Michael reveals some of his favourite specimens and explains why conifers are coming back big time
Conifers are king again! It’s a plant family that can offer so much, from evergreen colour to wildlife habitat, carbon capture to durable drought tolerance. And, all is not what it seems either, not all conifers look like great strapping leylandii hedges- there are a lot of different shapes and sizes, as you’re about to discover!
Pinus mugo ‘Little Gold Star’
A conifer that will thrive in all soils, and is hardy down to a staggering -20C too! A medium speed conifer, reaching 2m (6.5ft) eventually, it’s a great feature plant to plan into a rockery, or into containers, with a well-behaved globular habit.
Flowering in spring, and a surprise pollen source for bees, the tightly-packed needles have a yellow tinge, creating an effervescent glow in borders.
Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka Variegata’
This conifer is quite a shapeshifter, with an upright habit, yet irregular outline. Each stem seems to appear different, both in shape and tone as the plant produces foliage in both blue-green and creamy-yellow. It’s so quirky, of course I love it!
Easy to manage and could eventually reach 1.5m (5ft) in a garden setting. When young, I think this cultivar would make a fantastic container specimen, I can just imagine it mixed up with a few summer petunias and frothy lobelia.
Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma’
You might feel like this is quite a familiar conifer, as it’s often sold ready-planted in a mixed pot with pansies, primroses and all. ‘Wilma’ shines bright, with golden feathery foliage, which curiously smells of lemons.
The ultimate height of this Cupressus is more than 2m (6,5ft) though, so its time as a container specimen will be limited. However, with careful planning, you can use many conifers for container mix-ups when young, later transferring them to their final locations.
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Kyara Gold’
Now here’s where conifers start to get really different. Cryptomeria are an awesome family of trees and are well worth delving into. ‘Kyara Gold’ features highly unique ‘corkscrew‘ stems, which have a golden tinge too.
Plan your planting with the knowledge that this conifer grows around 10cm (4in) per year and can eventually reach 1 metre in height.
Thuja plicata ‘Whipcord’
The ideal conifer for kids to grow? I think so! An incredibly different looking type of thuja, which has the effect of a rather racy hairdo! As it matures, it forms a dome of whipcord-like foliage, the whole plant turning bronze for the autumn.
Will tolerate moist soils, as long as they are moist, and reaches 1.5m (5ft) at maturity. Plus, it’s a holder of the most coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Thuja plicata ‘Little Boy’
Here’s a contender for a box (buxus) alternative, as this Thuja ‘Little Boy’ can grow around 25cm (10in) per year and is easily clippable. The mature height tops out at 1m (3.3ft), which keeps it very manageable.
The compact growth also responds well to shaping and this plant has another surprise up its sleeve though, as the foliage turns orange-bronze for the winter. Absolutely ideal for containers, low hedging or clipping into a chicken!
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