Dwarf conifers are suitable for any garden, especially were space may be limited. They also make great rockery and container plants, providing year round interest and color to the landscape. The term dwarf can be misleading as conifers never stop growing and are long lived plants. So be careful, choose plants that are either slow growing or prune to maintain size, so they don’t outgrow their space in the garden.
1# Fir ‘Dwarf Balsam’ Abies Balsamea nana: Rounded shrub with glossy dark bluish-green foliage, bright green new growth in spring. A nice shrub for shade gardens.
2# Cedrus ‘Feeling Blue’ Cedrus deodara: Low spreading shrub with blue-grey foliage. Suitable for any garden or trailing over rocks & walls. Prune to maintain spread.
3# Crytomeria ‘Tenzan’ Cryptomeria japonica: Ball form with deep green foliage turning deep purple in winter. Small specimen shrub with winter interest.
4# Hemlock ‘Cole’s Prostrate’ tsuga canadensis: Low spreading form with trailing branches and dark green foliage. Good as a ground cover, container, bonsai or trailing over rocks & walls. Needs afternoon shade.
5# Larch ‘Little Boogle’ Larix kaempferi: A deciduous conifer with contorted branches, attractive green foliage and golden-orange fall color. A unique shrub that’s not truly a dwarf, reaching 2m tall in ten years, but deserves a spot in the garden. Perfect for containers or bonsai.
6# Juniper ‘Blue Star’ Juniperus Squamata: Star shaped form with bright silver-blue foliage. Good as a border edge shrub, mass plantings or rockery.
7# Pine ‘Adcock’s Dwarf’ Pinus parviflora: Compact conical form with tiny greyish-green needles. A slow growing shrub for rockeries, containers or bonsai.
8# Pine ‘Sea Urchin’ Pinus strobus: Rounded shrub with dense soft green foliage. Suitable as a small specimen, rockery or containers.
9# Podpcarpus ‘Chocolate Box’ Podocarpus x: Rounded form with green foliage turning a attractive dark brown in winter. Small shrub with winter interest, suitable for rockery or containers.
10# Spruce ‘Little Gem’ Picea abies: Bun-shaped small shrub with tiny dark green needles and bright green new growth. Tolerates both sun or shade.
