Coniferous plants are the best ornamental crops that fit perfectly into the design of any site. Such trees help create spectacular compositions. At the same time, dwarf spruce trees look good as part of a rock garden or alpine slide. They can be used to decorate winter gardens and greenhouses. To make plants look decorative, it is important to provide them with proper care.
Description of the species
The common spruce is considered a fairly tall plant, which can reach a height of 40 meters. However, some species are small in size.They are perfect for the garden because they are easy to care for and fit perfectly into the design.
In general, dwarf spruce trees are practically no different from tall ones. They are characterized by needle-shaped needles and scaly bark. The color of the crown depends on the variety. It can be bright green, gray, bluish.
Dwarf crops are characterized by a crown of different types of shapes - conical, round, wide-pyramidal. They are resistant to wind and practically do not suffer from squalls. An important feature of dwarf coniferous crops is their slow growth. The tree grows 2-15 centimeters per year. The disadvantage of such plants is their susceptibility to fungal infections and the risk of burning under bright sunlight.
Small trees are divided into several groups according to their height. There are the following types:
- short - their height is 3-8 meters;
- dwarf - such conifers grow up to 0.4-1 meters;
- miniature - usually do not exceed 30 centimeters.
There are also micro varieties. Their height is only 3 centimeters. They cannot be planted on the site. Such spruce trees are grown only at home.
Description of dwarf varieties
Today there are many dwarf varieties of spruce known, each of which has certain characteristics. The most common crops include:
- Herman Nau - this cushion-shaped dwarf spruce reaches an average height of 80 centimeters. Moreover, in diameter it can have a size of 2 meters. The culture is characterized by thick and tough shoots. They are covered with bluish-green needles. The variety has red cones that gradually turn brown. The crop can be grown in the middle zone and in the southern regions.
- Echiniformis - this spruce has a spherical crown.It usually does not exceed 1 meter in height. The culture grows well in moist soil, which has a slightly acidic composition. The plant goes well with other conifers. Moreover, it can be used for planting in groups. The culture has bluish needles. The tree is very frost-resistant. However, in winters with little snow it needs to be covered.
- Belobok is a low-growing variety that can reach a height of 3 meters. The culture is characterized by a compact crown, which has the shape of a hemisphere. The needles have unusual blue needles, which are characterized by a silvery tint. With the arrival of spring, the tree produces young yellow-cream shoots. By the end of May, cones up to 5 centimeters in size appear on the crop.
- Daisy White is a dwarf cone-shaped spruce that grows to a maximum of 1 meter. It is characterized by rich green needles up to 2 centimeters in size. Fresh branches have a yellowish color. From May to August, light brown cones appear on the tree.
- Konica is a low-growing plant that does not exceed 3 meters in height. It is characterized by a fairly voluminous crown. Its diameter does not exceed 2 meters. The annual growth of the crop is a maximum of 10 centimeters. The crown has a conical shape and consists of soft needles of a light green color.
- Lucky Strike - this spruce grows quite slowly. The average height of the crop is 1 meter. However, sometimes it reaches 2 meters. This plant prefers well-lit areas. In order for a tree to survive winter normally, it requires a natural or artificially created snowdrift in the root area. With the arrival of spring, the snow needs to be scattered. In this case, you should leave a shelter 10-15 centimeters thick.
- Sanders Blue – is a dwarf spruce that does not exceed 1 meter in height. In 1 year, the crop extends by a maximum of 7 centimeters. It is characterized by a dense conical crown, which is formed by bluish needles. The variety is resistant to spring burns. This crop is recommended to be grown in sunny areas with minimal shading. During drought, the tree requires moderate watering.
Wood varieties
Low spruce trees can have crowns of different shapes and sizes. This helps gardeners choose the most suitable option.
Cushion-shaped
This subspecies of compact spruce trees was obtained through selection. In a relatively short period of time, it has become widespread among landscape designers. The distinctive features of pillow-shaped spruce trees are their specially shaped thick crown and blue or silver-blue needles.
The most common crops of this type include the following:
- Alberta Globe – this plant is officially considered a shrub. This is a fairly small crop that does not exceed 80 centimeters in height. It is characterized by a rounded cushion-shaped crown, the diameter of which is 1 meter. It consists of soft needles of a rich green hue.
- Glauca Globosa is a tree native to North America. It is often used to decorate gardens and parks. Spruce is considered undemanding to care. It easily withstands frost and normally perceives air pollution. A distinctive feature of the plant is its bluish-gray needles measuring 4 centimeters in size. Such spruces can reach a height of 2 meters.
- Nana is the result of a natural mutation of the Serbian spruce. Some specimens can reach a height of 3 meters. The crown resembles a skittle in appearance. It is a little loose and easy to trim.The variety can hardly withstand high humidity. Therefore, in hot weather, instead of watering, it is worth spraying the crop.
- Nidiformis - the plant reaches a height of no more than 1 meter. The formation of the crown resembles the formation of a nest. The branches of the plant fan out to form a cushion. This variety is characterized by thick and soft needles, the length of which is 1 centimeter. The plant grows in width more rapidly than in height. The crown diameter increases by 7 centimeters per year. At the same time, the height of the tree increases by a maximum of 3 centimeters. Spruce of this variety looks great both in single plantings and in group compositions.
Low-growing spruces are not only cushion-shaped. Relatively recently, the so-called weeping varieties were developed. They usually do not exceed 3 meters in height. Such crops are characterized by drooping branches and a loose crown. Thanks to this, they look very original. Such plants are ideal for forming hedges.
Miniature
The smallest spruce trees that can be grown in the garden usually do not exceed 45 centimeters in height. Most low-growing crops lack a main trunk and are shrubs. They need special care and require careful formation of the soil composition.
The most popular miniature variety is Minima. This plant is easy to care for and has excellent decorative properties. Spruce is characterized by a two-color crown. From below it is distinguished by a bluish color, which smoothly turns into green, and then into a yellow-green hue.
The height of an adult shrub is no more than 20 centimeters. The plant can be planted in open ground or grown in pots.In the second case, the crop should be brought indoors for the winter. It is allowed to store it at a temperature of no more than +19 degrees. In this case, daylight hours will need to be artificially increased to 10 hours.
Application in landscape design
Compact coniferous plants fit perfectly into various landscape compositions. As a rule, spruce is used to create group ensembles. A blue or green crown looks great with bright perennial flowers. Spruces go well with hostas, phloxes, and aquilegias. They can also be combined with a number of shrubs.
When decorating a site with conifers, the following options are possible using ornamental crops:
- Creating a rock garden with stone. In this case, it is permissible to use several varieties of spruce at once.
- Design of the local area using other crops. For this you should use thujas, cypresses, and garden flowers.
- Planting along roads, designing recreation areas and gazebos. To do this, it is recommended to combine coniferous and deciduous shrubs. Spruce trees with a cushion-shaped crown will look great.
- Design of natural and artificial reservoirs. It is important to choose the right variety that can withstand high humidity.
Small coniferous plants can be used to decorate alpine slides and Japanese-style compositions. With the help of dwarf fir trees, it is possible to create multi-level ensembles that have differences in height.
Experienced gardeners do not recommend planting spruce near fruit trees. These cultures are not compatible with each other. Such a proximity will lead to a decrease in the growth activity of both plant varieties.
Dwarf spruce trees serve as an excellent decoration for any garden plot. They fit into various landscape compositions.At the same time, it is important to choose the right variety, plant it correctly and provide the crop with careful care.
