If you’re looking for types of evergreen trees, this article is discussing them in detail. Trees are viewed as the source of the glorious look we often see in our gardens, and they exist in different types.
Different trees like deciduous trees act like some living calendars through their appearance that symbolizes season changes. Without the trees, our gardens would look so bear and, at some point, would experience advanced weather conditions.
Evergreen Trees come with their appeal though they never change with seasons. They constantly keep your garden visually interesting and attractive while providing shades for birds and animals. We will be looking at types and everything related to evergreen trees.
Types Of Evergreen Trees
You are likely to find evergreen trees in almost every part of the world, making them your favorite garden trees. Notably, they are not all closely related as they come from different families of trees. Evidently, we have some evergreen deciduous tree families. You are likely to see different types of evergreen trees, and the following are some of the types.
Douglas Fir- [Pseudotsuga menziesii]
Douglas fir, which is sometimes referred to as Douglas tree, is an evergreen tree meaning it doesn’t go dormant or shed off leaves with seasons.
There are two categories of Douglas tree, including the coast Douglas and the rocky mountain Douglas fir. They are differentiated by habits, Growth rates, and physical characteristics.
When coast Douglas fir grows in the forest, they do self-pruning of their lower branches. Between the two types, coast Douglas fir grows faster and larger, and they can grow up to 25 feet that are 76 meters in old-growth forest.
They can reach up to 15- 1.8 meters in diameter. They can grow to the same diameter as rocky Douglas fir but go up to 160 feet (49 meters).
How To Identify The Douglas For
One can simply identify the Douglas fir by looking at its bark. It is usually gray to brown, mostly at the bottom of the furrows, and smooth with resin blisters like the real fir. The back is also thick and deeply furrowed compared to any other tree in the regions.
Where Do The Douglas Trees Grow?
Douglas fir grows in different conditions, including in the mountainous Pacific Northwest Rocky Mountains. They are more tolerant to cold than coast Douglas fir, ideal for moist, mild climates on the west coast.
Uses Of The Douglas Fir
Douglas fir is the northwest’s most important tree. People prefer it due to its strength. Douglas fir is used in making timbers and framing lumber for home construction. It is also commonly used during Christmas mainly because it is less expensive compared to other trees.
How To Grow Douglas Trees From The Seeds
- Growing Douglas fir from seeds is not an easy job, but it is doable. Let’s start by saying the appropriate time to collect Douglas seeds is during August and September- when they are falling from the trees.
- Fill a bowl with water, put the seeds in the water, and remove the sinkers since they are not likely to grow. Let the floating seeds remain in the water for two days and change the water after 24 hours.
- Put moist sand in a plastic bag and put the seeds in the sand, and loosely tie the bag. Keep them there for 60 days. If you are growing ponderosa pine, keep then for 30 days and don’t do the stratification if you are growing jack pine.
- Fill the planting pots with sand sphagnum peat moss. Water the medium and let it drain completely. Then do the planting while maintaining 8 inches distance apart.
- You can transplant the sapling when they are at least 6 inches tall, which may take up to 2 to 3 years.
Douglas fir growing conditions
Douglas fir does well in well-drained deep soils and likely to fail on poorly drained and compacted soils.
When to plant Douglas fir
During springs and falls is the appropriate time to plant trees Douglas fir included. There is rainfall during these times, and the weather is cool, hence reducing your Douglas fir’s stress when you uproot and move it.
How to plant Douglas fir
- Identify the planting locations where Douglas fir height won’t interfere with the existing structures like electric wires.
- Plant 2 to 3 foot high containerized and burlap wrapped in well-drained soils. Avoid areas where soil accumulates water or places with stones just near under the topsoil.
- Water the newly planted trees continuously and keep the soil wet always.
- Prune the tips of the young tree’s branches only when necessary to maintain the pyramid form.
- Keep a constant watch over trees to ensure no disease or pets attack.
Douglas fir water requirements
Douglas fir requires moist soil and regular watering. You will be required to water them between one and four times every month, depending on the rainfall available and how best the soil holds water.
Douglas fir sun requirements
Douglas fir should be fully exposed to sunlight wherever you plant it.
Best Douglas for fertilizer?
The best fertilizer for Douglas fire is typically rich in nitrogen content and contains ratios of 30-10-10 or 6-4-4.
Best Douglas Fir Companion Plantings
- Impatiens capensis
- Calochrtus macrocarpus
- Delphinium glareosum
- Fritilaria affinis var. affinis.
- Iris Tenax
- Lupines Polyphyllus
- Lupines sericeus
Douglas Fir Diseases And Common Problems
Among the diseases attacking Douglas fir include:
- Rhabdocline– symptoms include the yellow spots form on the previous year’s needles. They may enlarge and become reddish-brown on the green needle that falls later.
- Swiss needle cast – in between March to June, the previous year’s needle gradually becomes brown and fall.
- Twig blight – twig tips curls downwards, turns dark brown, and later dried off. A small black fungal fruiting structure dots the dead tissues.
- Douglas fir beetle – this is the most destructive beetle that attacks Douglas fir. One of the symptoms is usually the reddish-brown boring dust on the bark crevices on the lower part at the base. Wind and rain may wash away the dust, but since the attacks are usually high, with close inspection, you are likely to notice.
Douglas Fir Treatment And Maintenance
- Ensure you plant Douglas in places with good air circulation and observe strict weed measures to prevent rhobdocline. After approximately 10% of the buds have broken in the spring, apply fungicide and repeat the applications one week later and again three weeks after the buds break.
- Place your plants in places with good air circulation and control weeds. When Douglas fir is 1/1/2 inches long, apply a fungicide and repeat this after three weeks to prevent and manage Swiss needle cast.
- If you realize that your Douglas fir is attacked by twig blight, prune and then destroy blighted tips.
- Douglas fir beetles can be controlled by keeping a vigorous stand condition and dealing away with susceptible trees. Again extremely cold, dry winters can have detrimental effects on these overwintering insects.
Where To Buy Douglas Fir Seeds Online
You can always find Douglas fir seeds online on Amazon, eBay, tree seeds, tree help, among others.
Where To Buy Douglas Fir Saplings Online
You can find Douglas fir sapling trees online at ashridgetrees. They offer free delivery and free returns in case you aren’t pleased with the delivery.
White Spruce [Picea Glauca]
How To Identify White Spruce?
White spruce trees are ½ inches to ¾ inches long, sharply pointed, and dark bluish-green when they mature. The cone can be as long as 1 to 2 inches long, cylindrical and flexible when grown. Also, the cones are rounded and soft at the ends. It can grow up to about 60 feet tall.
Where Does White Spruce Grow?
White spruce is commonly grown in the northern temperate and boreal forests in the northern part of America. It was initially native from central Alaska all through the east, across central Canada to the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland.
Uses Of White Spruce
The main common uses of white spruce trees include pulpwood for various construction, prefab houses, mobile homes, Furniture, boxes and crates, and pallets. You will also find that white spruce is also used for house logs, making musical instruments, and paddles.
How To Grow The White Spruce Tree From Seeds
You can grow white spruce from seeds through the stratification process. Mix the seeds with moisture sterile, peat-based growing medium in a container and wrap the container in a ventilated bag. Place it in a refrigerator for a period of 12 to 20 weeks. During the spring, plant the seeds under a shade but outside to grow into seedlings. Then transplant to the permanent site when well-rooted.
White Spruce Growing Conditions
White spruce trees are likely to do well when exposed to full sunlight and best when exposed for at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. However, they are also tolerant of shades and never worry about it.
They can do well in acidic, moist, and well-drained soil. To be specific, they are best in loam soil and strive well in sandy soil and even in clay soil but well-drained.
When to plant white spruce?
You can plant a white spruce tree when dormant in springs during the early month, right before they start showing any new growth. If you aim for the best results, ensure you plant it before the last frost of the season when rain is yet to begin.
How to plant the white spruce tree?
Plant your white spruce tree in your yard. In a place that receives 6 hours of sunlight every day. Let the soil be well-drained. Spread 2 inches of organic fertilizer on the ground with a hole two times the size of a root ball.
White spruce water requirements
You need to be fairly accurate when determining how much each tree requires. Do this measure the trunk diameter (circumference divided by 3.14 Pi) taken at the knee, then multiply by ten gallons of water per inch diameter.
For medium trees of the diameter range of 8 inches to 12 inches should be watered using the soaker hose. Coil it several times under the drip line of the tree. Alternatively, you can use a garden hose with a soft spray implement or a soil needle.
White spruce sun requirements
White spruce trees are likely to do well when exposed to full sunlight and best when exposed for at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
Best white spruce fertilizer
White spruce trees benefit most from acidic fertilizer meant for evergreen trees or high nitrogen fertilizer with the formula 12-6-4 or 10-8-6. For organic fertilizers, you can use compost, fish emulsion, cottonseed meal, and alfalfa meal.
Best White Spruce Companion Plantings
White spruce Companion plants should be those with diversity to avoid insects and disease issues. Such plants should be Norway spruce, Techny Arborvitate, tamarack, and J.N strain Musclewood to provide screen and fall interest throughout the year.
White Spruce Diseases And Common Problems
One of the common diseases that attack white spruce is rust. It is a type of fungal infection that causes needles to turn yellow and drop from the tree. Besides, some fungi can cause galls and cankers. If trees are healthy, they can recover, but they may end up killing the white spruce if left unattended.
White Spruce Treatment And Maintenance
For prevention and maintenance, one can prune the tree’s lower branches for better air circulation under the tree and dry off the needle more quickly when it rains or after new events.
Where To Buy White Spruce Seeds Online
White spruce seeds are online on the tree help website, hobbyseeds, treeseeds on Amazon, and many others.
Where To Buy White Spruce Saplings Online
White spruce saplings are available online on arborday organization, treetime, Amazon, and many other online stores.
Scots Pine [Pinus Sylvestris]
Scots pine is an evergreen tree claimed by Scotland as their national tree and commonly used as the Christmas tree. It is a long-needled pine tree, and people mostly know it following its long life. Many use it for landscaping, and it has a life span of 150 to 300 years.
How To Identify The Scots Pine
It grows into a tall and straight tree with a scaly bark that is dark near the bottom and turns rusty when going up. It also has blue-green needles that are in pairs and grows up to 7 cm long. Its male cones are yellow, while female cones are green and mature to grey-brown and range from 3 to 7.5 cm long.
Where Does Scots Pine Grow?
This is the most distributed pine globally as it grows naturally from Scotland almost to the Pacific Ocean. Again, it grows from above the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea.
Uses Of The Scots Pine
Scots pine is used in making telegraph poles, pit poles, gate posts, and even fencing. It can also be tapped for resin and make turpentine.
How To Grow Scots Pine From Seeds
For the young plants, leave them until autumn, and report them if you have them in containers. If you have your Scots pine in the seedbeds, it is recommendable to leave them for at least two years until you can see they are long enough for the final position.
Scots pine growing conditions
Scots pine grows almost in all types of poor soils, making it ideal in land reclamation projects. It has good tolerance, especially to clay soil, and does well in drought and dry places.
When to plant Scots pine?
During fall is always considered the best time of the year to plant new trees. Late August, September, and October are the recommended months, although it will depend on when it is likely to fall but provided the hottest days of the summer have passed, and you can still plant your Scots pine.
How to plant Scots pine?
Planting of Scots pine is pretty simple. Do your planting on a stand-established piece of land, and you can enhance this using at least two-year-old field-grown stock. Dig holes and furrows that are deep enough to contain the roots of the tree without bedding.
Scots pine water requirements
Scots pine can consume about ten gallons of water per one inch of the trunk diameter every week during the dry season. However, if you have pretty water, you can water your trees to your level best as they are said to take up to 150 gallons of water in a single day.
Scots pine sun requirements
Scots pine trees need full sunlight exposure and should be at least six hours every day.
Best Scots pine fertilizer
Nitrogen phosphorus fertilizers are the best for Scots pine, and you are advised to fertilize them once every year during the spring, right before the trees break out from their dormant state. Use the fertilizer with a 15-5-10 formula.
Best Scots Pine Companion Plantings
Here is the list of some plants that can grow as the Scots pine companion plantings
- Columbines
- Rhododendron
- Lil of the valley
- Wild geraniums
- Jacob’s ladder
- Sweet woodruff
- Hydrangeas
Scots Pine Diseases And Common Problems
Scots fine is attacked by many wood borings, root feeding, foliage feeding, and twig feeding insects. They are some well-known pests that include the Cyclaneusma needle cast, western gall rust, Lophodermium needle cast.
Scots Pine Treatment And Maintenance
We recommend consistent control of weeds to deal with pests that bring out disease and the trees’ distraction. It is also recommendable to keep the tree in shape to fit one you would like to have during the harvest.
Where To Buy The Scots Pine Seeds Online
You can always find the Scots pine seeds online at the following online store: Amazon, treeseeds, treehelp, treeseedsonline, among many others.
Where To Buy Scots Pine Saplings Online
You can buy the Scots pine saplings online from Arborday online store, Amazon, thetreecenter, ashridgetrees, among many others.
Cedar Tree [Cedrus Libani]
Cedar trees are evergreen trees that are not often found in gardens due to their large size. You will rather find them in the streets and parks, but they really make a great windbreak and ideal when planted on large pieces of property for a live edge or winter interest.
How To Identify Cedar Tree
One can identify the cedar evergreen tree through their needle-like pine, cones, and bark. They have the bluish-green needle and grow in groups along with the woody branches. Another character that one can use to identify cedar evergreen trees is their large size, cones look like a barrel that grows upward on branches rather than dangle.
Where Does The Cider Evergreen Tree Grow?
Cedar evergreen trees have proven to do well in places with soggy soil to get sunlight and grow along bogs. This tree is native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and Mediterranean region at an altitude of 1,500-3,200 m in the Himalayas and 1,000-2,200 m in the Mediterranean.
Uses Of The Cedar Tree
Following their visual appeal, cedar is darling to many and is used in fencing, decking, siding, and trim. Additionally, due to their aromatic smell, natural insect repellent, these trees are used in manufacturing dressers and other clothing stores.
How To Grow Cedar Tree From Seeds
Cedar trees start easily from seeds but will call for 48 hours of soaking before plus one month in the refrigerator with some pots containing soils in a zip lock bag. Ensure soil is moist all through, and after a month, have your seeds in paper cups with composts and potting soil mixture.
Cedar tree growing conditions
They grow well in conditions with the following features: soils should be well-drained and fertile, slightly acid soil and the plant spacing should range between 3 to 5 feet apart. While planting, see to it that the crown of your tree is above the soil line.
When to plant cedar trees?
Do the planting of your cedar trees after the soil thaws when it is still early in the spring. Also, ensure you do plant during fall, but keep in mind that summer heatwaves can distract the newly planted tree.
How to plant a cedar tree
- Dig an organic-based tree and shrub plant food into the soil a few months before planting. Do the planting when the soil thaws early in the spring.
- Remove the cedar tree from the container. You can plant it with the root ball wrapped loosely in natural burlap.
- Dig a hole slightly deeper than the root ball’s height and at least two times the root ball.
- Have the cedar tree at the center of the hole with the root ball under the ground surface.
- Fill around the root ball with dug-up soil and compact it well to remove air.
- Cedar water requirements
For maximum and adequate watering, cedar trees will call for installing a soaker hose on top of the soil and directly over the hedges roots balls. You can water it for one hour, once every week.
Cedar tree sun requirements
It needs a particle shade to the sun, and it should be equivalent to less than six hours of consistent sunlight. Let them be strategically planted to absorb the morning hours or a few hot hours of the afternoon sun.
Best cedar tree fertilizer
Use the 30-10-10 of water-soluble fertilizer for your cider tree and fertilize your trees in the early springs when flowers are sprouting out, and trees are blooming. Make sure you water cedar immediately after applying fertilizer.
Best Cedar Tree Companion Plantings
- Coriander
- Dill
- Fennel
- Basi
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Artemisia
- Yarrow
Cedar Tree Diseases And Common Problems
Some of the common diseases with cedar trees include root rot that mostly affects small trees, flagging that affects the branches and the twigs, beetles that tend to affect unhealthy and older trees, and the wildlife that loves it so much.
Cedar Tree Treatment And Maintenance
To prevent moisture loss, you can keep a 2-inch layer of mulch around the tree, and it should not touch the trunk. You can also use cage wire if you live near or around places with wildlife. This prevents wildlife from destroying the tree and other things that might interfere with the tree. If you live in colder places, consider covering your tree with the landscape. After watering, ensure your small tree dry up in between watering sessions and keep pruning to remove the dead branches.
Where To Buy Cedar Tree Seeds Online
Cider tree seeds are available online in the following stores: Amazon, treeseeds, desertcart, eBay incredible seeds, among others.
Where To Buy Cedar Tree Saplings Online
You can always get your cider tree saplings online on Amazon, wholesalenursery co, gardengoodsdirect, among many others.
Cypress Tree [Kyparissos]
Cypress is a common name among the coniferous trees or shrubs of the northern temperate regions that belong to the same group of the Cupressaceae. The word cypress originated from the old French cipres, imported from Latin cypressus, the Latinisation of the greek kyparissos.
How To Identify The Cypress Tree
By just examining the foliage of a cypress tree, you will notice that it resembles scales and has a pattern in overlapping pairs on the stem. It has foliage that almost looks braided on or looking like someone meticulously glued it on the cypress tree twigs.
Where Does The Cypress Tree Grow?
Cypress trees grow mostly along northern America’s southern coastline. They have easier access to swampy, wet soil and adequate sunlight from these places. However, some cypress trees do well along the eastern part of the United States, starting from Delaware to Florida.
Uses Of The Cypress Trees
Cypress trees, just like any other tree out there, come with their uses. Among the uses of cypress trees are their branches, cones, and oil used to make medicine.
People also take the cypress by mouth to cure coughs and colds. It is also utilized to counter a prostate condition known as benign prostate hyperplasia. Some other people use cypress trees as an ointment for head colds, cough, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.
How To Grow Cypress From Seeds
The germination rate of the cypress trees is relatively low. This will call you to sow at least 10 seeds for every one tree you wish to plant. You will have to saturate the moss with water but take care not to flood the seeds sowed. Keep the soil wet all through until the seed germinates, and it should take roughly three months to germinate.
Cypress Tree Growing Conditions
Cypress trees grow only in wet and boggy soil and do well in dryland after they are established and can withstand occasional drought.
When to plant the cypress tree?
You can plant cypress trees any time from spring to about six weeks before the first frost falls. This will help the tree root system to establish itself on the soil just before the spring growth for the best results.
How to plant the cypress tree
It is recommendable to plant cypress trees in light sandy or loam soil. Plant the trees under particle shading but if you want the best performance, have it in the direct sunlight.
Dig holes slightly deeper than the root ball and twice as wide as the root ball. Have the root ball in the hole such that it sits just an inch under the ground surface. Take the dug-up soil back in the hole firmly to ensure all air in the hole is out.
Cypress tree water requirements
Ensure you give the tree good soaking weekly for the first months as they tend to use more water, mostly in spurt when they are in spurt growth in fall right before they are dormant. It is best to water cypress trees, although they can withstand drought the moment they are established.
Cypress tree sun requirements
Cypress trees grow well in conditions with full sunlight. They need at least eight hours of non-stop hours of sunlight.
Best cypress tree fertilizers
The best fertilizer for the cypress tree is the 18-8-8 fertilizer. The three numbers show the ratio by weight of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium.
Best Cypress Companion Plantings
Among the cypress tree, companion plantings include the azaleas and rhododendrons, Oregon grape holly, alpine currant, hydrangeas, Pieris japonica, tree peony, camellia, mountain laurel, Ninebark, and spirea.
Cypress Tree Diseases And Common Problems
Among the diseases that attack cypress trees are the seiridium canker caused by the fungus, phytophthora root rot that attacks the roots, botryosphaeria dieback caused by the fungus botryosphaeria dothidea.
Cypress Tree Treatments And Maintenance
Examine cypress trees, look for the symptoms like the wilted trees, discolored leaves, and have them out before spreading the disease.
Remove and destroy the infected bark near the soil to control the crown disease problems. Do direct soil irrigation instead of overhead watering for controlling nearly all diseases. This will make sure no water is left on the leaves to facilitate the germination of fungi.
Where To Buy Cypress Seeds Online?
Several online stores sell cypress tree seeds. Among the top and best cypress tree seeds, sellers online include Amazon, eBay, desertcart, hobbyseeds, and the rareticseeds.
Where To Buy The Cypress Tree Saplings Online?
Cypress tree saplings are available online in the following store, Amazon, wilsonbrosgardens, gardengoodsdirect, the treecenteronline, among others.
Conclusion
There are several types of evergreen trees, and the fact remains that we didn’t exhaust them all. Having given you some of the well-known types that can grow in many climates, we recommend checking with your local authorities for the best variety to grow in your region.
Many of the evergreen trees are cheap and easier to maintain than we have seen. Some can last for many years other centuries before they die, giving assurance that they can serve you throughout your lifetime.