Abies koreana    Native to the mountains of southern Korea, this garden friendly conifer will grow slowly to 20-30' with a pyramidal habit with branches held in a distinctly horizontal plane. This species is particularly admired for its attractively colored needles which are dark green on top and conspicuously silvered on the undersides, and, for its plump, dark purple to blue cones which begin appearing on very young plants, even on plants under 3' tall. Best placement is in full sun, in moist, well drained but never soggy soil. Plants are quite heat tolerant but do not like wet feet. Zone 5.

Abies koreana ‘Siberlocke’     This handsome selection of the Korean Fir displays needles that curl up to reveal undersides of startling silvery-white. Form is upright, densely conical, sometimes attractively irregular. Slow growing, possibly reaching 30’ after many years. Maintains a dense, full habit throughout its life. Abundant, rich purple cones in spring add yet another ornamental feature to this amazing evergreen. Zone 5.

Chamaecyparis (Falsecypress) 

obtusa ‘Crippsii’    An upright, pyramidal, large shrub to small tree with graceful horizontal branches lined with fan-like fronds, brilliantly yellow at their tips, becoming gold then bright chartreuse toward the core of the plant. Grows slowly, eventually becoming broadly conical, 15ft. high by 8ft. wide with wide-spreading branches that droop flirtatiously at their tips. Impressive as a lawn specimen or for dramatic accent in the shrub border. Zone5.

obtusa ‘Gracilis’ - Select        This "select" form of the Hinoki Falsecyparis exhibits a fuller shape, greener color and a slower growth rate as compared to 'Gracilis'. Moderately fast growing with10 year old plants being 5' high and mature specimens, after many years, reaching 30'. Form is generally pyramidal with rich, green, fan-like foliage sprays growing in various vertical and horizontal planes displaying what many consider to be the real Japanese effect. Zone 5.

obtusa ‘Kosteri’    A robust, broad/upright form with bright green, interestingly contorted foliage that gives it a unique look and sets it apart from all other dwarf conifers. Very slow growing to a mature height of 4-5' in many years. Said to benefit from reasonably consistent moisture and position out of winter wind.

obtusa ‘Nana’    Very slow growing to about 3ft. in height with a slightly broader spread. A true dwarf, not to be confused with the faster and taller growing 'Nana Gracilis'

obtusa ‘Split Rock’    The bluest obtusa with both green adult foliage and blue juvenile foliage imparting lots of color and textural interest. Grows to 5-6' at a rate of 3-5" per year, developing a upright/broad form. Zone 5.

obtusa ‘Templehof’     A faster growing selection, compact, broadly cone-shaped with dense, olive green, fan-shaped foliage and orange stems. Particularly useful when that unique "Chamaecyparis look" is desired but when there aren't decades to wait for the slower growing forms to mature. A handsome plant in any landscape whether used as a specimen/accent, as part of a foundation planting or as an element in a mixed shrub border, even as a focal point in the mixed perennial border.  Grow in sun, in rich, moist, well drained, neutral to acidic soils. Zone 4.

pisifera ‘Soft Serve’    Compact and slow growing with a conical form and soft, fern-like foliage that's bright green on top and flecked with silver-blue on the underside. A sport of C. 'Boulevard', 'Soft Serve' retains some of the great texture of it's parent with none of the disease problems that can plague that selection. Grows 6-8' tall with a neat, conical form and soft, "touchable" foliage that requires little pruning. Recommended for hedging, for specimen planting and makes a good substitute for the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Zone 5.

pisifera ‘Squarrosa Pygmaea’    A derivative of 'Squarrosa Intermedia' with tight, blue-green foliage mounding into a dense, rounded form not exceeding 3' in height. Plants have a tendency to throw off random, wispy branches which are easily snipped off annually to retain the low, dense form. Zone 4.

pisifera ‘Vintage Gold’ New     Forms a dense mound of bright yellow, fern-like foliage that holds its color well through the summer, bronzing somewhat in winter. Grows only 3-5' tall by 3-4' wide with most sources agreeing on the lower, 3' height. Its brightly colored, highly textured foliage together with its small size make it an excellent choice for specimen, border and foundation use, especially on smaller properties where space is at a premium. The attractive foliage remains dense to the ground. Zone 4.

thyoides ‘Little Jamie’   A slow growing, narrow form with dark green foliage that turns an attractive purple in winter. Because of its slow growth and small size, ‘Little Jamie’ is well suited for use rock gardens, in miniature gardens and in containers.  Zone 4.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Blacl Dragon’ New     (Japonese Ceder) A distinctive evergreen with short, needle-like foliage tightly encircling the stems and uniformily pointing toward the branch tip. Needle color is medium green in spring, becoming intensely dark green in summer. The form is a dense, irregular pyramid maturing to 10' high by 4-5' wide. Prefers rich, moist, acid soil and will tolerate some shade as well as heavy pruning. Its eye-catching dark foliage and architectural growth habit recommend it for use in formal as well as more relaxed settings. Pest free. Suitable for smaller scale plantings and makes an interesting alternative to Chamaecyparis, Juniper or Yew. Zone 5.

Juniperus chinensis ‘Daub’s Frosted’   A low-spreading form with bluish green foliage liberally gold-frosted. Grows only 2' high by 4' wide with the low, wide-spreading branches arching downward at their tips. Effective as ground cover, foundation plants and as specimens. Plants grow best in rich, evenly moist but well-drained soil, in full sun. Becomes more drought tolerant with age. Zone 4.

Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’     A living column, growing only 2ins. per year, maturing to a size of around 30ins. high by 6-8ins. wide. This is a choice little conifer whose tight, upright habit is perfect for accent or specimen use, for miniature gardens and especially for use in sunny rock gardens. Grow in full sun, in well drained soil. Zone 4.

Juniperus communis ‘Gnom’      A narrow, upright column, 10-12' tall with a width of only 3-4'. Needles are awl-shaped, short and very dense. In winter, foliage takes on purple cast and beautiful blue-gray berries nestle in the foliage. As they mature, plants retain their attractive columnar shape without flopping or splaying open. This native juniper is very hardy and well adapted to growing in full sun, in poor, dry soil, becoming increasingly drought tolerant as it establishes. Excellent as a narrow screen where space is limited and very effective at adding sharp vertical dimension in mixed shrub and perennial borders. Also effective as a specimen and in larger foundation plantings. Zone 2.

Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’    Tight, dense and slow growing, this columnar Juniper is ideal for many landscape uses. Foliage is a superb gold color on plants that grow only 3-4ins. per year, maturing at 6-7ft. high by 2-3ft. wide. Thought to be the best of the yellow-needled columnar types. Retains its color through summer with a minimum of fading. Grow in full sun, in well drained soil. Zone 5.

horizontalis ‘Limeglow’   Billowy, bright yellow/gold foliage that retains its color even in the heat of summer. Plants remain low with a wide, vase-shaped form, 12-15ins. tall bv 4-5ft. wide. Easy to grow in all but overly moist soil. Very effective planted in groups, in foundation plantings as specimens and in mixed perennial and shrub plantings. Full sun. Zone 3.

horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’     A unique sport of ‘Wiltoni’ that is completely bright yellow in summer without a speck of green turning deep gold and salmon-orange with green overtones in winter. Slow growing but not fragile, thoroughly capable of holding its own in any full sun location with excellent drainage. Warrants a prominent spot in the garden where it can be seen and enjoyed year round. Only 4-6ins. tall with slow, modest spread. Zone 3.

procumbens ‘Nana’     This is the true selection of ‘Nana’ which in increments of 2-3” a year forms a low, ground-hugging mat looking somewhat like rough textured moss. A choice, dwarf conifer especially useful as a modest groundcover, in the rock garden, in collections of dwarf conifers, and for bonsai. Grow in full sun in well drained soil. Zone 4

Larix dicidua ‘Pendula’  See under Shrubs.

Larix dicidua ‘Pendula’-prostrate form  See under Shrubs.

Larix dicidua ‘Varied Directions’ See under Shrubs.

Larix kaempferi ‘Diana’ See under Shrubs.

Picea glauca ‘Echiniformis’     Short gray-green needles tightly packed on low, mounding frames. Very slow growing, adding only 1-2" of new growth per year, eventually maturing at 15-20" high. Because of its slow growth and low, dense habit, ‘Echiniformis’ is very desirable for rock garden and container use. Zone 2.

mariana ‘Ericoides’     (Dwarf Black Spruce)  Low and wide growing,(18ins. high by 30ins. wide), with tiny, densely packed blue-green needles. Somewhat similar to the Bird’s Nest Spruce but more dense and with deeper blue color. Very rugged plants that thrive in sun, in moist, acid soil. Zone 2 

Picea omorika 'Pendula' (Weeping Serbian Spruce)    A small tree with strongly weeping, drooping, slightly twisted branches. Needles are blue/green. An especially beautiful small evergreen with a look that sets it apart from other weeping conifers. The specimen in the photo has been growing at our nursery for 14yrs. and is 12ft. high. In background is Hepticodium miconioides, Seven-son Flower. 

orientalis ‘Gaul Aurea’      A beautiful dwarf Spruce with a habit similar to 'Nana' though somewhat more open. Form is dense, upright, broad pyramidal with short, tightly packed needles that, on new growth, are golden yellow, gradually fading to green as summer progresses. Slow glowing, reaching 6-8' in 20 years. To get an idea of what this conifer looks like, check out the picture of 'Nana' below and imagine it with gold tipped branches.

orientalis ‘Nana’        A dense, compact, dwarf spruce with a neat, broad pyramidal form, wide at the base and tapering gradually to a point. Needles are short, very dark green and thickly packed on the branches. Mature height is 3ft. tall with a very appealing tight, symmetrical silhouette. Could be use in foundation plantings, certainly as a rock garden specimen, or, among perennials in the mixed border. Zone 4.

pungens ‘Glauca Pendula’    If unstaked, plants will at best form a weak, arching leader with most of the growth taking place at ground level, spreading horizontally over the ground in ground cover fashion. When staked, plants assume fanciful, unpredictable shapes with a whimsical, left-of-center, central leader with all other lateral branches draping and pendulous. When staked, plants may be maintained at any height though overall form is individual, varying from plant to plant, always fantastically sculptural. Needles have good blue color. Zone 2.

pungens ‘Summer Gold’ New     A new golden cultivar of the Colorado Spruce. large growing, with needles yellow in spring, holding their color until early summer. Hope to be able to provide more descriptive information soon. Have seen it listed as P. glauca 'Summer Gold'.

Pinus bungeana Lacebark Pine    As a young tree, it has dark green needles and a densely branched pyramidal form. The bark on young trees is smooth and dull gray, but with age the bark starts scaling off in small patches in a pattern similar to that seen on plane trees. On mature trees, when these patches scale off, a chalky white sub-bark is exposed. Patience is called for, as it takes a number of years for plants to reach their most ornate stage.

nigra ‘Hornibrookiana’   A dwarf Austrian Pine, slow-growing, compact, with long, glossy, dark green needles densely bundled on the stems creating a full, lush appearance. In spring, the needles are accented by colorful cream-colored candles which add considerable landscape interest. Size in 30 yrs. will be 3' tall by 4-6' wide. This is a very adaptable dwarf conifer, particularly tolerant of air polution and poor soil in exposed locations. Because of its endurance to wind and salt spray, it is an excellent choice for sea side plantings. 'Hornibrookiana' is suitable for planting wherever a small, slow-growing, evergreen plant is needed, and, its needles won't burn in winter.  the front of a Zone 3.

parviflora ‘Bergman # ?’    A dwarf Japanese white pine growing 2" a year to form a broadly upright silhouette. Needles are short, silvery blue in color and attractively twisted. In spring, bright red cones encircle the elongated branch tips. Its small size, distinctive foliage that remains attractive year round, plus the eye-catching bright red cones in spring make 'Bergman' an excellent choice for foundation plantings, mixed conifer and deciduous plantings, rock gardens and specimen use. Perfers well drained soil with full sun. Zone 5.

parviflora 'Glauca Nana' (Japanese White Pine)    A tight, irregular growing, semi-dwarf conifer with a good blue cast. Because of its upright habit, it makes a good campanion for the many rounded or flat-topped forms of dwarf conifers. A 10 year old plant will be less than 4' tall and approximately 2' wide.

sylvestris ‘Aurensis’        A slow-growing, dense, medium sized Scots Pine with needles that are green/chartreuse in summer but transform to a showy, golden yellow in winter. Neither dwarf nor overly large, in time achieving a height of 25'. The dense, compact and brightly colored needles displayed on an irregular growing, architecturally pleasing habit makes this conifer highly suitable for accent and specimen use. Zone 2.

sylvestris ‘Hillside Creeper’    A prostrate scotch pine never exceeding 2 ½ft. in height, but with a much greater spread. Its low sprawling habit incites great interest and looks sensational when allowed to cascade over walls. Zone 3. limited supplies.

thunbergii ‘Oculus Draconis’ New     Conforms to the specie description of Japanese Black Pine in being vigorous, with an informal, open habit and branches resembling chimney brushes with densely packed, rich green, 3-4" long needles that, in spring, encircle large, pointy, silvery-white buds. 'Oculus Draconis' goes the species one better by delivering needles that are prominently ringed in yellow/white bands. Shows high tolerance of heat, drought and salt making it an excellent choice for seaside planting. 20-40' tall. Hardy to the warmer parts of zone 5,(5b-6a). Considered choice and collectable.

wallichiana (griffithii) ‘Zebrina’        Variegated Himalayan Pine. I'm really excited to offering this special pine this year. It's a large tree, 30-50' high, possibly higher, with a width equal to at least ½,or more, the height. The needles are long and strikingly variegated with gold bands.  A tree of exceptional beauty earning high praise from Michael Dirr whose description includes such tributes as "graceful, of elegant habit,..a lovely specimen tree". In zone 5, needles may, or may not, burn during exceptionally cold winters. Probably best in zone 6 and warmer parts of zone 6. Rare and collectable.

Sciadopytis verticiata ‘Wintergreen’ (Japanese Umbrella-pine)     An imposing, pyramidal conifer with long, polished, dark green needles, very distinctive, occurring in whorles at intervals along the stems. Branches are held horizontally and, just as the needles encircle the stems, so also the branches occur in whorls at regular intervals along the trunk.  Height is anywhere from 30'-60', in time possibly more. Requires rich, moist, acidic soil and sun and, wherever possible, protection form wind. A very desirable tree whose distinctive whorled patterns and lush foliage impart an exotic, almost tropical appearance. Zone 5.

Look for Taxodium distichum under shruhs

TAXUS x media ‘Viridis’    The specimen in picture at left is growing at Bay State and is the object of much attention throughout the season. It’s slow-growing, forming a column 10-12ft. high by only 1-2ft. wide at maturity. Foliage is lighter green than the species and new growth is quite yellow. A fantastic accent plant with few pest or disease problems. Zone 4.

Thuja plicata ‘4ever Goldy’     Brilliant yellow, non-fading, non-burning color all year on narrow, upright plants,15-18’ tall by 3-5’ wide, possessing all the rugged reliability one expects from an Arborvitae. Makes an eye-catching specimen as well as adding great interest to mixed shrub and perennial borders. Growth rate is slow to moderate which, combined with its narrow form, make it suitable for smaller spaces. The golden yellow summer foliage develops orange tinges in fall and winter. Grow in full sun, in average or better, reasonably moist but well-drained soil. Zone 4.