Columnar Plants
For the Rogue Valley
Upright and narrow plant types are ideal for tight spaces and vertical accents
Smaller yards, tightly packed houses and the ever present need for privacy call for narrow plant solutions! Here are a slew of options, from soft textured grasses to conifers to deciduous trees with beautiful fall color. Speed of growth, ultimate mature size and habit (overall shape and angle/density of branching) can vary considerably depending on microclimate, soil type, sun (plus wind and cold) exposure, fertilizing, watering and pruning. And remember – it is possible to control/limit the width of a plant (particularly shrubs) and still maintain a natural shape without overly compromising the structural integrity of the plant, like when topping or hedging, with a light annual pruning of side shoots towards the base/bottom of trunk.
Columnar plants list
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Grasses – sizing includes inflorescence | ||
| Calamagrostis ‘El Dorado’ | El Dorado Feather Reed Grass | 4-5′ H x 2′ W, gold variegated, p.sun-sun * |
| Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ | Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass | 5-6′ H x 2′ W, p.sun-sun, breaks dormancy in Feb! * |
| Calamagrostis ‘Overdam’ | Overdam Feather Reed Grass | 4-5′ H x 2′ W, white variegated, p.sun-sun * |
| Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ | Heavy Metal Switch Grass | 4-5′ H x 2′ W, blue w/gold fall color, delicate seed heads, wildlife * |
| Panicum v. ‘Northwind’ | Northwind Switch Grass | 6-7′ H x 3′ W, blue/green w/gold fall color, stiffly vase shaped * |
| Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’ | Standing Ovation Little Bluestem | 3-4′ H x 18-24″ W, blue w/burgundy highlights, red/purple fall color, very hardy, holds up well in winter, good for wildlife * |
| Shrubs and Dwarf Trees UNDER 10′ | ||
| Berberis thunbergii ‘Helmond Pillar’ | Helmond Pillar Barberry | 6′ H x 2′ W, deep purple, buttery yellow flowers, thorns * |
| Berberis t. ‘Orange Rocket’ | Orange Rocket Barberry | 4-5 ‘ H x 2-3’ W, emerges vivid orangey-red, pale yellow flowers, thorns * |
| Buxus ‘Graham Blandy’ | Graham Blandy American Boxwood | 8-10′ H x 2′ W, dense, tolerates varied sun-shade * |
| Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ | Fastigiate Japanese Plum Yew | 8-10′ H x 3-5′ W, deep green, coarse texture, tolerates full shade * |
| Cephalotaxus h.’Korean Gold’ | Golden Japanese Plum Yew | 6-10′ H x 3-4′ W, golden new growth, shade * |
| Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoods Pillar’ | Ellwoods Pillar Lawsons Cypress | 3-5′ H x 12-15″ W dense blue foliage, p.sun-shade |
| Chamaecyparis l. ‘Snow White’ | Snow White Port Orford Cedar/Lawsons Cypress | 5-8′ H x 18-24″ W, blue foliage, p.sun-shade |
| Fatshedera lizei ‘Angyo Star’ | Angyo Star Tree Ivy | 5-6′ H x 2-3′ W, creamy variegation, takes full and dry shade * |
| Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ | Columnar Japanese Holly | 5-6′ H x 18-24″ W, glossy dark green, sun to shade |
| Malus ‘Golden Sentinel’ & ‘Scarlet Sentinel’ etc | Columnar Apple | 8-10′ H x 18-24″ W, needs another apple to pollinate, dwarf rootstock |
| Rhamnus frangula ‘Ron Williams’ | Fine Line Buckthorn | 5-7′ H x 2-3′ W, dense, wispy texture, seedless, gold fall color |
| Taxus x media ‘Beanpole’ | Beanpole Yew |
6-10′ H x 1′ W, red berries (toxic), p.sun – shade |
| Shrubs and Trees OVER 10′ – sizing generally reflects 10-20+ year estimates | ||
| Abies concolor ‘Blue Cloak’ | Blue Cloak White Fir | 10-15′ H x 4′ W, very blue, touchable, pendulous branches * |
| Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’ | Lions Head Japanese Maple | 8-15′ H x 6-8′ W, crinkled green leaves, quite dense, slow, golden-orange/red fall |
| Acer palmatum ‘Skeeters Broom’ | Skeeters Broom Dwarf Japanese Maple | 6-8′ H x 3-4′ W, burgundy foliage, holds color well in summer & shade |
| Acer platinoides ‘Crimson Sentry’ | Crimson Sentry Norway Maple | 25′ H x 15′ W, burgundy foliage, gold in fall, p.sun |
| Acer rubrum ‘Armstrong’ and ‘Armstrong Gold’ | Armstrong Columnar Red Maple | 45′ H x 15′ W, gold-orange/red fall color |
| Acer rubrum ‘Bowhall’ | Bowhall Columnar Red Maple | 40′ H x 15′ W, uniform habit, gold-orange/red in fall |
| Acer saccharum ‘Apollo’ | Apollo Sugar Maple | 30′ H x 10′ W, dense, big leaves, gold-red in fall |
| Betula platyphylla ‘Fargo’ | Dakota Pinnalce Birch | 40′ H x 15′ W, white bark, gold fall color |
| Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’ | Frans Fontaine Hornbeam | 35′ H x 15′ W, small foliage, low branched |
| Cedrus atlantica glauca ‘Fastigiata’ | Columnar Blue Atlas Cedar | 25-35′ H x 12-15′ W, blue, more stiff/dense than species * |
| Cedrus deodara ‘Karl Fuchs’ | Karl Fuchs Himalayan Cedar | 15-30′ H x 6-10′ W, super hardy, thin/wispy, layered, pendulous branches * |
| Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’ | Slender Hinoki False Cypress | 8-15′ H x 4-6′ W, tiered/sculptural branching, p.sun-shade |
| Chionanthus retusus ‘Tokyo Tower’ | Tokyo Tower Chinese Fringe Tree | 20′ H x 10′ W, slow, peeling bark, fringy white blooms late spring, blue fruit, gold in fall |
| Cupressus arizonica v. glabra ‘Chaparral’ | Chaparral Arizona Cypress | 10-12′ H x 4-6′ W, sage green, SW native, SUN, xeric |
| Cupressus arizonica v. glabra ‘Sulphurea’ | Yellow Arizona Cypress | 15′ H x 4-6′ W, golden tips, FULL sun, little-no water once established |
| Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma Goldcrest’ | Wilma Goldcrest Monterey Cypress | 10-15′ H x 2-3′ W, lemon scented gold-lime green foliage, protected spots are best, sun-shade * |
| Cupressus sempervirens ‘Compacta’ | Dwarf Italian Cyrpress | 20-25′ H x 3′ W, slow growing dwarf |
| Cupressus s. ‘Glauca’ | Blue Italian Cypress | 30’+ H x 3′ W, blue/green foliage |
| Ginkgo biloba ‘Princeton Sentry’ | Princetone Sentry Gingko | 40′ H x 15′ W, seedless male, gold in fall, unique leaf * |
| Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’ | Blue Arrow Rocky Mountain Juniper | 12-15′ H x 2′ W, improved blue form, more uniform and tight * |
| Juniperus scopulorum ‘Sky Rocket’ | Sky Rocket Rocky Mountain Juniper | 15-20′ H x 3′ W, blue/green, drought/heat tolerant * |
| Liriodendron tulipifera ‘Fastigiata’ | Fastigiate Tulip Tree | 50′ H x 15′ W, fast, golden/orange/green cup shaped flowers late spring, great for pollinators, golden fall color, tulip leaf shape |
| Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ | Dwarf Southern Magnolia | 15-20′ H x 7-10′ W, evergreen w/fuzzy brown indumentum, compact habit, fragrant ivory flowers, low branched * |
| Parrotia persica ‘Persian Spire’ | Persian Spire Persian Ironwood | 25′ H x 10′ W, purple margins on new growth, dense, low branching, rainbow fall color, p.sun-sun |
| Parrotia p. ‘Vanessa’ | Vanessa Persian Ironwood | 28′ H x 14′ W, narrow vase shape, slow, orange/red fall color |
| Picea pungens glauca ‘Blue Totem’ | Blue Totem Blue Spruce |
12-15′ H x 2-3′ W, dwarf, very blue, dense * |
| Picea p.g. ‘Fastigiata’ | Fastigiate Blue Spruce | 15-20′ H x 4-5′ W, consistant blue color, slow * |
| Pinus cembra ‘Glauca Nana’ | Dwarf Swiss Stone Pine | 8-10′ H x 4-6′ W, soft blue/green needles, p.sun * |
| Pinus nigra ‘Frank’s Columnar’ | Franks Columnar Austrian Pine | 10′ H x 2-4′ W, slow, very tight/dense, shorter needles than species * |
| Pinus n. ‘Green Tower’ | Green Tower Austrian Pine | 10-15′ H x 2-3′ W, bright green, long neeedles * |
| Pinus parviflora’Cleary’ | Cleary Japanese White Pine | 10-15′ H x 3-6′ W, soft, short blue/green needles, tiered branching, fancy pinecone clusters * |
| Pinus sylvestris ‘Fastigiata’ | Fastigiate Scotch Pine | 20-25′ H x 6-8′ W, fast, blue/green needles, reddish bark * |
| Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Maki’ | Shrubby Japanese Yew | 8-15′ H x 4-5′ W, loose/pendulous w/out pruning, protected sites reccomended, p.sun-shade |
| Populus tremuloides | Quaking Aspen | 30-40′ H x 15′ W, light grey suede-like bark, fluttering leaves, gold in fall, WILL colonize, likes water |
| Populus t. ‘Summer Shimmer’ | Summer Shimmer Aspen | 30-40′ H x 15′ W, disease resistant w/clean, larger summer foliage, vigorous, but less likely to sucker/colonize, gold in fall |
| Populus tremula ‘Erecta’ | Swedish Columnar Aspen | 40′ H x 10′ W, Euro species, seedless, less prone to suckering, gold-rusty orange in fall |
| Prunus x cerasifera ‘Crimson Pointe’ | Crimson Pointe Flowering Plum | 25′ H x 10′ W, burgundy foliage, pink buds/white blooms spring, 1″ red fruits, fast, reddish fall color |
| Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’ | Amanogawa Japanese Flowering Cherry | 20′ H x 6′ W, semi-double pale pink flowers spring, bronze in fall |
| Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ | Chanticleer Flowering Pear | 40′ H x 15′ W, tolerates clay, fireblight resistant, white spring blooms, mini asian pear-like fruit clusters, rusty-red fall color |
| Rhamnus frangula ‘Columnaris’ | Tallhedge Buckthorn | 12-15′ H x 3-4′ W, tiny black berries, gold fall color, pollinators/birds! |
| Quercus ‘Crimson Spire’ | Crimson Spire Oak | 45′ H x 15′ W, dense, low branching, rusty-red fall color, holds leaves |
| Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ | Skyrocket English Oak | 45′ H x 15′ W, dense, low branching, great windbreak, wildlife |
| Styrax japonica ‘Evening Light’ | Evening Light Japanese Snowbell | 15′ H x 10′ W, dark purple foliage, white flowers late spring, grey/green berries, p.sun |
| Taxus baccata ‘Stricta’ | Irish Yew | 10-20′ H x 3-5′ W, p.sun-shade, red berries, larger needles, p.sun |
| Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ | Hicks Yew | 10-20′ H x 3-6′ W, often kept shorter, red berries (toxic), p.sun-shade |
| Taxus x media ‘H.M. Eddie’ | H.M. Eddie Yew | 10-15′ H x 3-4′ W, fruitless, p.sun-shade |
| Thuja plicata ‘Atrovirens’ | Atrovirens Western Red Cedar | 25-30′ H x 4-8′ W, coastal native, p.sun-sun, tolerates wet soils, bronzes up in colder months |
| Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ | Emerald Green Arborvitae | 15′ H x 3-4′ W, p.sun, very dense, sensitive to heavy soils/wet |
| Zelkova serrata ‘Musashino’ | Musashino Japanese Elm | 45′ H x 15′ W, very dense/upright branching, yellow fall color |
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