Still a little too "shrubby" for me, but thanks for taking the time to answer :)

the best way to go about this.. is to give us a pic of the spot.. and let us make suggestions ....

xmas trees are heavily pruning into that form.. for upwards of 10 years ... to simply say you want an xmas tree.. really limits our ability to help you ...

are you aware of annual growth rates .. and how that determines dwarf and min conifers???

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/learn/conifer-sizes-growth-rates/

you can not take a tree that grows a foot or 2 per season.. and prune it to your size.. and it might also might be hard to keep a dwarf at that size.. so you are down to true mini's ....

and of course.. most peeps think pine.. when you say xmas tree.. and your perfect plant.. is probably not a pine at all ....

and.. btw... i had DAS on campus when i was in college that were ten feet tall.. and the same wide ... who knows how old they were.. but as trees.. they never really stop growing ...

ken

Well, I can see I have alot more reading to do! I can't post a pic, because the yard is under construction. I'm researching ahead of time so I'll be ready when the yard is :) Tentatively looking at: Weeping Norway Spruce, Bruns Serbian Spruce, Korean Fir Tree. They all have more of a traditional “Christmas tree” appearance. They will be in full sun, preferably somewhat drought tolerant.

None of those fit the category of “smallest possible”. What relative size are you looking for?

tj

ETA- And are you for defining “Christmas tree” as any upright conifer?

Weeping Norway Spruce is prostrate. Korean fir will not stay small and neat as it gets older. No idea about Bruns, but I can't find anything that indicates it stops growing at some point. How big a space do you have?

Not sure, waiting for yard to be completed...at least 2 wks out. I've tried smallest possible and everything is more shrublike than tree like. From my research, Weeping Norway Spruce (up to 15’), Bruns Serbian Spruce (6’-12’), Korean Fir Tree (6’-12’). Korean Fir Tree best represents type (visually) of tree I'm looking for. I would be happier if the mature tree height was smaller, about 4-6', or even smaller if not shrublike, but haven't seen anything that meets those requirements.

So this is Picea abies 'Pendula:

https://conifersociety.org/conifers/picea-abies-pendula/

The "mature" sizes that you see regarding conifers have nothing to do with the height a tree reaches. They typically refer to 10 year size. Further, one must be very careful when one judge's a site's assertion that a tree reaches this or that height. I fell into this latter pit over the summer when I trusted a site I should not have trusted.

In general, it seems, to get a small conifer that stays small, one must by a dwarf that is a "specimen" and quite expensive because dwarves grow very slowly. But, because they grow very slowly, they are unlikely to get to a much bigger size once they are specimen size.

I think I have a bit of a handle on what you are after. You need to tell us where in zone 7 you are because Pinus cembra ‘Blue Mound’ may grow there. My 15 or so year old tree is just 6-7 feet tall.

tj

I'm in NYC. Thank you all for your patience and helpfulness so far 😁

Dwarf Alberta Spruce, which is not Jean's Dilly. It grows somewhat faster.

https://www.iselinursery.com/colorful-conifers/picea-spruce/picea-glauca-conica/

Really not sure what you want. There are forms of boxwood and holly that have the shape, the deep green color, and stay smaller than an actual pine or spruce tree. If it's a consideration, the hollies are sturdy enough to hold a string of Christmas lights, not sure if a boxwood could take that weight.

If you want something that will not grow past a certain point, you may want to consider these:

https://factorydirectcraft.com/catalog/products/2149_2043_2045-59785-artificial_canadian_pine_tree_set_with_galvanized_bucket_base.html?ccset=US&autocs=1&auto_coupon=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzbv7BRDIARIsAM-A6-1vtDQNuhNDSrRUPRyHia26gyYrWtIcXBxhJagLsqMiwnIvwM4pp38aAiuREALw_wcB#

Seriously , we used something like this last year. (you can buy them ready made).

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/ideas-for-outdoor-christmas-pots

Wander thru this site. If you want it to stay small, you will have to buy dwarf. If you don't want to wait for it to get to a good size, you will have to fork out $$$'s.

https://www.coniferkingdom.com/dwarf-conifers/

Here is one they sell. It is in a 7 gallon pot and is $399. It grows about 3 to 5 inches per year. I know nothing about this company.

https://www.coniferkingdom.com/abies-nordmanniana-silver-del/

ETA: I can't grow most of these in North Alabama even if the zone is okay. The heat, humidity, and bugs kill them. I had a Dwarf Alberta Spruce that did well for years. It was my little outdoor Christmas Tree. Last summer's drought killed it. The spider mites moved in and it gave up last fall. Nothing I did helped.

Check out the smaller Cryptomeria cultivars.

Small Hinoki false cypress?

Or consider a red-berried holly, like 'Castle Spire'.

I agree with Sherry about browsing Conifer Kingdom for ideas. And, if you do like something they sell, I wouldn't be afraid to buy it. We have three different kinds of Picea abies from Conifer Kingdom. All are doing quite well.