hey dave... i am in adrian ..

any chance you can take a road trip to Hidden lakes gardens in Tipton MI .... just north of adrian ... on m50???

and then.. on the way home.. with your list of cultivar names.. stop at gee tree farm .... just north of jackson off the I94 cooper street exit [jackson state prison exit] ....

if you come as far as tipton ... i am just another 15 mins SE .... you are welcome to visit ...

your first project is to find the american conifer society website [www.conifersociety.org] ... and learn as much about conifers as you can ...

the most important lesson is summed up.. in my head ... this way ....

if momma is 385 feet tall .. a DWARF of her can be a mere 250 feet tall ....

sooooo .. are you looking for dwarves ... or minis ....

its all in the annual growth rate ... study up on that ...

and be fully aware.. that nearly all size estimates are at ten years ... add the growth rate for every year thereafter ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Some suggestions for you:

Abies koreana 'Ice Breaker'
Picea pungens 'Sweet Roll'
Picea omorika 'Treblitzensis'
Picea pungens 'Egyptian Pyramid'
Picea pungens 'Christina'
Larix laricina 'Blue Sparkler'

Dax

Horstmann's Korean Silver Fir is worth consideration.
Unusual new candles AND amazing cones.

Hi Chester - no doubt.

'Ice Breaker' is a witch broom from '(Horstmann's) Silberlocke'. It's a shrub versus being a pyramidal small tree. I have 'Silver Show' as well and is almost twice as good as 'Silberlocke'.

All three could be considered but I tried to keep it to shrub-forms only.

Dax

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and feedback. Much appreciated.

Ken, yes you are correct, I should have said "miniature" conifer rather than "dwarf". Didn't consider that a 100 or 200 foot tall tree would be considered a dwarf, so mini it is! I havent been to Hidden Lake Gardens in years, but I will have to make the trip. Well worth the drive. We're about 1 hour west of Jackson.

Gardner365 and Chester, thanks also for your ideas. Are those cultivars fairy easy to find or difficult to locate? If a place like Gee Farms in Jackson, MI doesn't have them then I'd probably have to mail order. Not too many specialty conifer retailers in the SW Michigan area that I am aware of.

I'll be sure and look those cultivars up online this weekend.

Thanks again!

Dave

Gee Farms is close to Arrowhead Alpines - AA has amazing gardens rare plants in conifers, daphnes etc. I also purchased a Horstmann's Silberlocke, Baby Blue Eyes, Cryptomeria Vilmoriniana, and Crypto. Black Dragon from Greer Gardens in Oregon - mail order of course - there are so many great choices, textures - good hunting!

if you go to gee's.. ask to be driven over to the arboretum ...ken