Conifers
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Baldcypress becomes a large tree with fine, fern-like foliage. Although it resembles an evergreen tree in summer, the foliage drops in fall, revealing the stately branch structure. The overall shape of the tree is broadly to narrowly pyramidal. This is the same cypress native to swamps in southeast Missouri, where it forms special root structures called `knees'. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils and conditions and need not be grown only on wet sites. If a tree produces a few knee-like growths in the lawn, they may be cut off. Male catkins form in late summer and their drooping appearance adds winter interest. The small round cones produced by more mature trees may clutter lawns. Fibrous bark is attractive in all seasons. Baldcypress is easily transplanted and grows best in acid soils. It has no serious pest problems, although spider mites or bagworms may occasionally attack some trees. Fall color is a coppery-bronze.
Hardiness Zones: 5b-10
White Fir, Concolor Fir
Abies concolor
Firs grow best in climates with cool summers. The white fir is the best choice where summers are hot and droughts occur. It develops a formal conical shape for landscape use. Its appearance is similar to spruce, but the needles look softer. It is slow growing, adaptable to many conditions and somewhat pollution tolerant. White fir does not tolerate poor drainage, particularly in heavy soils. While it prefers full sun, it develops well in light shade, which may actually be beneficial to young plants in warmer sections of the state. A number of cultivars have been developed, but most are not readily available. The selection best adapted to warmer areas has blue-green needles rather than the normal gray-green. White fir is a durable evergreen that deserves more landscape use than it has had in the past..
Hardiness Zones: 3-8a
Canadian Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Hemlocks provide a fine-textured foliage that blends well into many garden settings. While hemlocks can be grown in full sun, they are shade tolerant. It is one of the few larger evergreens suitable for planting in moderate shade. Although relatively slow growing, it may be used as a tall evergreen screen where one is needed for varying light conditions. While well-suited to many urban conditions, hemlock is not highly pollution tolerant. Hemlock has a pyramidal growth habit. Ends of branches droop slightly, giving it a relaxed feeling. The small cones hang through the winter for added landscape interest. It is not tolerant of poorly-drained heavy soils. Extended drought can be damaging, so hemlock should not be planted in low maintenance areas where irrigation is impossible. A close relative, the Carolina hemlock, is not common but is also a good evergreen tree for urban settings.
Hardiness Zones: 3-8a
American Holly
Ilex opaca
Although American holly can be found as a native tree in the southeastern portion of the state, it benefits from winter wind and sun protection in more northern locations. Still, it is our most durable broad-leafed evergreen tree. American holly grows best in acid, organic soils that are well-drained but have adequate moisture. Holly needs both male and female plants for maximum berry production. Generally, one male tree will provide adequate pollination for four to six female trees. Birds are very fond of holly berries, so berries are seldom found past midwinter. If they do, they remain bright red for most of the winter. American holly cultivars vary considerably. In all of them, leaves are more pale and dull than English holly, which is the species best known for holiday decoration. `Foster' holly is a popular hybrid which is more upright and finer textured than American holly. Young American holly trees develop a conical shape similar to many needled evergreens. Although growth is slow in our climate, American holly needs space to develop into a tree without pruning.
Hardiness Zones: 5b-9
Chinese Juniper
Juniperus chinensis
Chinese juniper is a tree species, but because of the profusion of cultivars available, it may be found in many shapes and sizes. The well-known Pfitzer juniper is a Chinese juniper that is low and wide-spreading. The tree-forming varieties are upright and conical. With age they may reach 20 to 30 feet and become a single-trunked tree suited to many landscape conditions and soils. They become most dense in full sun locations. Cultivars with green foliage, as well as different intensities of bluish foliage, are available. Chinese juniper cultivars that develop into small trees include `Hollywood,' `Keteleeri,' `Hetzi Column Juniper,' `Robusta Green' and `Wintergreen.' Chinese junipers have few major pests, but tip blight and bagworms may sometimes attack them. These are junipers for many landscape uses, but upright forms are most often used for urban sites where tall evergreen screens are wanted.
Hardiness Zones: 3b-9
Japanese Black Pine
Pinus thunbergiana
Japanese black pine is a popular specimen tree because of its loose, informal growth habit. It has been popular for use in Japanese garden designs. It is well adapted to many soils, and has pollution and salt tolerance that make it suitable for many urban sites. Japanese black pine is also tolerant of heat and drought. In spite of these good qualities, damage may result in our climate when rapid temperature changes occur in fall or winter. As a result, needle and twig damage are possible. Japanese black pine grows well in low-fertility soils, but needs full sun. It produces silvery-white elongated candles on the ends of its branches during the fall that give it a distinctive appearance in winter. This pine is without major pest problems, but does not have the cold tolerance of red or white pines.
Hardiness Zones: 5b-8
Limber Pine
Pinus flexilis
This pine often was not available for planting in the past, but now it is becoming more widely used. It is a very durable pine suitable for urban landscape use. As the name implies, the flexible branches reduce chances for breakage by high winds or heavy snows. Limber pine adapts to many soil types, even shallow soils, although it grows best in deep, well-drained soils. It should be grown in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. The general appearance is similar to white pine, but needles point forward and growth is a little more open. The most popular cultivar is `Vanderwolfs Pyramid' that has a denser form. Limber pine does not grow as fast as white pine, but may still produce two feet of growth per year once it is well-established on a good site. Limber pine is subject to the common pests of pines, but none present serious problems.
Hardiness Zones: 4b-7
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa
Red pine is extremely cold tolerant, but is less heat tolerant. The needles are long and stiffer than white pine. Branching is fairly open, but it has the overall symmetry of many pines. Dark green needles are retained for about four years before the older, inner needles drop. Although a native of the northern United States, it is still tolerant of Missouri growing conditions. It is slower growing in our climate and becomes a tree of only medium size. The bark of pines is not usually ornamental, but this pine develops bark that is orange to reddish on the upper trunk of older trees. The needle appearance of red pine might suggest Austrian pine although it is less coarse. It currently appears to be less susceptible to the tip blight that causes severe damage to Austrian pine in many locations.
Hardiness Zones: 2b-6
Japanese Red Pine
Pinus densiflora
Japanese red pine is used as a specimen plant because of its interesting form and decorative bark. The foliage is bright bluish green to olive green. Bark on the trunk and large branches is orange-red, adding interest in all seasons. Trunks are frequently crooked or leaning, branches spread horizontally and the crown is broad and flat. The interesting growth habit and distinctive bark are the main reasons for using this tree in the landscape. This tree is usually free of any insect and disease problems and requires little maintenance. Growth is relatively slow for a pine. Some common cultivars are `Oculus-draconis,' which has variegated needles with two yellow bands; `Ubraculifera,' a dwarf form with many branches in a vase-shaped arrangement; and `Pendula,' a weeping form.
Hardiness Zones: 5b-7b
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
Eastern white pine becomes a large evergreen tree. Its long, soft needles give the tree a graceful look that fits into many settings. It has become more popular recently than Scotch pine because it is less susceptible to pine wilt nematode and environmental stress. White pine is a fast-growing evergreen that can provide a quick accent or screen. Although some white pines are sensitive to air pollutants and salty runoff water, it remains one of the best pines for our climate. Trees grow quite large, and should be used where there is plenty of space so pruning is not needed. Needles of white pine are held only two years, so fall needle-drop is more obvious than needle-drop of many other pines.
Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Eastern Redcedar
Juniperus virginiana
Eastern redcedar, the common evergreen growing in roadsides, fencerows and fields, is known to almost everyone. It grows well in a wide range of conditions. It is a tree for full sun although young plants may be found growing in shade. With age, trees in shade will be less dense and are more subject to disease problems. Many cultivars of redcedar have been selected and propagated for landscape use. One of the most common is `Canaertii,' which produces a loose, upright growth with deep green color through the year. This is a female selection with bluish seeds for fall and winter color. Redcedar is fairly pest free, but twig blight and bagworms may attack them. It is a host for several rust diseases that alternate between infecting cedar and members of the rose family. Redcedars make durable screens, tall hedges or accents. This is the same cedar that produces the wood used for cedar chests and novelties.
Hardiness Zones: 2-9
Colorado Spruce, Blue Spruce
Picea pungens
Since the most popular Colorado spruce cultivars are those with bluish needles, this tree is best known as blue spruce. It can tolerate Missouri weather, soil and drought conditions better than many other spruce species. The tree develops a formal, conical shape with very stiff branches and needles. Growth is slow, but it gradually forms a 40- to 50-foot tree averaging only about one foot of growth per year. Deep soils with good drainage provide the best growth. It is most useful as a formal specimen plant. It needs full sun and a location with good air circulation, to help avoid Cytospora canker, which kills low branches and inner needles. Several insect pests may attack spruces. Cultivars with the most intense blue color demand the highest prices. Cones are often abundantly produced on older trees, but add little to its landscape value.
Hardiness Zones: 2b-7
Norway Spruce
Picea abies
As a young tree, Norway spruce has a pyramidal shape that becomes very broad as it matures. The branches are pendulous, giving the tree a graceful appearance. Needles are light green when young, but develop a rich, deep green color. It may be invaded by spider mites and some other spruce pests, but generally these are not a major problem. It grows very large and should only be used in landscapes where plenty of space is available. Older Norway spruces do not always maintain attractive lower branches, but they may be removed to develop a trunk that accentuates the graceful drooping character of its higher branches. Like all spruces, Norway spruce grows best in deep soils that are well-drained and have constant soil moisture. This tree develops best in full sun but is tolerant of light shade. Norway spruce is fast-growing once established.
Hardiness Zones: 2-7
White Spruce
Picea glauca
White spruce is most commonly available in the nursery trade as a cultivar. The short, gray-green needles of white spruce produce a fine texture. Although not extremely heat and drought tolerant, it is still a useful plant for urban landscapes. Its most popular form is the variety conica known as the dwarf Alberta spruce. This form is usually grown as a shrub. Its growth is very slow, only two to three inches per year. Its dense, stiff, conical shape gives a sheared look, without shearing, that makes it frequently used for a formal vertical accent. Another white spruce variety, densata, is known as the Black Hills spruce. It does not grow as slowly as dwarf Alberta spruce, and gradually reaches tree size. It is has a rich, deep green color. White spruce is subject to spider mite damage during hot, dry weather. Severe droughts or poor drainage during wet seasons can be damaging, especially to older trees.
Hardiness Zones: 2-6
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