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Abies holophylla

Conifers – Beauty in the Winter Landscape

Michelle Conners
Curatorial Assistant

The Arboretum recommends a host of plants for winter interest. Winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata) have bright red berries that color the holidays and provide much needed late winter food for wildlife. The yellow, red, or orange blooms of witchhazel (Hamamelis) burst forth like mid-winter fireworks. Other trees and shrubs have exfoliating bark or reveal an unusual sculptural shape when defoliated. But my favorite plants for winter interest are the ones that have been sitting there quietly through all the seasons - the conifers.

Often you hear evergreens described as being wonderful background plants to enhance the colors of flowering trees, shrubs and perennials. From the early spring bloomers through to fall’s riotous colors they serve as an unassuming backdrop for nature’s annual display. Come winter however, it is the evergreens that capture our attention. With the other trees bare and dormant, the towering conifers now become the focal point of the winter landscape.

As you take a walk through the Arboretum this winter, let me suggest two of my favorite conifer groupings for your consideration. If you pause at Seven Arches to admire the view, you will see a collection of conifers across English Park. On your far left, tall and wide, is a needle fir (Abies holophylla) that was accessioned into the collection in 1937. Scanning toward the right, you’ll next encounter the rounded crown of the Morris Blue Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis ‘Morris Blue’). This tree has been propagated because of its domed crown and excellent blue foliage, and is now commercially available. The two thinner trees are pyramidal Norway spruces (Picea abies ‘Pyramidata’), which date to the original Morris estate. Rounding out this grouping are another needle fir (Abies holophylla) and a striking Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergiana).

Since I work in Gates Hall, I often pass through the area behind the parking lot on my way down into the lower gardens. Near the top of the slope, to the left of the colonizing weeping European birch (Fagus sylvatica f. pendula) are two of my favorite Arboretum conifers, the Greek fir (Abies cephalonica) and the Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis). The Greek fir impresses not only with its size, but also with its beautiful foliage. The glossy, dark green needles spiral around the branchlets revealing the double white-striped stomatic bands on the underside, giving the entire tree an additional glow. The shiny, medium green needles of the Oriental spruce are the shortest of any of the spruces, but what it lacks in needle length this tree makes up for in height. The lower branches on one side of the tree have dropped providing the opportunity to get a good long view straight up the trunk.

Any of these trees can be appreciated while strolling the main Arboretum path as their size and stature makes them visible from many vantage points. But this winter I suggest you get off the beaten path and have a closer, personal encounter with the real winter beauties – the conifers.