Evergreens add a tremendous amount of interest and stability to the landscape regardless of the climate you live in. Here in Minnesota, evergreens play an even more important role. We live in an environment where six months out of the year deciduous trees and shrubs are leafless and perennials are dormant. And most of that six months, we also have snow. Using evergreen trees and shrubs in the landscape adds a consistent source of color, form, texture and size. In addition to their visual interest year round, evergreens can be used to help frame a view, block a view, block noise and provide shelter against wind, sun and snow for people and wildlife. There are several factors that should be taken into consideration when selecting an evergreen. In our climate, winter hardiness is crucial. All plants are given a USDA hardiness rating that indicates just how
much cold the plant can tolerate. Minnesota falls in USDA Zones 2, 3 and 4. For information on the hardiness zone where you live, check out Bachman's Hardiness Zone Map for Minnesota or check with a local nursery or extension agent. The Twin Cities are almost all in Zone 4a (the colder half of Zone 4). But you need to be careful. There are evergreens that would be winter hardy in Minneapolis that might be damaged just a few miles further north. Always check the tag or ask about the hardiness zone for a specific plant you are considering. In addition to selecting a hardy variety of evergreen, you will need to look at the size, shape, color and texture of the plant. To choose the right evergreen for the site, be sure to take into consideration the soil type, pH, drainage, amount of sun the plant will receive, root competition and any nearby obstacles (such as power lines or roof overhangs). In cold climates such as ours, we also need to be sure we don't try to plant evergreens too late in the fall. Unlike deciduous plants, they continue to lose moisture through their needles during most of the winter. To be sure they have sufficient root growth to take up enough water, they need to be established earlier in the fall. Once the right plant for the right place is selected, be sure to follow the guidelines for proper installation and maintenance.
Size is a very important and too often overlooked factor in selecting and siting evergreen trees. Be sure to take into consideration the mature size (both height and width) of the tree. Many evergreen trees are actually too large for city landscapes. Other than hemlocks, evergreen trees are very difficult to keep small by pruning. The following is a list of many of the evergreen trees used successfully in our area. If you don't find the evergreen you are interested in on this list, or have more questions, stop by and ask one of our horticulturists.
Spruce Picea Probably the most often planted of all evergreen trees, there are several varieties of spruce available in our climate. Spruce have short, sharp needles (1-2 inches) that are densely arranged on their twigs. Color of foliage varies from a rich dark green to strong blue. The best known and most popular form of spruce is Colorado. They used to be known as Colorado Blue, but color can vary from true green to blue.
Colorado spruce (Picea pungens) grows 40-60 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide. Black Hills spruce (Picea glauca densata) has darker, finer foliage than the Colorado spruce. It grows 30-40 feet tall and 20-30 feet wide. There are a few other varieties of spruce suited to our climate. For a detailed listing of the varieties that Bachman's recommends, pick up a copy of our information sheet entitled Spruce. Most spruce need full sun to thrive. Black Hills can tolerate light shade. Different varieties tolerate different types of soil and moisture level. There are spruce hardy in Zones 3 and 4.
Pine Pinus All pines have needles that grow in bundles, with either 2, 3 or 5 needles to each bundle. Needles vary from 1 to 6+ inches long depending on the variety. Pine needles vary in color. There are several varieties well suited to our climate and our landscapes including white, red/Norway, Austrian, Scotch and Swiss stone.
For a detailed listing of the varieties that Bachman's recommends, pick up a copy of our information sheet entitled Pines. On the whole, pines are much more tolerant of sandy soils than other evergreens. They prefer slightly acid soil and full sun. There are several pines native to Minnesota and the Norway pine (also known as red pine) is the state tree. There are pines hardy in Zones 2, 3 and 4.
Fir Abies There are a few varieties of fir suitable to the landscape in our climate. Firs have single needles that densely cover the twigs. They tend to be very slow growing and rigidly pyramidal in shape. One of the most under-used evergreen trees for the landscape is Concolor (Abies concolor). It has beautiful blue-green foliage. Other suitable varieties of fir are Douglas and Balsam. Fraser firs can be difficult, since they prefer higher elevations, but new, better adapted varieties are being developed for our area. There are firs hardy in Zones 3 and 4. Most varieties of fir will tolerate light shade. They prefer moist, well-drained, acidic soil.
Hemlock Tsuga The tree form of hemlock hardy in our climate is Canada Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). It makes a wonderful, disease-resistant landscape evergreen. Hemlocks have short, soft needles that are medium to dark green on the upper side and a very light green on the under side. Unlike almost every other evergreen tree, hemlocks can be pruned regularly to keep them the size you want. They can be used to create a large formal evergreen hedge. Canada hemlock is hardy to Zone 4. It will tolerate moderate to light shade. Hemlocks need moist, well-drained, acidic soil.
Note: There is also another needled tree that grows in our area called Larch or Tamarack. Even though it has needles, it is distinctively because it sheds all of those needles each year. During the growing season, it looks just like an evergreen with short, soft green needles.
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