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galcho

Just for fun... what evergreen do you like best?

19 years ago

I enjoyed following thread "Just for fun...".

Can we start new one? I like evergreens because they make me to believe that life never ends.

Comments (28)

  • 19 years ago
  • 19 years ago

    Evergreens in general, or conifers only?

    In conifers I love the hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) cultivars, and the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) cultivars. Lovely.

    In broadleaf evergreens I like iberis, hellebore, heather, and the evergreen viburnums. And I LOVE salal.

  • 19 years ago

    Calocedrus decurren 'Burrima Gold'. Want it but can't find it!

  • 19 years ago

    Brought some back from England in mid-90s but one I kept for myself didn't make it. Don't remember who got the rest. Since then I have seen it offered over here. According to Plant Locator forestfarm listed it ca. 2003. Sky (185th & Aurora) had some gallons last year or a bit farther back, maybe these came as part of a grower's pick assortment from Stanley & Sons - I don't know. Have also seen a fairly big one displayed at Northwest Flower & Garden Show, didn't note who had it. Might be able to order it from Coenosium Gardens. Believe Bob may have mentioned having it during one of the discussions on this site.

    Search GW for 'Berrima Gold', it might come up.

  • 19 years ago

    I love evergreens! Deodars. Lebanese & Turkish Cedars. Giant Sequoias. Coast Redwoods. Some pines. Just about any big majestic fluffy green tree. Have planted lots of giant sequoias, deodars and coast redwoods in my yard. Have an evergreen that nobody know what it is, was supposed to be a "dwarf" but is growing very fast and is beautiful and interesting, perhaps some type of spruce.

    Have 5 Edith Bogue Grand Southern Magnolias, great tree. Prefer any type of evergreen but had to plant a lot of deciduous trees because of swampy areas.

    Looking forward to learning about any evergreens that have escaped my attention via this thread. Links and pictures please!

  • 19 years ago

    I am currently enamored with Viburnum Tinus "Bewleys Variagated." It has Bright green evergreen leaves with cream colored splotches on the margins. I love the panicles of red buds opening to showy white flowers, and the attractive blue berrys. It is happy and hardy in a shady spot, and looks terrific all year long. I found it originally it at Colos Creek Nursery.

  • 19 years ago

    Your viburnum plant is a propagation of stock I brought back from England in the mid-90s.

  • 19 years ago

    Probably the two hemlocks native to Oregon.

    Western hemlock for a tall evergreen.

    Mountain Hemlock for a short evergreen.

  • 19 years ago

    I really like the Hemlocks too, but I'm smitten with the Alpine Fir.

  • 19 years ago

    Adelgids are becoming pretty prevalent on hemlocks here.

  • 19 years ago

    I am always checking Forest Farm and others on the web for the Calocedrus d 'Burrima Gold'! I saw some nice plants a few years ago at Valley Nursery in Poulsbo and should have bought one then and then worried about where to put it. They were not cheap and it looked like they would require some winter sun to stay gold. At the time I just didn't have that spot!
    BTW, I saw that specimen at the NWF&G Show. Thats what started the search!

  • 19 years ago

    I'm not into conifers so I will say my Phyllostachys nuda since it shines in the winter when everything else is rather bare or drab.

  • 19 years ago

    It's from Australia, thus 'Berrima Gold'.

  • 19 years ago

    Chamaecyparis obtusa cultivars and dwarf Rhododendrons. I'm very fond of heaths and heathers too.

  • 19 years ago

    Pretty much any dwarf conifer, although cultivars of Hinoki top my list. Also hebes, any Sarcococca (hookeriana var. digyna and humilis are my faves), male Japanese skimmia and daphnes 'Lawrence Crocker' and x houtteana.

    I also favor a good many of the nandina cultivars (but not all!!) as this is such a versatile and adaptable plant and offers great foliage color and texture for a broadleaved evergreen.

  • 19 years ago

    Some of my favorite conifers are Podocarpus salignus, Nageia nagi, Dacrydium cupressinum and Araucaria angustifolia. Of course, Wollemia sounds cool but I have yet to see one in person.

    As for other evergreens... so many to choose from. A few favorites include Arctostaphylos, Eucalyptus, Grevillea and Evergreen oaks.... I grow many of all of those.

  • 19 years ago

    Gardengal, what nandina cultivars do you like?
    This is a plant that i like (from description) and am planning to plant but not sure which one will grow better in zone 7 full sun.

  • 19 years ago

    Might be easier to say which ones I don't like :-) I avoid 'Firepower' like the plague - lumpy texture, extremely prone to leaf blight and that screaming red winter color just doesn't cut my mustard. Also not overly wild about 'Moyers Red' or 'Royal Princess' - OK, just nothing to get excited about. If you can find them, 'Filamentosa' (syn. 'San Gabriel') or 'Leucocarpa' are uncommon selections - one with a very deliacte thread-like leaf, the other with yellow berries. And it's hard to beat the coloring on 'Plum Passion' or 'Sienna Sunrise' and you don't have to wait for winter to get it!

  • 19 years ago

    Good, thanks, the ones that i was looking at were "Sienna Sunrise" and "Filamentosa". Are they completely evergreen for you or semi-evergreen?

  • 19 years ago

    Evergreen :-)

  • 19 years ago

    Mildew becoming more noticeable on these. I pooh-poohed a comment that the other party to a planting job made about nandina mildewing when choosing a Plum Passion TM for the customer's entry.

    After awhile it got full of mildew, its condition not to be missed where it is right by the steps.

  • 19 years ago

    bboy, are both "Sienna Sunrise" and "Filamentosa" sensible to mildew?

  • 19 years ago

    Probably most of them, but I haven't done a survey. Have noticed many with poor color (not very green). Probably like box and photinia being stuck in all over the place and not getting adequate moisture, drainage and fertility in many situations.

  • 19 years ago

    I like the "just for fun...." posts too. Thanks for starting this one. It's great to be able to share opinions on things.

    If we're including broad-leaf evergreens then I'm a big fan of rhododendrons (the larger the leaves and the hotter the flower colors the better), camellias (singles and semi-doubles mostly), aucuba, and sweet box, Sarcococca.

    If we're talking just coniferous evergreens, put me down as a fan of Hollywood junipers, mugho pines, and weeping Alaskan cedars (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)--there's just something very elegant yet goofy about them. They remind me of some sort of swamp creature, and they seem to have a pretty small "footprint" for their height.

    Honestly, I don't plant as many coniferous evergreens as I probably should. Hmmm.....

    Great thread!
    Take care,
    Grant

  • 18 years ago

    Cryptomeria of any or all kinds do it for me. They come in all sizes and put on a show year round. So far, they seem to be more resistant to disease than the other cypress and cedar.

  • 18 years ago

    Garrya elliptica. I just love the wavy dark-green foliage.

    And since the topic is left open to any evergreen plants:
    Calluna vulgaris 'Silver Knight', 'Firefly', and many others with interesting winter colors

    Hellebores

    Nothochelone nemorosa - Penstemon-like native perennial that has the coolest dark purple mat of foliage in the winter. Hummingbirds love it!

  • 18 years ago

    alpine fir - for the scent

  • 18 years ago

    Sarcococca Rusciforia has to be the one if I have only one to choose.Its attractive always, easy to grow and gets along with me really well.