Doing the impossible

17 years ago

OK, now we're going to get really tough.

I have a pretty good sized oval raised bed in front of our house, measuring about 20' across and 30 plus long. As we have gotten more and more into conifers and began dotting them around other areas of our home, I have become less and less happy with this bed. It currently has a mature full canopied three trunk river birch in the center. It is surrounded by misc plants and flowering shrubs that live in the dappled sunlight from the tree. And here's the tough part.....it is on the West side of my house, getting morning shade and the rest of the day full hot sun.

Oklahoma has winters typically hovering around freezing with a few 10-20 for lows, and summers in the 90's with a week or two at or over 100. Our humidity would be classified as medium to fairly high. All making this a tough climate for conifers. And our soil is red clay.

So I am going to completely gut this bed, making it a clean slate. I'm wanting opinions on a few really outstanding specimens I can anchor this new bed with that have a decent chance to survive under these conditons. I'll worry about companion plants later. I am particularly fond of blues ( and we have surprisingly good luck growing picea pungens here ), variegated colors, and unusual shape combinations. Since it is in front of the home I'm wanting it to be a visual feast for the eyes and I really don't care much about the cost. But I also want them to have a chance to grow.

So if you had access to any conifers, what would you put in there.......provide pics of your sugestions if you have them.

thx Mark

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Comments (4)

texjagman
Original Author
17 years ago
Sorry...I said we were zone 8, I meant 7.....7a to be precise.

thx Mark
firefightergardener
17 years ago
Well, full sun is usually only a problem to some golden or varigated conifers.

Your biggest problem for conifers I would say is the mid-summer heat combined with high humidity. This would seem to rule out Abies(fir), though I couldn't say for certain.

I think you'd have good luck with Picea pungen cultivars(Colorado spruce), pines and Cedars(Cedrus atlantica and deodara).

There are enough cultivars in these species to fill a lot 100x's that size, so you should have fun making your 'ideal' bed. Plenty of blues, greens and perhaps some golds/whites to choose from.

Here are six to start with:

Cedrus deodara 'Gold Cascade' - A semidwarf golden cedar. Really a nice gold color much of the year, this will eventually get pretty big, maybe 10'x6' in 10 years. Graceful, beautiful tree, a centerpiece for sure.

Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' - Overused perhaps, but you can do amazing things with it. A staked/trained, weeping blue/silver piece of art.

Picea pungens 'The Blues' - A weeping blue spruce, grows irregularly, usually staked for height. 5'x3' in 10 years. Should eventually become a coveted classic, even amongst weekend gardeners.

Picea pungens 'Procumbens' - A groundcover type blue spruce. A very interesting plant amongst rocks and other conifers.

Pinus parviflora 'Aoba Jo' - A very nice blue with silver sheen. Somewhat narrow upright, perhaps 10'x4' in 15 years.

Pinus mugo 'Carstens Wintergold' - A nice green in Summer, turns bright yellow/gold in winter with cooler temps. Not as fast grower as a normal mugo, probably 3'x2' in 10 years.

I'm no expert, but to my knowledge all of these would have a good chance of surviving there. I think really your biggest enemy might be the soil. I'd really try and mix in some fast-draining types of amendments to the entire bed before I planted conifers in 'pots of clay'.

Goodluck!

Will
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midtn
17 years ago
Check out this thread. I think most of this would apply. Oklahoma is a little hotter and drier than where I live. Look for cultivars of the following.

Picea - I would probably stay away from any other Picea beside P. abies or P pungens. Both are pretty tough.

There are probably a lot of Pinus that would do fine. See what pines are at your local big box stores and get cultivars of those.

Cedrus - there are lots of options

Cupressus - same

Juniperus - same

Tsuga Canadensis or Tsuga in general is probably pushing it. Cedrus looks similiar.

Most Chamaecyparis I think are going to want less heat and more water. Go with Thuja instead which in some cases looks similiar.

The standard offering of Abies is unlikely to do well. Probably easiest to just stay away from them. Abies nordmanniana or A. firma might be OK. Get second opinions.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides or Taxodium distichum or T. ascendens

Here is a link that might be useful: Suggestions for a Southern Garden
gardener365
17 years ago
Is your ground workable or when will it be as in when are you planning to do this? Red clay is like concrete from what I know. It's a good conifer ph however.

It's all going to be in how well you know how to plant (i.e. drainage). The soil will need some extreme tilling possibly followed up with a mantis tiller when you're good and ready.

If you can create the correct drainage, it's workable. You should be fine with many, many conifers. Firs grow here just fine and well. High humidity, Illinios, but our soils are excellent. Even mine where I have the worst of Illinois, loamy clay.

Any of these should do well as a starting point:
Pinus koraiensis
Pinus heldreichii
Pinus resinosa
Pinus strobus
Pinus peuce
Pinus mugo
Pinus parviflora
Pinus virginiana

Abies koreana (firs need excellent drainage, i'm weary)
Abies nordmanniana
Abies firma
Abies lasiocarpa
Abies borisii-regis
Abies homolepis

Cedrus - all

Chamaecyparis pisifera

Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus chinensis
Juniperus sabina

Metasequoia

Taxodium

Larch - forget em!

Picea abies
Picea pungens (doesn't like humidity - not the best but will perform well)
Picea mariana
Picea jezoensis
Picea omorika

That's about all I can think of without causing severe brain shut-off.

Dax