I did not know existed were it not for someone posting it here. That has happend before. I'm partial to natives, especially those that are endemic to my area or close to my area, but I have found some cultivars I like as well.

Just because I personally do not "FAVOR" something, does not mean I look down on those who do. One mans trash is another mans treasure type of thing.

Just my .02

Btw... I understood the question fully, and gave general answers, then specific answers. Why? because I felt like it. =o)

Good stuff guys! I'm just envious of all your conifers, especially the little spruces with their tiny purple cones- I so want one of those! My trouble is i dont know what species or cultivars there are! I know my broadleaf trees but not so much conifers because, due to sociological bias, i avoided them! Now i find them fascinating as botanical entities and want to learn more about their diversity.

"especially the little spruces with their tiny purple cones- I so want one of those!"

Black Spruce Picea mariana is what you want - it cones on young trees just a metre or two tall

Resin

Great picture, Resin. Do mariana do well in the UK? I would have thought their native range would hint they'd not like too mild of a climate.

tj

They do quite well, at least in the north (photo from northeastern England), where summers are cool. Winter temperature doesn't seem to matter much as long as summers are cool. The one in the photo is actually part of a naturalised population (started as an experimental plantation ~80-100 years ago) which is self-seeding freely in a peat bog in the middle of a Picea sitchensis plantation. The trees aren't long-lived and don't get large, but they start seeding so young that doesn't matter.

In the longer term, they won't last though, as the bog is drying out a bit allowing the Picea sitchensis to self-seed in as well, and they grow about 10ÃÂ as fast.

Resin

Great, thank you for that info.

tj

I developed some kind of deep connection to the bald cypress swamps. I'll take a taxodium distichum over pretty much any other tree, right along with the Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

Michael that Spruce is just what I want! They have one like that on our kids primary school grounds- keep meaning to ask for one of those cones to try grow my own.

I grew up in the coastal plain region of Georgia underneath Pinus palustris...(longleaf pine) among others. Then I moved to the piedmont region of Alabama, and started to miss my longleaf friends. I've killed several thus far trying to get some established here. I haven't given up just yet.

How can you not love pinus strobus? Its form inspires painters and poets, It is a tree that built one country, and as much as tea drove another to revolt. Plus it is a tree in trouble and needs our help. 15 years into it, I am still inspired to try and grow this tree to give it a small hand to recover on its former range. So far so good!

I got some young cones in 1,0 m in this spring on a picea omorika 'Pendula Bruns'. It was fun but it fell off in the summer. But it was cool. :)

Happy new year folks!!!!! See you next year!

"It was fun but it fell off in the summer"

Probably lack of pollination

Resin

I have only a 1/2 acre lot, so I favor smaller conifers I can enjoy as a pedestrian, can touch their leaves, and which are slim and pendulous, such as spruces and Cypressus Nootk. 'Pendula'. That 'Pendula' seems to be originally from the wild, so there I have a species? Right now I am looking for young dwarf conifers to grow up.
Anyway, I have three 'towering' white pines species in my backyard, with many branches broken off by ice over the years, dangerous due to their potential 'widow makers'. Driving or walking through the neighborhood or in parks I can see different species, but most have poor looking lower branches, that is at my pedestrian level.
Bernd

Thing is I'd love conifers even if I had no garden, i find them fascinating now and find myself conifer spotting while out and about! Of course i cringe at the badly pruned and misshaped lawson's and lolipop junipers and yews that are found in most gardens, and hanker after the site of a real conifer. The very sight of a tall conifer towering behind a church gets my curiosity up! Must get a book!

Resin
You are right! There is nothing around what could pollinate it. My collection is around vineyards and the other piceas are young.

Zsolti

I'm with greenman28 and also with cryptomeria on this one.

I, too, was born in and grew up in Redwood country -- from the SF Bay Area to Del Norte County. The Coastal Redwood was my first love because of the sense of the primaeval one gets in a Redwood forest. It's an environment unlike any other, which accentuates one's sense of stepping back in time.

That led me to seek out Redwood relatives in the old Taxodiaceae.

Then, it was the Ginkgo and Araucariaceae -- again because their strange (and beautiful) appearance and their uncanny resemblance to very old fossils give the sense of being in touch with living antiquity.

Arau (caria) - (Se) quoia

In no particular order:

Southern long leaf pine
Taxodium (Bald Cypress)
Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia)
Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Araucaria
Podocarpus
Any and all pines (Pinus)
Cryptomeria (Japanese cypress)
Atlas Cedar

I have soooo big area (lots of hectars), where I can grow them. My garden is growing now. But I definitely favour Taxodiaceae and big and tall trees. Because I'm tall, too. They are so beautiful and ... heavenly. I don't know why but I don't like dwarf conifers. They are too small for me.
I want to grow Araucaria, too but it is not too hardy for my zone..

Denis

Hi Denis,
If you like the Taxodiaceae then Wolfgang is the person you have to visit when you have the time ;0)

What about small trees pruned to look like they are large?

Here's some Cryptomeria j., 'JinDai' pruned that way. They need pruning every few months.
{{gwi:856229}}

This is a fun area in the garden and I should spend more time tweaking it, because I really enjoy the concept of making small trees look large.
Mike

Nice Miniature specimens you have in your garden Mike.
In this way these look big indeed ;0)
Spellcheck: it's 'Jindai' instead of 'JinDai'.

Nothing much to do today. I am waiting for the coldest temperatures of the winter and a approaching snow storm that is due this weekend. Arbs are wrapped with twine, rabbit protection in place and zone 6 cultivars are protected. Deer are not a problem.

With that in hand why not make a long post even longer.

The quote: "I don't know why but I don't like dwarf conifers"

I am not here to rail against that...just expressing my thoughts from the other side of the coin.

We all have our likes and dislikes. A diversified group we are.

I know why I like them and I am glad to have a garden full of them. So much more interesting avenues are available in color, size and texture. With the right plan and presentation nothing surpasses the look.

Much more interesting then miles of green sticks pointing upwards to the heavens. No disrespect here for species lovers. For me this look just doesn't trip my trigger and not applicable to a garden setting in the first place. This places a huge void between species and cultivars and mixing the two is impossible unless you have a large land mass to accommodate the two. In my opinion even with both being conifers there should be two forums...one for each. Just my opinion but I think a valid one. Don't let this one rub the wrong way but the void between the two is significant in terms of likes /dislikes and has been expressed on this forum many times.

My quote: "I do like them, (species) but I don't know why". I suppose with out them our availability to witch's brooms would be gone. Nurseries would be void of these beautiful little guys selling only deciduous trees shrubs and flowers. I would hate the thought of gardening with out conifer cultivars. They are my anchor plants and my sea of color during those bleak winter months. With out them there would be no garden. I would just be cutting grass and raking leaves. Gardening with trees, shrubs, hostas and flowers doesn't cut it with me. No disrespect to those who do...just not my cup of tea.

Waiting patiently for spring and the arrival of a few interesting new cultivars.

Dave

Mike,

I saw many pictures from your garden here and I must say: Your garden is fantasitc. This sort of pruning brings fun, I think so , too.It's a kind of art, when it's done well. It's really a special habitus.I like it in a special local garden area and the rest natural.

Wolfgang

When you have such garden in Estonia, you will definitely get award or prize from President.

Denis

nelumbo, here, they raise your taxes.

Cryptomeria, thank you. Yes, I too like the smaller conifers in a special place near the house, and the rest looking fairly natural.
I'm no expert in the names of the plants, but I'm learning. Making the landscape look good is my priority.
I really need to get in to this area and do some drastic pruning to make it look more high altitude. Pruning to show a stiff breeze in one direction would help too. Kruumholz? sp?
Mike
{{gwi:856230}}

nelumbo,

Estonia a great little country. Suffered much under German and Soviet Union occupation and regained independence in 1991.

I am happy for you and your people.

Regarding the president of your country... you should be so lucky. Could you spare him for awhile to sort out the mess we have here in the USA.

Your president, who appreciates the beauty of nature, is my kind of person...one who gives out awards or prizes for gardens.

I provided a link that we all should read and implement in this country to regain a status of quality life for all.

Regards,

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Economy of Estonia

If they don't raise them too much,the pleasure of having the space and the liberty to be creative like you seem to have, must surely outweigh the pain of coughing up a bit more...hope so,anyway! Great stuff! T.

.. and I love Sequoioidae, too. They're my favorites with Taxodiaceaea ;)

Dave,

thank you very much, your opinion was so great, too.
I thought that American people are not caring people but they are. Now my mind says that Americans are good people.
Thank you Dave and thank you, Americans!!

Interesting thread.

For me, I admire many conifers, but bald cypress and longleaf pine are my favorites.

This past weekend I transplanted eight bare-root cypress seedlings that I grew from seed this past year. I have a couple of very nice groves of cypress trees established going back 25+ years and I am working on the same with my upland favorite, longleaf pine.

Would like to see alerces and monkey puzzle trees one day in their native habitat.