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Evergreens You Can Use For Landscaping
By
Paul Curran
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Evergreen trees and shrubs are
more expensive in general than deciduous trees (trees that
drop their leaves in winter). But they are worth their
cost because of their year-round beauty, hardiness and
longevity. Evergreens range from the broadleaved shrubs
like rhododendron and laurel to the tall-needled
cone-bearing pines and stately spruces.
The giant spruces and firs are most effective as
windscreens; the spreading evergreen shrubs are widely
used not only because of their attractiveness but also
because they can be shaped and trimmed and do well in the
shade (such as for foundation planting).
Pine is the most commonly known of the evergreens.
White pine is noted for its long, soft, light
silvery-green needles and rapid attainment of its 60- to
80-foot maturity. Red pine, as well as white pine, is
splendid for backgrounds and windbreaks. Ponderosa pine, a
broad, compact tree, is used for protection and ornamental
screens.
Austrian pine (black pine) with its rich, green color and
spreading branches has great favor in the Midwest. Globe
mugho pine is a small, rounded tree for ornamental
planting.
Norway Spruce is probably the most widely planted
windbreak evergreen. Quick growing and. hardy, it has
short needles of dark green; is a compact, pyramidal
shape. Black Hills spruce grows toy 40 feet in time, is
hardy and drought-resistant. A slow grower, it can remain
in close quarters for many years.
White spruce has short, thick, light blue-green
needles; it matures at 60 to 70 feet and is good for
landscaping and screens. Colorado blue spruce is a good
specimen tree and hardy, too, but it suffers in heat and
drought. Of the cedars, red cedar is a fine
ornamental evergreen for hedges and windbreaks. It
withstands dry weather and the thick green foliage has a
bronze in winter.
Douglas fir is the best fir for windbreaks and
screening. Hardy, healthy, drought-resisting, it grows
quickly and compactly, and its lofty pyramid makes a good
lawn specimen. Balsam fir, the Christmas tree, is noted
for its fragrance and lustrous foliage. White fir, a
specimen, has an attractive silvery color.
Arbor vitae, like cedar, furnishes the flat
evergreen branch found in flower arrangements at
Christmas. It is an ornamental tree of many varieties, and
is best located in moist protected places. Un-trimmed, it
is a broad pyramid, 35 to 50 feet tall, but it shears to
any size or shape.
The juniper family is useful in planting, in tall
forms such as the formal columnar juniper and the upright
juniper, and as a spreading evergreen — the remarkable
Pfitzer juniper—for banks, ground cover and edgings. The
green feathery foliage grows rapidly; can stand crowding.
Height at maturity is 8 feet, spread up to 12.
Ground-covering junipers include prostrate, Sargent,
Waukegan and creeping varieties.
Another evergreen with feathery foliage is the hemlock.
The Canadian hemlock can be sheared in a symmetrical
manner. Hemlock is most effective when planted in a grove
with others.
Yew, with its thick glossy needles and dense,
upward-reaehing branches, is useful as both shrub and
tree, growing well in sun and shade. Try using it not in
the usual manner as foundation planting only — but as a
single handsome specimen against a wall of the garden. The
low-spreading bushy dwarf yew can be clipped well. Other
varieties are upright yew and Japanese yew, a tapering or
conical tree or shrub used for hedges.
Evergreens tend to be adversely affected by hot, dry
summer weather and should be watered every 10 to 14 days
at this time. Be sure the water reaches the deep-root
growth, at least 6 inches deep.
A mulch of grass clippings or peat moss will also protect
the tree from loss of water in dry weather. Pruning in
late spring before new buds appear seems to help an
evergreen thrive. Prune so that the inner branches can
develop and the tree or shrub is more compact.
Formal trees can be kept trim, with no ragged branches
sticking out, and badly shaped or deformed trees can be
corrected through shaping. Evergreens are susceptible to
"winterburn" from too much wind and winter sun,
so that they dry up and their branches crack under the
weight of snow or the force of wind. A precaution is to
water them deeply before the ground freezes in the late
fall.
They may also be protected in winter by screens of burlap
or straw mats. Where wind and winter sun are not too
strong, shielding only on the sunny side is necessary.
Burlap boxes or covers should be well ventilated. Thin,
tall shrubs or small evergreen trees may be tied with
strips of cloth, so that the branches will not crack. Old
trees with heavy limbs may be propped with boards to
prevent breakage under heavy snow or ice.
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