Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - July 04, 2008
From: Westminster, CO
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Trees
Title: Columnar evergreen for Colorado
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am looking for an evergreen 6-8 (or more) feet tall, very columnar; 3 feet spread in diameter, zone 5, full sun, dark green, clayish-OK soil. Thank you so much!ANSWER:
Here are some suggestions for conical evergreens that are native to Colorado:Abies concolor (white fir or Colorado fir) is "symetrically conical in yourh", but becomes more irregular as it grows taller. It's maximum height can be as much as 100 feet but is, in general, slow-growing. it doesn't do well in heavy clay soils, but adapts well to other soils. There are various dwarf and other cultivars.
Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain juniper) is described as being "columnar to somewhat rounded" and its maximu height is 30-40 feet with a spread of 3-15 feet. There are cultivars (e.g., 'Blue Trail','Gray Gleam', 'Medora', 'Pathfinder', 'Skyrocket') that have a more columnar growth.
Picea pungens (blue spruce) is "naturally conical in shape...grows from 50-100 ft, but it is usually shorter in cultivation." There are several cultivars.
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) is columnar or conical. It "grows from 15-150 ft. tall depending on the environment." There are various cultivars.
You can see more native Colorado trees by doing a Combination Search in our Native Plant Database and selecting 'Colorado' from Select State or Province and 'Tree' from Habit (general appearance). There are other characteristics, as well, that you can use to narrow your search.
More Trees Questions
Tree Lost Leaves
September 05, 2013 - Are leaf cutter ants found in Michigan too? My leaves are being completely stripped off the tree. It went from growing very well when we planted it, to having completely no leaves at all. I know the l...
view the full question and answer
Privacy Screen Tree for Patio in NC
April 15, 2013 - What is a good tree to plant in front of a brick wall/fence to provide privacy and not compromise the structural integrity of the wall? The brick fence is my neighbors but I need privacy as they can s...
view the full question and answer
Planting Mountain Laurel grown from seeds in Argentina
April 09, 2014 - Hello, I was transferred to Cordoba, Argentina 2 years ago from San Antonio, the climate hereis similar to S. TX, anyway I brought some mountain laurel seeds with me and they have been in 2 gallon pot...
view the full question and answer
Live oak sprouts in Austin
August 01, 2010 - How can I control the hundreds of live oak sprouts our lovely trees are throwing off? We recently landscaped with rain gardens and the related drainage ditches; they are filled with these very happy ...
view the full question and answer
What clips green twigs from cedar elms?
August 09, 2013 - Many small cuttings (3-5 inches long) are dropping from large cedar elm. To my eye the ends look like breaks (not chiseled), but I can't imagine what would cause so many breaks, and so think somethin...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |