A Selection of Dwarf and Compact Conifers

Compact conifers – which range in size from 6′ to 20′ tall – are the perfect-sized plant for a small to mid-sized yard. They’re large enough to make a statement but are a much more manageable size than large conifers, which can reach heights of 60-80′ tall!

As we mentioned in our last Plant of the Week article, compact conifers never really stop growing – it’s just that most of them grow fairly slowly and will remain small for a long time. The sizes given in the plant descriptions below are a good representative of their likely size in 10-20 years. Here are a some of our favorite compact conifers:

Dwarf Alberta Spruce: A dark green, columnar spruce. They are relatively slow growing (around 6″/year), and will reach 10 to 12’ tall by 4’ to 5’ wide in 10 years  

‘Tannenbaum’ Pine: ‘Tannenbaum’ is a taller variety of the popular Mugo Pine. They are dark green, with a dense pyramidal shape. Plants are moderate growing (6′ to 12’/year) and will be approximately 10- 15’ tall by 6-12’ wide in 10 years.

‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ Fir: This is such a showy little fir! ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ features upcurved needles with a white underside (see photo to the left).  Plants have a moderate growth habit (generally 6″ to 12″/year), and will be around 12’ by 8’,  in 10 years.

‘Black Hills’ Spruce: ‘Black Hills’ Spruce is more heat tolerant than most other spruce, and has a nice greenish-blue color. They’re slow growing (generally less that 6”/year, and will reach 15-20’ tall by 10-15’ wide in 10 years. 

 ‘Oregon Green’ Pine: A lovely deep, rich green pine with a moderate growth rate (6-12”/year); likely reaching 18-20’ tall by 15’ wide in 10 years.  

‘Hoopsi’ Blue Spruce: ‘Hoopsi’ is the very bluest of blue spruces! Plants grow around 6-12”/year, and will generally be about 25’ tall by 15’ wide at maturity.