During the coldest months of the year, evergreens are the anchors that hold together our landscapes. Up to 25 percent of any mountain landscape should be allotted to evergreens. Get this ratio wrong and that winter landscape will appear bare, especially if neighboring yards have evergreens galore. This is a good time to assess the balance of your yard and if it’s found lacking, plant new evergreens. They are at their best now through March, as the chilly months are when they show off their beauty.
Many evergreens are so stately and perfectly formed that owners decorate them with festive lights and bows to bring magical holiday touches outside of their homes. Don’t have a majestic evergreen in your landscape? Well, it’s not too late to plant one. Truly, the climate in the mountains of Arizona is so mild that evergreens can be planted right through winter. In fact, many of the conifer evergreens are so tough they prefer to be planted when it is cold outside. So, plant your choice of these mountain evergreens and decorate them for a little magic of your own.
Colorado Spruce
When customers don’t know the name of this tree, they simply refer to it as “The one that looks like a Christmas tree.” The very stiff branches swoop horizontally forming a perfect broad pyramid. Considered drought hardy, this tree prefers dry windy conditions. Size: 60’W x 25’H
Blue Diamond Spruce
This new spruce introduction is a real gem. A cousin to the Colorado spruce, it is considered more special because it of its intensely blue needles that produce an almost silver colored tree. Dwarf in size, the tree needs no pruning. It’s happy growing anywhere in our mountain landscape, but also could be grown in a raised bed or large container without overpowering the space. Size: 10’H x 5’W
Austrian Pine
This long-needled pine is often mistaken for a young ponderosa, but it is far more graceful. Whereas the ponderosa loses all its lower branches as it matures, the Austrian’s rich green needles seem to flow right to the ground for balanced appeal. Its dense, stout, pyramidal growth is uniform right to the crown. It is the hardiest of the ornamental pines without the bug issues that plague many of the native pines. It makes a most effective windbreak or privacy screen, and prefers winter planting. Size: 35’H x 20’W
Pinyon Pine
A local native that is exceptionally hardy and drought tolerant, the pinyon pine is slow growing with a broad, rounded crown. New growth is blue to green with clusters of pinecones as the tree matures. Edible seeds from the cones are considered a delicacy, commonly known as pine nuts. Perfect for all natural landscapes it makes an attractive grouping on hillsides or berms with other low growing perennials. It can take a starring role as a picturesque specimen in a rock garden. Size: 15’H x 10’W
Vanderwolf Pine
Take a close look and you will see that the top of the each needle is blue, with a green underside. This very handsome pine is so soft that most viewers want to hug it! Its very unusual and distinctive shape is unique to mountain landscapes. Size: 25’H x 12’W
Fat Albert Blue Spruce
Sporting a shape similar to that of the Colorado Spruce, Fat Albert doesn’t grow as tall so it won’t “take over” more than its allotted space. A broad, pyramidal shape with exceptional blue needles, it presents a consistent blue color. Size: 25’H x 12’W
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
This slowest growing of the evergreens is the easiest to maintain. Its perfect cone shape displays dense green soft-to-the-touch needles. Although it often is used to make a formal statement in a garden, it is excellent as a container plant or miniature Christmas tree. Size: 8’H x 3’W
Black Hills Spruce
With the deepest green of any evergreen and a density that light dares not shine through it, this spruce’s perfect cone-shaped symmetry stands out in any landscape. It is so cold hardy this it prefers being planted in mid-winter. Although the tree looks delicious, neither javelina nor deer like to nibble on this evergreen. Size: 50’H x 20’W
Until next month, I’ll see you in the garden center. QCBN
By Ken Lain
Throughout the week Ken Lain, the mountain gardener can be located at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com.