• Blog
    • General Gardening
    • Vegetables & Fruits
    • Gardening for Children
    • Gardening Videos
    • Trees
    • Landscape Design
    • Insect Pests
    • Weeds
  • Events
  • Gardening Videos
  • Resources
    • Gardening Guide
    • Online Resources
    • Speakers Bureau
  • Garden Helpline
    • Collecting Samples of Plants and Insects
  • The Learning Garden
  • About Us
    • About Us
      • How to Become an Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer
    • The Association
    • Contact Us
    • Speakers Bureau
    • Sponsors
      • Sponsors: 2019 Garden Tour
      • Sponsors: 2019 WNC Gardening Symposium
  • Donate
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

conifers

Time to Maintain: Pruning Conifers—Know Species Before Using Your Pruners

July 3, 2018

Conifers are plants that “set” seed-containing cones to reproduce, in contrast to plants that flower to form seed containers. If you equate “conifers” with “evergreens,” think again! Although many conifers are evergreen, the aptly named bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is one example of a deciduous conifer that loses its needles in winter. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is one of many evergreens that are not conifers. This is one reason correct identification of your plants is so important when you seek advice about your landscape!

American arborvitae cone_Maggie_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
American arborvitae cone

Common conifers
Evergreen conifers commonly grown in our landscapes include Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana), Norway spruce (Picea abies), white pine (Pinus strobus), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), blue rug juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), hinoki falsecypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), English yew (Taxus baccata), and Fraser fir (Abies fraseri). 

Amazing conifers
Conifers contain examples of the world’s oldest trees, such as the bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva). These grow in the desert mountains of California and Nevada and are estimated to be over 5,000 years old. Many of the world’s biggest trees are also conifers. These include the giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California that can reach heights of 95 meters (312 feet), and the coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) growing along the California coast that can reach heights of 110 meters (361 feet). 

Bald Cypress in Autumn_Lake Crabtree Park_Cary NC_by bobistraveling_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Bald cypress in autumn, a deciduous conifer

Pruning
Before you make any decisions about pruning, consider the natural growth habit and landscape value of the plant. Most conifers require only minimal pruning and will perform well in your landscape without your intervention. That said, do not hesitate to get out your pruning tools when you see dead or diseased branches. Leaving these on a tree or shrub provides a route for disease pathogens and insects to enter and they should be promptly removed. Many gardeners choose conifers for formal or informal hedges. When you shear any conifer hedge, remember to leave the bottom of the plants a bit wider than the tops to get light to the lower limbs, keeping them lush and green.

Most conifers are “self-limbing.” They naturally lose their lower branches as they mature. Have you walked through a mature, healthy pine forest? You’ll see hardly any limbs within 3 meters (about 10 feet) of the ground. This is not the pruning work of some forest gnome! The trees shed their lower limbs on their own as they grow taller. This is an example of knowing the natural growth habit of your landscape plants when making pruning decisions. 

Different conifer species bud differently and therefore require different approaches to pruning.

  • Pines have buds only at the tip of the current season’s growth, not on the stems. So, prune pines in the spring when you can cut or pinch the soft new growth—called “candles”—before the needles are fully elongated. Buds will develop from needle sheaths below the cut.
  • Firs, cedars, and spruce also bud along the current season’s growth, but on the stems. Prune these species back to the bud before the current year’s growth hardens.
  • Yews and hemlocks bud on both old and new wood. Their buds develop into twigs when you cut the wood above. Pruning in the spring, just before the new growth begins, allows new growth to cover the pruning cuts.
  • Juniper and arborvitae have buds present only where there are green leaves. Note that prolonged use of electric hedge shears on juniper and arborvitae hedges will result in a very small veneer of needles just on the outer surface of the plants. If part of a continually sheared plant dies or is cut back too far, there are no inner leaf buds to develop, and you will be left with a “hole” in your hedge.
    White pine bud or candle in spring_Lal Beral_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
    White pine bud or candle
    Blue spruce bud tip_Lal Beral_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
    Blue spruce bud tip
    Yew budding and growing_Karen Maraj_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
    Yew buds

Remember, the Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener HelpLine and Information Tables are important sources of information about identifying and maintaining garden plants, including conifers.

Article written by Bob Wardwell, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer. 

More information
Selecting Landscape Plants: Conifers
by Virginia Cooperative Extension

The ConiferBase
by American Conifer Society
Online database provides information and photographs about conifers, including pruning, care, and varieties.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Categories Seasonal Chores Tags arborvitae, cedar, conifers, false cypress, fir, hemlocks, juniper, pines, pruning, spruce, yew

Gardening on Slopes: Solve Problems with Plants

September 14, 2016

Sun. Shade. Wet. Dry. Tall. Short. Spreading. Contained. Don’t be intimidated by your steep slope. Start with your objective, identify any gardening problems you need to solve, and then select your plants. With thousands of plants to choose from, you’re bound to find the right ones for your space.

Diverse planting of conifers on slope
Diverse planting of conifers on slope.

Conifers
Low maintenance, erosion control, and all-season interest—especially during winter months—are typical gardening goals on slopes. Our acidic soils and a sunny hillside make an ideal environment for conifers. Nurseries will present you with an almost unlimited variety of conifer shapes, sizes, and colors from which to choose—spruce, cypress (Chamaecyparis spp.), pine, hemlock, arborvitae, and juniper. Conifers require little—if any—pruning, and typically are disease and insect free, making them well-suited for low-maintenance hillsides. Just know the natural growth habit of the variety you select. Is the conifer you choose a tree, shrub, or groundcover? A Norway spruce (Picea abies) can grow into a 90-foot tall tree, while a dwarf globosa blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Globosa’) will remain a compact shrub, only three to four feet tall. While the variety of junipers can be mind-boggling, there’s nothing better to cover and hold a dry, hot slope than a spreading juniper (Juniperus horizontalis). Just be sure you have enough space because some junipers like ‘Shore’ and ‘Blue rug’ will spread ten feet or more.

Nellie R. Stevens hollies
Nellie R. Stevens hollies hide retaining wall. Daylilies outline path and camouflage lower holly branches.

Hollies
Hollies (Ilex spp.), like conifers, suit our WNC environment. They come in a vast variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are evergreen; other are deciduous. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ hollies are workhorses and provide outstanding privacy screens. There’s nothing prettier in the winter than the native winterberry holly (I. verticillata) covered with red berries—‘Red Sprite’ is a great cultivar. If you’re looking for an evergreen holly that thrives in moist soils and sends up shoots from root runners to hold soil on steep slopes, try the native inkberry holly (I. glabra). Japanese hollies (I. crenata) are often the perfect size for foundation plantings, but are highly susceptible to diseases, including root rot in poorly drained soil.

Moisture lovers
Shrubs that like wet soil and work especially well near the bottom of a steep slope or in an area that takes lots of stormwater runoff include sweetspire (Itea virginica), summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), and red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea). Plant these, give them lots of room to grow, and ignore.

Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses are excellent choices for dry, sunny slopes and they mix well with other shrubs and perennials either in masses or as individual specimens. Your ornamental grasses will need maintenance in the late winter—namely climbing your slope to cut them back to near-ground level just before new growth emerges. For shady spots, think ferns and hostas.

Shrubs for flowers and fall color
Shrubs such as hydrangeas, viburnums, and fothergilla add colorful interest to your slopes. Again, know the growth habit of shrubs you choose. Some viburnums can reach 12-feet tall, hydrangeas may need staking on a steep slope when their spreading branches are heavy with blossoms, and Fothergilla major tops out at 10 feet, but dwarf Fothergilla gardenii is a modest 3-feet tall at maturity.

Perennials and annuals
Speaking of staking—do you want to grow perennials or annuals on your slope? If so, be sure they have sturdy stems or plan on staking them. Tall flowers flop, especially after a heavy rain.

Ground cover: Green-and-Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Green-and-Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)

Groundcovers
We often want low-growing groundcovers to hold the soil on our slopes and carpet the ground beneath shrubs and trees. I’ve already mentioned creeping juniper for sunny, dry slopes. If your hillside is part sun to shade, try pachysandra—either the native Allegany spurge (P. procumbens) or the Japanese variety (P. terminalis). At less than six-inches tall, spreading, and evergreen, pachysandra makes a pretty groundcover summer and winter. Or you might cover your slope with low-maintenance creeping red fescue—a fine-bladed grass that stays green in winter. Other low-growing choices are green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) and creeping St. John’s wort (Hypericum calycinum), although both brown out during the winter. Perennials such as dwarf crested iris, catmint, stachys, and ajuga all make good groundcovers on slopes.

Avoid bullies
Warning! Never plant invasive species such as English ivy or periwinkles (Vinca major and V. minor) as a groundcover. And beware other aggressive groundcovers such creeping raspberry (Rubus pentalobus). While only English ivy climbs and helps kill trees, you’ll need to dedicate many gardening hours to pulling trailing vines to keep any of these plants in bounds.

Analyze your site, have a plan, install your hardscape and access paths, and spend time thoroughly researching your plant options. You will then be ready to select the right plant for the right space on your garden slope.

Article written by Beth Leonard, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Categories Landscape Design Tags conifers, evergreens, flowering shrubs, garden planning, groundcovers, hillsides, holly, invasive plants, landscape planning, ornamental grasses, planting on slopes, slopes

NC Cooperative Extension; Empowering People, Providing Solutions

Blog posts written and published by Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers in Buncombe County.

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to our blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,553 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • Introduction to Botanical Dyeing, June 23
  • Wednesdays in the Learning Garden, June 22
  • Online Seminar: Heavenly Hydrangeas June 16
  • Gardening Video: Turf – Truth and Transformation
  • Gardening Video: Building a Wattle Gardening Bed

Categories

  • Events
    • Extension in Buncombe County
    • Extension Master Gardener Info Table
    • Extension Master Gardener Plant Clinic
    • Garden Tours
    • Lectures & Seminars
    • NC Mountain State Fair
    • Plant Sales
    • School Garden Grants
  • Flowers
    • Bulbs
    • Perennials & Biennials
    • Roses
    • Wildflowers
  • Gardening for Children
  • Gardening Videos
  • General Gardening
    • Installation & Planting
    • Mulch
    • Native Plants
    • Propagation
    • Seasonal Chores
    • Soils & Fertilizers
  • Houseplants
  • Landscaping
    • Firewise Landscaping
    • Landscape Design
    • Site Conditions
    • Water Management
  • Lawns
  • Pest Management
    • Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    • Invasive Plants
    • Pesticides
    • Weeds
  • Plant Diseases
  • Plant Insects
    • Beneficial Insects
    • Insect Pests
    • Invasive Insects
  • Shrubs
  • Special Gardens
    • Container Gardens
    • Herb Gardens
    • Pollinator Gardens
    • Rain Gardens
    • Shade Gardens
  • Trees
  • Vegetables & Fruits
  • Wildlife

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

Events

Keep up with our events by subscribing to the blog or checking our Events Calendar.

Explore the Archives

Back to Top

Copyright © 2022 Extension Master Gardeners of Buncombe County. Privacy Policy.