A Selection of Dwarf and Compact Conifers

We get a lot of requests for dwarf (under 6′ tall) and compact (6′ to 20′ tall) conifers, and this is a great time of year to find a good selection of them here at Shooting Star Nursery!

Let’s start with a word about conifer sizes. Like most conifers, these dwarf and 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 few of our favorite dwarf and compact conifer species:

Prostrate Colorado Blue Spruce: A sweet, prostrate form of Colorado Blue Spruce (shown here with Wilma Goldcrest Cypress in the background. These plants will do well in the garden, or in a large containter, and respond well to selective pruning and shaping. Size: 2′ tall by 5′-8′ wide in 10 years.

Hornbrook Pine: A lovely little dark green, dwarf pine; this variety started out as a ‘witch’s broom’ on a standard Austrian Black Pine. They are medium growing (6 to 12″/year), and will reach 3-6′ tall and wide in 10 years.

‘Divinely Blue’ Deodar Cedar: Do you love the graceful branches of Deodar Cedars, but can’t find the room to accomodate an 80′ tall tree? Consider this dwarf form! ‘Divinely Blue’ has the same blue-green needles of the full-sized Deodar Cedar, but forms a low mounding shape with nodding branch tips. Plants are slow-growing (less than 6″/year), and will measure roughly 2-6′ by 3-6′ in 10 years.

‘Swiss Chalet’ Stone Pine: This is a very showy and decorative-looking little pine. One of the things that makes it special is that its dark green needles have a white reverse side, which really makes tha plant “pop” in the garden. ‘Swiss Chalet’ has a moderate growth rate (6-12″/year), and will be 5-8′ tall by 2-4′ wide in 10 years. While ‘Swiss Chalet’ can tolerate full sun, it will look even better if you can provide it with a bit of afternoon shade.

 ‘Fat Albert’ Blue Spruce: This tree is pretty much everything you have ever wanted in a Blue Spruce, and is one of our favorits here at Shooting Star! It’s also a wonderful choice for a living Christmas tree. The needles are a lovely shade of blue-green, and ttrees have a chubby, densely pyramidal shape (hence the name). ‘Fat Albert’ is a fairly fast grower – often over 12″/year – and can reach sizes of 25′ by 15′ at maturity.

‘The Blues’ Weeping Blue Spruce: If you are looking for a truly striking specimen conifer that can provide a strong focal point in your garden, ‘The Blues’ Weeping Blue Spruce is a great choice. ‘The Blues’ has an irregular, weeping form – and no two plants are alike. They respond well to creating pruning and shaping, as you can see from the three shown to the right. Plants are relatively slow growing – generally around 6″/year, and will reach 6-8′ tall by 2-4′ wide in 10 years.