Evergreen long-livers of the earth - conifers
Sometimes, looking at evergreen coniferous trees, people think: why does a person have such a short life on earth? Intelligent creatures that can think, feel and create, on average, live 70-80 years, and ordinary trees - more than a thousand. Perhaps someday the dream of eternal life will come true, and then people will be able to enjoy the environment to the fullest. Until this time has come, it is worth getting to know more about different types of conifers in order to decorate your summer cottage with them.
Among the huge number of coniferous centenarians, unique specimens are especially impressive: the Old Tikko spruce in Sweden (over 9 thousand years old), the Methuselah pine in the USA (about 5 thousand). In general, there are up to 20 such trees on the planet.
National favorite - spruce
Probably, there is no person on earth who has not heard about this tree. Many poems and songs have been composed about him, pictures and fairy tales have been written. The plant is associated with various holidays, customs, and sometimes bad omens. Because of this, the plant suffers from excessive felling, 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, ending in a sharp top. 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 an oak tree, birch, pine, hazel and phony... In nature, there are about 50 types of spruce. Some of them successfully take root on the lawns of country houses. The following types are especially widely used.
Spruce roots are close to the soil surface, so strong hurricane wind can knock it down. Therefore, the tree should not be planted near living quarters.
Akrokona
This type of spruce is characterized by a wide conical crown with hanging branches. It is considered slow growing. For 30 years it grows up to 4 meters in height. Plant diameter about 3 m. Prefers shaded areas. Spruce tolerates cold temperatures well. In the summer heat, it needs watering.
Inversa
The tree has a columnar crown and flowing weeping branches that touch the ground like a train. Grows to a maximum of 8 meters. The diameter of an adult plant is about 2.5 m.
European Maxwelli
Dwarf shrub in the form of a wide cone. It tolerates winter frosts and shaded places without problems. It grows up to one meter in height. The diameter of an adult shrub is 2 m.
Glauka Globoza
The famous spruce stands out with its blue needles. It grows up to 2 meters in height.It is used in many countries to decorate urban and suburban landscapes. Due to the fact that the tree lends itself to shearing, original blue balls are made from it, which delight their fans all year round.
Fir - a tree with purple cones
Evergreen representative of the genus "Pine". It differs from its close relatives in the features of the 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 over 10 years, after which growth accelerates. Lives about 400 years. Breeders have developed decorative varieties that are used to decorate urban and suburban areas.
Since the needles of a tree have healing properties, growing a fir in a summer cottage is a great idea. It helps in the fight against colds, radiculitis and wound healing.
Columnaris
The tree has a straight trunk and a narrow crown resembling a column. Grows up to 10 meters. The dense branches point upwards, giving the tree a majestic character.
Space
This fir is famous for its long branches outstretched above the ground, which can be up to 2.5 meters in length.
Argenta
The variety is characterized by original silvery needles, the tips of which are painted in a whitish color. Every spring, shoots of a yellow luminescent color emerge from its buds. This unusual combination creates a stunning view of the country house site. 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. Wonderfully takes root 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. Grow up to 50 meters. They live for more than two centuries.
Despite its greatness cedar Is a unique tree as it can beautify any garden landscape. If you sit it at the front door, it creates an atmosphere of some kind of celebration. On spacious lawns - home comfort.
Some dwarf varieties are used to grow bonsai plants. To create original landscapes, species are widely used that differ:
- the color of the needles;
- the length of the needles;
- the size of the tree.
When choosing a suitable species, it is advisable to first get acquainted with the plant. For home cultivation, the following varieties are used:
- "Glauca". The tree has blue needles. It has a conical shape. It tolerates severe frosts.
- "Breviramulosa". This type of cedar is characterized by elongated branches of an openwork character, which is awe-inspiring.
- "Stricta". The tree grows in the form of a column. It is formed by short branches, slightly raised up.
- "Pendula". The plant amazes with lush branches falling down, which exude a heady coniferous scent.
Mysterious larch
Many people think that if a tree is called larch, then it is not a coniferous species. In fact, this is not the case. 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. The result is a cone-shaped crown. The needles are noticeably flattened, soft to the touch, bright green in color. In the natural environment, there are 14 different varieties. For garden design, the following types are used:
- weeping larch - "Viminalis";
- cushion - "Corley";
- with original creeping branches - "Repens";
- twisted branches - "Cervicornis";
- undersized species with bluish needles - "Blue Dwarf".
This diversity allows you to create magnificent landscapes on the territory of summer cottages.
Dignified pine
Biologists count over a hundred different varieties of such an evergreen. Moreover, a distinctive feature is the number of needles per bundle. The pine tree often grows up to a height of 50 meters. The straight trunk is covered with reddish-brown cracking bark. Long needles are located on the tree branches and have a rich aroma. Pine lives for about 600 years and perfectly tolerates cold and summer heat.
Planting a pine tree should be done quickly, as 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:
- "Mops" - an adult plant has a spherical shape. Grows up to 1.5 meters in height;
- Globosa Viridis is an original ovoid pine bush. The diameter and height of the plant does not exceed 100 cm;
- "Gnom" - the height of the tree is about 2 meters. The length of the needles is only 4 cm;
- "Columnaris" - the variety is distinguished by elongated and dense needles. It grows up to 2.5 m in height.The diameter of an adult tree is approximately 3 m.
Without a doubt, such evergreen living decorations are suitable for creating landscape rock gardens or mixborders. In any case, a pine tree can become the hallmark of a summer cottage.
Her majesty - thuja
An evergreen tree of this type is almost always used to decorate city parks and green areas. Recently, this plant has been widely used to decorate backyard territories. It is prized by gardeners for its ability to withstand severe winter frosts, drought and high humidity.
The thuja tree is distinguished by lush branches, on which are scaly leaves of a dark green color. Each year, the plant is covered with miniature bumps that resemble scattered beads on green cloth. In addition to traditional forms, thuja are:
- dwarf;
- weeping;
- creeping.
Most often, seedlings are used for the design of a personal plot. thuja under the name "Occidentalis". The tree can grow up to 7 m in height and create a crown of about 2 m. Another species - "Sloth of Gold" - has a golden shade of needles. It takes root well in shady areas of the garden.
Medium-sized variety - "Columna" amazes with its dark green needles with a glossy sheen. It does not disappear even in winter, for which it is highly valued by lovers of green spaces. "Columna"
Compact type of thuja tree - "Holmstrup" has a conical shape, despite its height - 3 m. It tolerates cold winters wonderfully, lends itself to pruning and is used as a hedge. Another giant - "Smaragd" - grows to about 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 sheen. Such a beauty will surely decorate the countryside landscape of connoisseurs of greenery.
Having become better acquainted with the majestic conifers, it is easy to find the right option. And let the suburban area turn into a green oasis of joy, where hardy conifers grow.