Dwarf and Compact Conifers

PDF Download printable PDF

  Botanical Name

  Common Name

Approx. Size After 10 Years

Abies - Fir
Abies balsamea 'Nana' Dwarf Balsam Fir  2-3' H x W 
Abies concolor 'Blue Cloak' Weeping White Fir 10' H x 4' W
Abies concolor 'Conica' Conica White Fir 5-15' H x 4' W, dense/slow growth
Abies concolor 'Fastigiata' Weeping White Fir 8-10' H x 3-4' W
Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke' Horstmann's Silberlocke Fir 10-20' H x 6-10' W, curved upright needles w/silver undersides
Abies lasocarpa v. arizonica 'Glauca' Arizona Rocky Mtn. Fir, Blue CorkBark Fir 20' H x 15' W, PNW native, upright purple cones
Berberis x stenophylla - Corallina Barberry (not a conifer, but has tiny evergreen leaves and bonsai like habit...plus orange flowers!)
Berberis s. 'Nana Compacta' Compact Corallina Barberry 2' H x W
Callistemon spp. – Hardy Bottlebrush (not conifers, but very similar looking and good substitutes)
Callistemon 'Woodlander's Hardy Red' Hardy Red Bottlebrush 4-5' H x W
Callistemon pityoides 'Mt. Kosciusco' Dwarf Alpine Bottlebrush 2-3' H x 3' W
Callistmon pityoides 'Corvallis' Alpine Bottlebrush 4' H x 3' W
Callistemon p. 'Excellent' Alpine Bottlebrush 5' H x 6' W (wild/variable habit - open/arching)
Callistemon sieberi River Bottlebrush 5' H x W
Callistemon viridiflorus Tasmanian or Mountain Bottlebrush 5-6' H x W
Callistemon viridiflorus 'Xera Compact' Compact Mountain Bottlebrush 3-4' H x 18-24" W
Cedrus spp. - Cedar
Cedrus atlantica glauca 'Horstmann' Dwarf Blue Atlas Cedar 8-10' H x 5-6' W
Cedrus atlantica glauca 'Pendula' Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar 5-12' H x 15-25' W (dependant on pruning/training)
Cedrus deodara 'Divinely Blue' Dwarf Deodar Cedar 6' H x  3-6'W  (dependant on pruning/training)
Cedrus d. 'Eisregen' Ice Rain (Dwarf) Deodar Cedar 10-14' H x 4-5' W, super cold hardy
Cedrus d. 'Feelin Blue' Weeping Deodar Cedar 2-4' H x 6' W  (depends on graft height)
Cedrus deodara 'Prostrate Beauty' Weeping Deodar Cedar 2-4' H x 6-8' W (depends on pruning/training)
Cedrus d. 'Silver Mist' Dwarf Deodar Cedar 5-6'H x 3'W - pale new growth (prefers pm shade), densly conical
Cedrus deodara 'Snow Sprite' Dwarf Deodar Cedar 4-5' H x 3-5' W - creamy colored new growth, likes pm shade
Cephalotaxus spp. - Japanese Plum Yew
Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Duke Gardens' Duke Gardens Japanese Plum Yew 4-6' H x W - slow growing w/spreading, mounded habit, pm shade
Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' Upright Japanese Plum Yew 8-10' H x 3-5' W *prefers some afternoon shade 
Chamaecyparis spp. – False Cypress *all prefer part sun in our hot climate with rich soil and regular water
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Duncanii' Duncan's Dwarf Lawson's Cypress (Port Orford Cedar) 2-3' H x 3-4' W 
Chamaecyparis l. 'Ellwood's Pillar' Ellwood's Pillar Columnar Lawson's Cypress 4-6' H x 1-2' W - blueish tones, densely columnar
Chamaecyparis l. 'Snow White' Snow White Lawson Cypress 6' H x 18-24" W - creamy tips, blueish tones, teardrop shape 
Chamaecyparis l. 'Treasure Island' Treasure Island Lawson's False Cypress 3-4' H x 2-3' W - blonde new growth 
Chamaecyparis l. 'Wissel's Saguaro' Wissel's Saguaro Narrow False Cypress 4-6' H x 2' W 
Chamecyparis obtusa 'Blue Feathers' Blue Feathers Hinoki False Cypress 6-8' H x 3-4' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Gracilis' Slender Hinoki False Cypress 10-15' H x 5-8' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Compacta' Compact Hinoki False Cypress 6-8' H x 4-6' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Crippsii' Golden Hinoki False Cypress 8-10' H x 3-4' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Filicoides' Ferspray Hinoki False Cypress 8-10' H x 3-4' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Nana' Dwarf Hinoki False Cypress 2' H x 2-3' W - twisted fans of compact green foliage
Chamaecyparis o. 'Nana Gracilis' Dwarf Slender Hinoki False Cypress 3-6' H x 2-4' W
Chamaecyparis o. 'Tetragona Aurea' Dwarf Golden Fernleaf Hinoki False Cypress 6-12' H x 3-6' W - gold tips, pyramidal habit
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Cyano-Viridis' Boulevard Sawara Cypress 6-8' H x W
Chamaecyparis p. 'Dow Whiting' Soft Serve Sawara Cypress 6-10' H x 5-6' W
Chamaecyparis p. 'Filifera Aurea' Golden Thread-Branch Sawara Cypress 6-8' H x 3-7' W
Chamaecyparis p. 'Filifera Aurea Nana' Dwarf Golden Thread-Branch Sawara Cypress 3-4' H x 4-5' W
Chamaecyparis p. 'Gold Mops' Gold Mops Dwarf Thread-Branch Sawara Cypress 3-4' H x 3-5' W
Chamaecyparis p. 'Sungold' Sungold Dwarf Thread-Branch Sawara Cypress 5-6' H x 7-8' W
Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Red Star' Red Star White Atlantic Cypress 4-5' H x 18" W (eventually can get 15-20'!) dense, columnar, plum tones in winter
Cuppressus spp. - Cypress
Cupressus m. 'Wilma Goldcrest' Wilma Goldcrest Golden Monterey Cypress  6-8' H x 1-2' W 
Cupressus s. 'Monshel' (Dwarf) Tiny Tower Italian Cypress 25-30' H x 3' W 
Cupressus s. 'Totem' Totem Italian Cypress  15-20' H x 18" W - the tightest/smallest available 
Hebe – also not a conifer but some species resemble dwarf Cypress
Hebe cuppressoides Whipcord Hebe 3-4' H x W
Hebe 'Karo Golden Esk' Karo Golden Esk Hebe  2' H x W 
Hebe salicornioides Whipcord Hebe  2' H x W
Juniperus – Junipers
Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan' Spartan Juniper 12-15' H x 3-5' W, green, narrowly pyramidal w/tight branching
Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa' Hollywood Juniper 15' H x 10' W
Juniperus communis 'Goldcone' Goldcone Juniper 8-10' H x 3' W
Juniperus conferta Shore Juniper 1' H x 5-7' W
Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip' Blue Chip Prostrrate Juniper 1' H x 6-8' W
Juniperus h. 'Wiltonii' Blue Rug Prostrate Juniper 6" H x 6-8' W
Juniperus s. (virginiana) 'Blue Arrow' Blue Arrow Columnar Juniper 12-15' H x 2' W - improved cultivar, more tight/uniform growth
Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow' Moonglow Juniper 15-20' H x 8-12' W
Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' Skyrocket Columnar Juniper 15-20' H x 2-3' W
Juniperus scopulorum 'Wichita Blue' Wichita Blue Juniper 10-15' H x 4-6' W
Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star 'Blue Star' Juniper 1-3' H x 3-4' W
Picea spp. – Spruce
Picea abies 'Munitum' Dwarf Bird's Nest Spruce 3-4' H x W
Picea abies 'Nidiformis' Bird's Nest Spruce 3-5' H x 4-6' W
Picea abies 'Pendula' Weeping Norway Spruce 3-8' H x 10' W (depends on staking) 
Picea bicolor 'Howell's Dwarf' Dwarf Alcock's Spruce 6' H x W
Picea pungens glauca 'Baby Blue Eyes' Semi-Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce 15-30' H x 15' W - slow growing, holds blue color well
Picea p. g. 'Blue Totem' Fastigiate (columnar) Colorado Blue Spruce 12-15' H x 2-5'W - tight branching, steely blue color
Picea p. g. 'Fat Albert' Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce 10-15' H x 10-12' W
Picea p. g. 'Montgomery' Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce 5' H x W
Picea p. 'Glauca Globosa' Globe Blue Spruce 3-5' H x 5-6' W (depends on graft height)
Picea p. g. 'Procumbens' Prostrate Colorado Blue Spruce 1' H x 8' W
Picea sitch. 'Papoose' 'Papoose' Dwarf Sitka Spruce 2-3' H in 10 years, 2" a year
Pinus spp. – Pine
Pinus aristata Bristlecone Pine 20' H x 15' W - SLOW
Pinus bungeana Lacebark Pine 20-30'+ H x 20'+ W - SLOW, exfoliating/mottled bark 
Pinus cembra 'Chalet' Chalet Swiss Stone Pine 10-12' H x 4-5' W - slow growing, soft/blueish needles, super cold hardy
Pinus cembra 'Glauca' Blue Swiss Stone Pine 12-20' H x 10-12' W - super slow, tolerate part shade, blueish needles 
Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana Murrayana/Lodgepole Pine 6-12'+ H x 4-6'+ W - SLOW( & variable), good bonsai
Pinus edulis Two-Needled Pinyon Pine 10-30' H x W - SLOW, edible seeds (pinenuts)
Pinus mugo 'Fastigiata' Columnar Mugo Pine 6' H x 2-3' W
Pinus mugo mugo Mugo Pine 4-8' H x 8-15' W
Pinus m. 'Pumilio' Dwarf Mugo Pine 3-4' H x W
Pinus m. 'Sherwood Compact' Dwarf Mugo Pine 2' H x W 
Pinus m. 'Slowmound' Dwarf Mugo Pine 2-3' H x W - uniformly compact, slow growing
Pinus m. 'Tannenbaum' Upright Mugo Pine 6-10' H x 4-6' W 
Pinus nigra 'Frank's Columnar' Columnar Dwarf Austrian Pine 8-12' H x 2-4' W - shorter needled, wind/cold tolerant
Pinus nigra 'Hornbrookiana' Dwarf Austrian Pine 2-3' H x 6' W
Pinus nigra ' Oregon Green' Compact Austrian Pine 10-12' H x 8-10' W
     
Pinus parviflora 'Cleary' Dwarf Japanese White Pine 6-10' H x 3-5' W 
Pinus pinea Italian Stone Pine 25-30' H x W - pine nuts! (eventually...) broad/flat-topped w/ age
Pinus strobus 'Blue Shag' Dwarf Eastern White Pine 2-4' H x W -fast growing, dense/compact, prefers pm shade
Pinus strobus 'Horsford's Dwarf' Dwarf Eastern White Pine 3-4' H x W (depends on graft height)
Pinus strobus 'Nana' Dwarf Eastern White Pine 3-7' H x 6-12'W - depends on graft height
Pinus strobus 'Pendula' Weeping Eastern White Pine 6-15' H x 10-15' W
Pinus sylvestris 'Green Penguin' Dwarf Scotch Pine 3-4' H x 1-2' W - super hardy, dense/pyramidal growth, rich green
Pinus sylvestris 'Hillside Creeper' Prostrate Dwarf Scotch Pine 2' H x 6-8' W
Pinus thunbergiana 'Banshoho' Dwarf Japanese Black Pine 3-5' H x W
Pinus thunbergiana ' Thunderhead' Dwarf Japanese Black Pine 6-8' H x 5-6' W
Podocarpus spp. – Yew Pine/Totara
Podocarpus macrophyllus 'Maki' Shrubby Yew Pine 8-15' H x 2-4' W
Podocarpus alpinus 'Red Tips' Alpine Totara 4-8' H x 3-6' W
Taxus spp. - Yew
Taxus x media 'Beanpole' Beanpole Columnar Yew 7-10' H x 12-18" W
Taxus x media 'Dark Green Spreader' Dark Green Spreader Yew 4' H x 5-8' W
Taxus x media 'Densiformis' Dense Spreading Yew 3-4' H x 4-6' W
Taxus x media 'Hicksii' Hick's Columnar Yew 10-12' H x 3-4' W
Tsuga spp. - Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis 'Pendula' Sargent's Weeping Hemlock 5-10' H x 8-15' W
Tsuga mertensiana Mountain Hemlock 15-30'+ H x 8-15' W *can take boggy soils
Sequoiadendron - Sequoia
Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendulum' Weeping Giant Sequioa 10-20' H x 3-4' W