Conifers are mostly evergreen plants, woody or shrubby, with needle-like leaves. The needles are needle-shaped, scaly or linear leaves. Conifers belong to the class of gymnosperms. In total, coniferous plants number about 600 species. It is difficult to list the names of all coniferous trees, but you can imagine a list of coniferous trees that are the most famous and widespread in our region.

Pine is an evergreen coniferous tree that grows everywhere throughout Russia, characterized by long needles and unpretentiousness to natural conditions. Sunny pine groves are a real natural sanatorium.

- a coniferous ornamental tree from the cypress family; many varieties of thuja are widely cultivated for landscaping parks and private farms.

- grows in the wild in the tropical zone, and is also successfully grown as an ornamental tree or shrub, the foliage differs from all previous conifers, the leaves on upward-directed shoots are arranged spirally, on horizontal shoots they are linear. Yew is very poisonous; only its seedless berries are edible.

– coniferous shrub of the cypress family, used for ornamental gardening.

- a mighty tree of the North Ocean coast of America of the cypress family. Long-lived trees of this genus live for several thousand years.

is a beautiful coniferous tree that grows wild in the mountains of China.

The above list of conifers describes plants, each of which has many species - these are just the most common conifers.

In addition to those listed, coniferous species include: cypress, hemlock, ginkgo, araucaria, Libocedrus, pseudo-hemlock, cunningamia, cryptomeria, sciadopitis, sequoiadendron and many others.

In Russia, dark coniferous forests occupy quite significant areas, in the European part and in Eastern Siberia– approximately 15 million hectares, with a total timber reserve of 2.6 billion m3. Coniferous trees grow both in mountainous regions and on plains. In dark coniferous forests, mainly evergreen, shade-tolerant coniferous trees grow, such as:

• Fir;
• Spruce (European or common);
• Cedar Pine Siberian.

These forests are always gloomy, shady, and humid. This is explained by the fact that they have low illumination and low heating of the underlying forest plants and soil is observed due to the densely packed crowns of these trees and the high density of the tree canopy.

The average temperature in dark coniferous forests in July, the warmest month, is slightly above 10 degrees. It is at this temperature that, firstly, in coniferous trees, the “ripening” of young shoots that appeared in the spring occurs; secondly, the formation of a tank-protective layer on the surface of the needles and branches, necessary for the wintering of these plants.

In dark coniferous forests there are both pure stands of trees and mixed species of coniferous trees with other deciduous species. For example, in the Carpathians and the Caucasus, Fir grows together with Beech; in Siberia - Fir and Siberian Cedar Pine; in the Far East - Korean Cedar Pine, Fir, Ash; on o. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands - Fir together with Ayanskaya Spruce. Mountain fir forests are of great water-protection, climate-regulating, soil-protecting and water-regulating importance.

Fir

Pine family, common in the mountains, less often on the plains, from the Carpathians to Kuril Islands. This is an evergreen ornamental, coniferous pine tree of the dark coniferous forest. It has a straight trunk, the height of which reaches 80 (sometimes - 100 m), diameter - 0.5-2 m, a dense cone-shaped crown with whorled branching and interwhorled shoots. At the ends of the shoots there are developing buds, blunt or slightly pointed, greenish, reddish or brownish in color, in some species of Fir they are resinous.

On the smooth bark of the plant, numerous swellings (nodules) containing fragrant, transparent resin are visible.

Fir leaves are perennial, flat, linear, fragrant, non-thorny, dark green, shiny needles. At the top the needles are slightly blunt, on its lower side there are two oblong, white stripes. Each strip has 3-4 rows of stomata. Observations have shown that each needle can survive on a tree for 7-10 years. Fir blooms in May.

In the lower part of the edge, on the upper side of two-year-old shoots, in the axils of the needles, there are male spikelets (microstrobiles), single, oblong, with yellow or red anthers. The transfer of spikelet pollen even over long distances occurs due to the presence of two flying, air sacs in pollen grains.

In the upper part of the crown, at the end of last year's shoot, there are female seed cones (megastrobiles), single, green or reddish-violet. Inside the cone there are spirally arranged scales covered protective layer resins, in the axils of which the bud seeds sit in pairs. Ripe cones are erect, purple or brownish in color, oval or cylindrical. The winged seeds, after ripening in the first year, scatter along with the scales in September-October.

Fir reproduces by seeds, rarely vegetatively (cuttings and layering). Fir is a shade-tolerant, moisture-loving tree of the pine family that is demanding on soils: they should be light, sandy loam, loamy, fairly moist, well fertilized. The plant does not tolerate air pollution from smoke and gas; very unstable to fire, so fir forests suffer greatly from fires.

Various species of this plant have great importance in various industries and medicine. Turpentine is obtained from fir resin, and essential oil is obtained from cone needles - the raw material for the production of medicinal camphor. In folk medicine, infusion of pine needles and decoction of buds are used to treat various diseases.

As the main forest-forming species, it is used in construction, in the pulp and paper industry, and in container production. How beautiful ornamental plant, they plant it in gardens and parks of populated areas.

European or common spruce

Evergreen coniferous tree, pine family. Distributed in the European part of Russia, the Baltic states, Belarus, the Carpathians, Asia and North America. They are graceful, slender, ornamental trees pine forests, whose height reaches 20-50 m, have a straight, large trunk that gradually becomes thinner, up to the very top. Covered with red scaly bark Brown. The crown is slender, dense, pyramidal, with horizontally spaced or slightly drooping branches, with rising branches at the ends.

Since El is shade-tolerant plant, its lower branches are well preserved and can even take root. But, having a superficial root system, it is not very stable and therefore can be uprooted by a strong wind. On the folds of the bark, which look like oblong pads, needles are located singly and spirally, which remain on the tree for up to 7-8 years. The needles are tetrahedral, prickly, pointed at the apex; "blooms" in May. In a closed forest stand it begins to “bloom” at the age of 25-30 years, in a sparse stand - from 10-15 years.

In spring, Spruce produces male spikelets and female cones. Male spikelets (microstrobiles) greenish-yellow color, located at the ends of last year's shoots. They consist of numerous scales arranged spirally on a rod. Each scale has two anthers containing pollen grains. Each pollen grain has two air sacs, which increases its flight properties. This coniferous pine tree is pollinated by the wind.

Female cones (megastrobiles) are fusiform or ovoid, have a central axis on which scales are located along the edge - wavy, in the axils of which there are other scales containing two ovules. The cones before ripening are erect, purple in color, after ripening they are sagging, light brown, shiny, 10-16 cm long, 3-4 cm in diameter. The seeds are oblong, winged, ripen in the year of the “spruce flowering” in October-November, after which they completely fall asleep (the scales do not crumble). Seed germination is good and lasts for 8-10 years.

Common or European spruce reproduces in nature - by seeds and vegetatively (by layering). In culture, mainly - rarely - vegetatively (by cuttings and grafting of apical shoots).

The soil for growing these coniferous trees requires well-drained, fresh, loamy, clay or sandy loam. This frost-resistant plant tolerates frosts of 40-55 degrees Celsius, suffers from both spring and autumn frosts, dry air, and gas pollution.

European spruce, common spruce, is an important forest-forming species. On the territory of Russia, the area of ​​spruce forests exceeds 80 million hectares, the timber reserve is about 12 billion m3. Its elastic, soft wood is used in construction, furniture production, for paper making, musical instruments(violas, violins, double basses).

Rosin, tar, and turpentine are extracted from Spruce; oil for making drying oil is obtained from the seeds of cones; tannins are obtained from the bark. Cone seeds are a favorite treat for squirrels. A decoction of Spruce buds, syrup from fresh buds, and ointment from oleoresin are used in folk medicine. As a beautiful ornamental plant, it is planted in gardens and parks, as well as in forest protection plantings.

Cedar Pine Siberian

The pine family is widespread in the northeastern regions of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, and North America. This is an evergreen, coniferous tree, the height of which is 40 m and the diameter of the trunk is 1.5-2 m. Young pine trees have a sharp-pyramidal crown, in adults it is multi-vertexed, wide-spreading; has whorled branching. The upper branches are raised upward, candelabra-shaped.

On young branches and trunks, the bark is ash-silver in color, with transverse lentils of a brownish color. In adulthood it becomes fissured and gray-brown in color. The needles are long (5-12 cm), soft, in bunches of 5 needles, triangular in cross section, dark green with a bluish bloom. It remains on the tree for 3-7 years.

In early spring, male spikelets and female cones appear on the branches of the Siberian Cedar pine. In the middle part of the crown there are male spikelets (anthers). At the ends of the upper shoots there are female cones, 2-3 at the apical bud. Only bears fruit top part crown, the length of which is 1-1.5 m (rarely 2 m).

The cones are ovoid, 6-13 cm long, 5-8 cm wide, light brown in color. The scales of the cones are tightly pressed with thickened scutes. The cones contain from 80 to 140 brown seeds, the length of which is 10-14 mm, width - 6-10 mm. The seeds are mostly wingless, however, they are rarely found with a falling wing.

Siberian Cedar Pine has a tap-type root system, with lateral, widely spread roots; “blooms” in June. In closed stands it begins to “bloom” at the age of 40-50 years, in sparse stands - at the age of 13-15 years. In the second year after flowering, the seeds ripen in August, and a massive fall of cones occurs in September.

IN good year One such large tree of the pine family can yield up to 10-15 thousand cones. It propagates in nature - by seeds, in culture - by seeds, seedlings, saplings, graftings. Cedar Pine Siberian, being a plant of a sharply continental climate, is frost-hardy. Light-loving in maturity, can grow on different soils, but loves well-drained, light, loamy, deep loamy, podzolic soils. Cannot tolerate air pollution from smoke and replanting in adulthood.

Siberian Cedar Pine is the most important forest-forming and nut-bearing species. The total area of ​​forests that grows in Russia is 40 million hectares, the timber reserve is 8 billion m3. Industrial collection of pine nuts mainly occurs in the Urals, Western and Eastern Siberia.

Pine nuts - valuable food product– source of cedar oil. Resin is obtained from growing trees when they are cut. From pine needles - vitamin concentrates, pine pastes, pine flour. The soft, light, pinkish-yellow wood is used to make pencils, furniture, and musical instruments.

Cedar Siberian Pine is a very ornamental plant, thanks to its thick, golden, bluish, dark green needles. Therefore, it is planted in group or single plantings in gardens and parks in many countries around the world.

Coniferous trees - beauty all year round, their resistance to changing seasons invariably attracts gardeners and landscape designers. For the most part, they are undemanding in terms of growing conditions and care; they tolerate and summer heat, And winter cold. In addition, currently there are many varieties of coniferous plants - trees and shrubs; choosing something suitable for a given site is not at all difficult.

Spruce

Spruce is a landscape classic, an evergreen tree suitable for any site. Spruce will look great both as a central element and as a background for other plants; in a single planting, in a group, in the form of a hedge. Currently, there are more than 40 species of spruce, including species of natural origin and hybrid varieties. Many of the natural species have several ornamental varieties.

Spruce is a long-living tree; in Sweden, a spruce tree grows in a national park, which is 9550 years old. This is a record figure even for spruce trees, whose life expectancy is on average 200-500 years. Centenarian received given name- Old Tikko.

The spruce grows slowly, in 10 years it grows to only one and a half meters in height, but it grows for centuries. IN natural nature this tree can be seen in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Spruce forest is dark and dense, most often without undergrowth, consisting of beautiful, slender trees up to 30 meters high.

Spruce is a monoecious tree, the crown is cone-shaped or pyramidal, with a whorled, prostrate or drooping arrangement of branches.

The roots of young trees are taproots, but with age the main root dries out and is replaced by numerous shoots that spread horizontally and shallowly in the ground.

The bark is gray or brown-gray, with thin flaky plates. The needles are tetrahedral, short, sharp, green. Each needle grows separately, from a leaf cushion, which becomes noticeable after the needles fall.

The cones are oblong and pointed, up to 15 cm long, 3-4 cm in diameter. They do not crumble, but fall off after the seeds ripen in the year of fertilization. The lionfish seeds ripen in October and fall out of the cones. At this time, the wind picks them up and carries them around. Once in favorable conditions, they germinate and give life to a new tree, their germination capacity lasts about 10 years.

In the photo, one of the representatives of the family is a dwarf Canadian blue spruce:

Cedar

Cedar is another coniferous tree that has numerous forms that are attractive to designers. Naturally, if it is real cedar and not cedar pine. Cedar differs from other coniferous trees in the arrangement of its needles; they are collected in bunches of 20-50 pieces, whereas in pines and spruces they are single. A similar fastening of needles is observed in larch, but its needles are soft, while those of cedar are prickly and hard, and do not fall off in the fall.

Cedar cones stand on the branches, and do not hang down, like those of pines and spruces. They are similar in shape to fir cones, but rounder. After ripening, they crumble into pieces, while the seeds are scattered by the wind.

The shape of the crown is also unique. In Lebanese cedar it is wide, spreading like an umbrella. The branches in it are arranged in tiers, the symmetry of which is not observed in all trees. The needles are green, gray-green, blue-green, the length of the needles is 3-4 cm, they are collected in bunches of 30-40 pieces.

Atlas cedar

Atlas cedar has a cone-shaped crown, which makes it similar to a regular spruce. Its needles are also collected in bunches, they are very short - about 2.5 cm. The color is silver-gray or blue-green.

There is even a weeping form of Atlas cedar, which, without a doubt, will become the highlight of the landscape, especially if it is rocky Japanese garden with a natural or artificial reservoir. Let's look at the photo:

Atlas cedar

Its branches hang down just like those of a weeping willow, only instead of delicate leaves there are prickly needles that look unusual, but are quite gentle and attractive:

Atlas cedar

Himalayan cedar

Himalayan cedar has a wide cone-shaped crown with a blunt top and horizontally growing branches. But it also has hanging shoots, although a non-specialist will easily mistake it for a spruce of a slightly unusual shape:

Himalayan cedar

The needles of the Himalayan cedar are light green, up to 4-5 cm long, and grow in bunches.

Despite certain differences, cedars have a lot in common. All of them are evergreen trees that grow up to 50-60 meters in height. IN early age grow slowly, then increase in height faster.

The bark of young specimens is smooth, but with age it becomes scaly, cracking, and dark gray in color.

Cypress

Cypress is a completely different matter, special kind in the family of evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs. It’s not for nothing that in the East it is considered the standard of harmony. This tree with its entire appearance seems to indicate that it will not take up much space in your garden and will not require special care. But not all cypresses are laconic; among them there are also shrubs with wide, spreading crowns. This large family consists of 20 genera and 140 species.

Cypress prefers warm climates. In the Northern Hemisphere it can be seen in the tropical and subtropical zones, on the coasts of the Black and Mediterranean seas. And also in the Himalayas, the Sahara, and China. In the Western Hemisphere it grows in Central America, Mexico and the southern states of the USA.

The leaves of cypress trees are small, at first they are needle-shaped, like needles, then scale-like, tightly pressed to the branches. Cypress is a monoecious plant - male and female flowers appear on the same tree. The cones are ovoid or round, ripen in the second year after appearance, the seeds are flattened, with wings.

Cypress evergreen

Evergreen cypress is a tree that can be seen on Black Sea coast Caucasus and Crimea. Its height reaches 30 meters, the crown is narrow, columnar, with short branches raised up and pressed to the trunk. It has been cultivated since ancient times; it is a true long-liver, capable of living for more than 2 thousand years. In Turkey it is considered a tree of sorrow and is planted in cemeteries. In the photo are evergreen cypress trees:

Cypress evergreen

Arizona cypress

Arizona cypress is native to the southwestern regions of the United States and Mexico. This is a fairly tall tree, up to 20 meters high, with well-developed roots. Despite its southern origin, it can withstand frosts down to -25 degrees, but young trees must be covered with agrofibre for the winter.

Arizona cypress

Large-fruited cypress

Large-fruited cypress has a columnar crown. But this feature occurs only in young specimens; with age, the branches become gentle, bend and form a wide, spreading crown.

The needles of large-fruited cypress have a pleasant lemon smell, so they are readily grown in winter gardens, or in bonsai culture.

Large-fruited cypress

Weeping Cypress

Weeping cypress has drooping branches. The plant comes from China, where it is often planted in cemeteries.

Cypress is also part of the Cypress family, and there are 7 species that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. The plant is evergreen, monoecious, coniferous, with a cone-shaped crown. Branches growing upward or prostrate and drooping, trunk scaly, brown or brown. Under natural conditions it grows up to 70 meters, in culture – up to 20-30 meters.

The leaves of the cypress tree are pointed and look like small scales. The cones are not large, woody, round, up to 12 mm in diameter. The seeds ripen in the first year.

Weeping Cypress

Lawson's cypress

Lawson's cypress is a tall and slender tree with a narrow cone-shaped crown that widens downward. Its top is tilted to one side. The trunk has thick, red-brown bark, which becomes patchy and scaly over time. The needles are shiny, green, with whitish stripes. The cones are oval and round, about 1 cm in diameter, light brown, with a bluish-blue coating.

In general, the tree is very beautiful, looks great in alleys and in plantings along with other types of cypress trees, but, unfortunately, low frost resistance does not allow it to be grown in regions with harsh winters. In the photo there is a Lawson cypress:

Lawson's cypress

Pea cypress

Pea-bearing cypress is a tall, up to 30 meters, tree with a cone-shaped crown, native to Japan. Outwardly, from a distance it looks like deciduous trees, but its needles are the same as those of all members of the family.

Pea cypress

Cryptomeria

Cryptomeria - the name of this evergreen tree is often written or pronounced along with the definition: “Japanese”. And for good reason - the tree comes from the Japanese islands, is considered a symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun, and has a second name: Japanese cedar. Although it belongs to the Cypress family, it does not belong to the cedar genus.

In nature there is only one species of this plant, hybrid varieties There is no one based on it yet, although it has been known in culture since 1842. In Russia, it is grown in Crimea and on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea.

The tree is quite tall and fast-growing, growing up to 70 meters. The crown is dense but narrow. The bark is fibrous, red-brown, the trunk is massive - up to 4 meters in diameter.

The needles are subulate, more like rose thorns than needles, but up to 3 cm longer. The color of the needles is light green, but in winter it acquires a yellowish tint.

The tree is monoecious, male flowers grow from the axils of the shoots in bunches. Female single, located at the ends of the shoots. The cones are round, 2 cm in diameter, ripen in the first year, but fall off the following summer. Seeds with wings, about 5-6 mm in length.

In the photo, Cryptomeria japonica:

Cryptomeria japonica

Larch

Larch is a deciduous tree of the Pine family. The leaves of this tree are very similar to needles, but in the fall they fall off and appear again in the spring, like deciduous trees, that’s why in Russia it is called larch. There are 20 species of this tree in total, 9 of them grow in Russia.

The tree is large, up to 50 meters high, and a trunk diameter of about 1 meter. The growth per year is 1 meter, larch is a long-liver, capable of living up to 400 years, but it is rarely used in culture.

Its crown is not dense, in young specimens it is cone-shaped, in areas with constant winds it can be one-sided or flag-shaped. Root system strong, branched, without a pronounced main root, but with numerous and deeply extending lateral processes.

The needles are soft, bright, grow spirally on long shoots, and in bunches on short shoots, like cedar. In autumn it falls off completely. The tree is monoecious with male and female flowers. Seeds develop in female cones from 15-20 years of age.

From a distance, larch can be mistaken for a beautiful spreading spruce:

Larch

Microbiota

Microbiota is a coniferous shrub of the Cypress family. There is only one species of this plant - cross-paired microbiota, growing in the Far East of Russia. The number of the species is declining due to the fact that seeds cannot spread far from the parent bush, and perennial thickets are destroyed by forest fires, so the species is included in the Red Book of Russia.

It is a prostrate shrub with creeping thin shoots, so it can be mistaken for the creeping form of the thuja. The needles are scaly, green in summer and brown in winter; in young plants they are needle-like on shaded shoots. The cones are small, single-seeded, and consist of 2-3 scales. The root system is fibrous and dense.

The microbiota grows very slowly, producing only 2 cm of growth per year, but is distinguished by its longevity - it can grow in culture for more than 100 years. In general, microbiota looks very appropriate in single and group plantings, therefore it is always in demand among gardeners. On the picture:

Microbiota

Juniper

Juniper - dioecious, coniferous plant of the Cypress family, very common in the Northern Hemisphere. Various climatic zones The planet is inhabited by more than 70 species of this plant, some of which thrive in Russian spaces and can live up to 600 years.

Tree-like junipers are capable of forming separate forests, while shrubby ones grow as an understory or third layer in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as on rocky slopes.

Juniper shrubs are creeping, with shoots about 1.5 meters long, but tree-like forms can reach 30 meters in height.

Juniper leaves are opposite, needle-shaped, oblong. In young specimens they can be in the form of needles, in adult plants they can be scale-like, pressed to the stems. The berries are cone-shaped, with tightly closed scales, each containing from 1 to 10 seeds, which ripen in the 2nd year.

Juniper

Fir

Fir is a coniferous tree of the Pine family. Just like cedar, its cones grow upward and fall apart on the tree. Up to 50 species of fir grow in the Northern Hemisphere. The tree is powerful and tall - up to 60 meters, with a moderately spreading cone-shaped crown.

The bark of the trunk is gray; in different species it can be smooth and thin throughout its life, or thick and fissured.

In the photo there are Korean fir cones:

The root is taproot, strongly recessed. The needles are flat, with a pointed or rounded tip, located singly or spirally on the branches.

The cones are cylindrical, ripen in 1 summer, disintegrate in the fall, releasing seeds with wings, carried by the wind.

Sometimes, looking at evergreen coniferous trees, people wonder: why does a person have such a short life on earth? Intelligent creatures that can think, feel and create live on average 70-80 years, and ordinary trees live more than a thousand. Perhaps someday the dream of eternal life will be fulfilled, and then people will be able to enjoy environment fully. Until that time comes, it’s worth getting to know each other better different types coniferous trees to decorate your summer cottage with them.

It is these evergreens that fit harmoniously into any landscape design. Their strict and sophisticated forms stand out clearly on the green lawn in summer. And in cold weather, they refresh Vacation home rich greenery and pleasant resinous aroma. Many gardeners grow evergreen beauties on their plots, because their diversity is truly impressive. They are tall and dwarf. They are found in the form of a pyramid or cone. Therefore, the unforgettable landscape of coniferous trees remains in the hearts of grateful people forever. Let's take a closer look at the most popular types.

Among the huge number long-lived conifers The unique specimens are especially impressive: the “Old Tikko” spruce in Sweden (more than 9 thousand years old), the “Methuselah” pine in the USA (about 5 thousand years old). In total, there are up to 20 such trees on the planet.

The people's favorite - spruce

There is probably not a person on earth who has not heard about this tree. Many poems and songs have been written about him, paintings and fairy tales have been written. The plant is associated with various holidays, customs, and sometimes with bad omens. Because of this, the plant suffers from excessive cutting, which brings a lot of grief to nature lovers.

Spruce is an evergreen coniferous tree that belongs to the Pine family and can grow to a height of 35 meters. It has a pyramidal or triangular crown shape, ending with a sharp tip. The branches are located along the entire trunk, so it is practically invisible from the side. They grow dark green needles with a glossy shiny coating, which are much shorter than those of pine.

The tree is found almost everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the main component of the Russian taiga, where it grows next to oak, pine, hazel and. There are about 50 species of spruce in nature. Some of them successfully take root on lawns country houses. The following types are especially widely used.

The spruce roots are close to the soil surface, so a strong hurricane wind can knock it down. Therefore, the tree should not be planted near residential premises.

Akrokona

This type of spruce is characterized by a wide conical crown with hanging branches. Considered to be slow growing. In 30 years it grows up to 4 meters in height. The diameter of the plant is about 3 m. It prefers shaded places. Spruce tolerates cold temperatures well. In the summer heat it needs watering.

Inverse

The tree has a columnar crown and cascading weeping branches that, like a train, touch the ground. Grows up to a maximum of 8 meters. The diameter of an adult plant is about 2.5 m.

European Maxwelly

Dwarf shrub in the form of a wide cone. Transfers without problems winter frosts and shaded areas. Grows up to a meter in height. The diameter of an adult bush is 2 m.

Glauka Globoza

The famous spruce stands out with its needles blue color. Grows in height up to 2 meters. Used in many countries to decorate landscapes of urban and suburban areas. Due to the fact that the tree can be trimmed, it is used to make original blue balls, which delight their fans all year round.

Fir - a tree with purple cones

An evergreen representative of the Pine genus. It differs from its close relatives in the characteristics of its needles:

• softness;
• shine;
• flat shape.

White stripes are visible on the underside of each needle, which gives the plant a festive look. The fir tree is decorated with purple cones, which is its main highlight. It grows slowly for 10 years, after which growth accelerates. Lives about 400 years. Breeders bred decorative varieties, which are used to decorate urban and suburban areas.

Since tree needles have healing properties, grow fir on summer cottage – great idea. It helps in the fight against colds, radiculitis and wound healing.

Columnaris

The tree has a straight trunk and a narrow crown, reminiscent of a column. Grows up to 10 meters. The dense branches point upward, giving the tree a majestic character.

Prostrata

This fir is famous for its long branches spread above the ground, which can reach 2.5 meters in length.

Argenta

The variety is characterized by original silver needles, the tips of which are painted whitish. Every spring, shoots of a luminescent yellow color emerge from its buds. This unusual combination creates a stunning view of the site country house. And it lasts almost a whole month.

Nana

A dwarf tree that grows only up to 50 cm. The diameter of an adult plant is 1 m. The crown is rounded, slightly flattened. It takes root wonderfully in small areas.

Majestic cedar

Since time immemorial, these trees have been considered a symbol of greatness. In their natural environment, they grow at an altitude of 3 km above sea level and resemble real giants. They grow up to 50 meters. They live for more than two centuries.

Despite its greatness, this is a unique tree because it can decorate any garden landscape. If you plant it at the front entrance, an atmosphere of some kind of celebration is created. The spacious lawns provide the comfort of home.

Some dwarf varieties used for growing bonsai plants. To create original landscapes, species that vary are widely used:

• needle color;
• length of needles;
• the size of the tree.

Picking up suitable look It is advisable to first become acquainted with the plant. For home grown The following varieties are used:

Mysterious larch

Many people think that if a tree is called larch, it means it is not a conifer. Actually this is not true. The plant is a representative of the Pine family, but unlike its relatives, it loses its needles in the fall.

Larch grows up to 50 m in height. In this case, the trunk reaches 1 m in diameter. The branches grow in a chaotic manner, with a barely noticeable slope. As a result, a cone-shaped crown is formed. The needles are noticeably flattened, soft to the touch, and bright green in color. In the natural environment there are 14 different varieties. The following types are used for garden design:

This diversity allows you to create magnificent landscapes on the territory of summer cottages.

Majestic pine

Biologists count more than a hundred different varieties of this evergreen plant. Moreover hallmark– the number of needles on one bunch. The pine tree often grows to a height of 50 meters. The straight trunk is covered with reddish-brown, cracking bark. Long needles are located on the spreading branches of the tree and have a rich aroma. Pine lives for about 600 years and tolerates cold and summer heat well.

Planting a pine tree should be done quickly, since its roots can dry out in a quarter of an hour. Such a plant does not take root in a new territory.

For garden decoration, breeders have created original miniature species:

Without a doubt, such evergreen living decorations are suitable for creating landscape rock gardens or mixborders. In any case, the pine tree can become business card summer cottage plot.

Her Majesty - Thuja

An evergreen tree of this type is almost always used to decorate city parks and green areas. IN Lately this plant is widely used for decoration personal plots. It is valued by gardeners for its ability to withstand severe winter frosts, drought and high humidity.

The thuja tree is distinguished by lush branches on which scaly leaves of a dark green color are located. Every year the plant is covered with miniature cones that resemble scattered beads on green fabric. In addition to traditional forms, thujas come in:

• dwarf;
• weeping;
• creeping.

Most often for design personal plot They use seedlings called "Occidentalis". The tree can grow up to 7 m in height, and create a crown of about 2 m. Another species - “Cloth of Gold” - has golden hue pine needles Takes root well in shady places garden

A medium-sized variety - “Columna” amazes with its needles of dark green coloring with a glossy tint. It does not disappear even in winter, for which it is highly valued by lovers of green spaces. "Columna"

The compact appearance of the thuja tree - "Holmstrup" has a conical shape, despite its height - 3 m. It tolerates cold winters wonderfully, can be pruned and is used as hedge. Another giant – “Smaragd” – grows to approximately 4 m. The diameter of an adult tree is up to 1.5 m. The needles are juicy, dark green in color with a shiny tint. Such a beauty will surely decorate the garden landscape of greenery lovers.

Having become more familiar with the majestic coniferous trees, it is easy to choose suitable option. Let it go suburban area will turn into green oasis joy, where persistent coniferous trees grow.

Conifers in landscape design - video