Dwarf spruce: varieties of ornamental trees, description, planting and care

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 spruces look good as part of a rockery or an alpine slide. They can be used to decorate winter gardens and greenhouses. In order for plants to look decorative, it is important to provide them with proper care.

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Ordinary spruce is considered a fairly tall plant that can reach a height of 40 meters. However, some species are small in size. They are great for the garden as they are easy to care for and fit perfectly into the design.

In general, dwarf spruces practically do not differ 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, bluish, bluish.

Dwarf cultures 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 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 burnout under bright sunlight.

Small trees are divided by growth into several groups. In this case, there are such types:

• undersized - their height is 3-8 meters;
• dwarf - such conifers grow up to 0.4-1 meters;
• miniature - usually do not exceed 30 centimeters.

Micro varieties are also found. Their height is only 3 centimeters. You can't plant them in the field. Such spruces are grown only at home.

Description of dwarf varieties

Today, many dwarf varieties of spruce are known, each of which has certain characteristics. The most common crops include:

1. Hermann Nau - This cushion-shaped dwarf spruce reaches an average of 80 centimeters in height. At the same time, in diameter, it can have a size of 2 meters. The culture is characterized by thick and hard shoots. They are covered with bluish-green needles. The variety has red buds that gradually turn brown. You can grow crops in the middle lane and in the southern regions.
2. Echiniformis - this spruce has a spherical crown. In height, it usually does not exceed 1 meter. The culture grows well in moist soil, which has a slightly acidic composition.The plant goes well with other conifers. However, it can be used for planting in groups. The culture has bluish needles. The tree is very cold hardy. However, in a winter with little snow, it needs to be covered.
3. 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 an unusual blue needles, which are characterized by a silvery sheen. With the advent of spring, the tree releases young yellow-cream shoots. By the end of May, cones up to 5 centimeters in size appear on the culture.
4. Daisy White - is a dwarf cone-shaped spruce that grows up 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.
5. 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 crop growth is a maximum of 10 centimeters. The crown is conical in shape and consists of soft needles of light green color.
6. Lucky Strike - this spruce grows quite slowly. The average height of the culture is 1 meter. However, sometimes it reaches 2 meters. This plant prefers well-lit areas. In order for a tree to survive the winter normally, it needs a natural or artificially created snowdrift in the root region. With the advent of spring, the snow must be scattered. In this case, you should leave a shelter 10-15 centimeters thick.
7. Sanders Blue - is a dwarf spruce that does not exceed 1 meter in height. For 1 year, the culture is extended 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. In drought, the tree requires moderate watering.

Tree varieties

Low spruces can have a crown of different shapes and sizes. This helps gardeners choose the best option.

Cushion-shaped

This subspecies of compact spruce is obtained by selection. In a relatively short period of time, it has become widespread among landscape designers. Cushion-shaped spruces are distinguished by a dense crown of a special shape and blue or silver-blue needles.

The most common crops of this species include the following:

1. Alberta Globe - This plant is officially considered a shrub. This is a fairly small culture 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.
2. Glauka Globoza 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 are bluish-gray needles 4 centimeters in size. Such spruces are capable of reaching a height of 2 meters.
3. Nana - is the result of a natural mutation of the Serbian spruce. Some specimens are able to reach a height of 3 meters. The krone in appearance resembles a skittle. It is slightly loose and easy to trim. The variety can hardly withstand high humidity. Therefore, in the heat, instead of watering, it is worth spraying the crop.
4. 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, forming a pillow. This variety is characterized by thick and soft needles, the length of which is 1 centimeter.The width of the plant increases more intensively than in height. The diameter of the crown per year adds 7 centimeters. 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.

Stunted spruces are not only pillow-shaped. Relatively recently, the so-called weeping varieties were bred. In height, they usually do not exceed 3 meters. Such crops are characterized by drooping branches and a loose crown. Thanks to this, they look very original. These plants are ideal for forming hedges.

Petite

The smallest spruces that can be grown in the garden usually do not exceed 45 centimeters in height. Most low-growing crops are devoid of the main trunk and are shrubs. They need special care and require careful soil composition.

Minima is considered the most popular miniature variety. This plant is easy to care for and has excellent decorative properties. Spruce is characterized by a bicolor crown. From below, it is distinguished by a bluish color, which gradually 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 culture should be brought indoors for the winter. It is allowed to store it at a temperature not exceeding +19 degrees. At the same time, 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, spruces are used to create group ensembles. Blue or green crown looks great with bright perennial flowers. Spruces go well with hostas, phlox, aquilegia.They can also be combined with a range of shrubs.

When decorating a site with conifers, the following options are possible using ornamental crops:

1. Creating a rockery with a stone. In this case, it is permissible to use several varieties of fir trees at once.
2. Decoration of the local area with the use of other cultures. To do this, use arborvitae, cypresses, garden flowers.
3. Planting along the roads, designing recreation areas and gazebos. For this, it is recommended to combine coniferous and deciduous shrubs. Spruces with a pillow-shaped crown will look great.
4. Decoration 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 firs, 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 neighborhood will lead to a decrease in the growth activity of both varieties of plants.

Dwarf fir trees are 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, properly plant and provide the culture with thorough care.

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