Hi everyone, I am wondering if anyone could suggest an evergreen that I am looking for that is narrowish, possibly columnar in a way I guess but not necessarily, that is approximately 1.5 m max. at the base and that grows to approx. 20-30 feet tall. And one that won't take forever to grow to that height. I am considering the Bay Leaf tree, but I wonder if there are other suggestions? That would be much appreciated. I live in Vancouver and it is for a mostly Southern exposure, though there would be some shade from other plants nearby.
Picea abies 'Cupressina', Columnar Norway Spruce, or Pinus sylvestris 'Arnold's Sentinel' Columnar Scots Pine are two more columnar conifers for full sun that do well in the Pacific Northwest.
The spruce grows too big. The cypress might as well, but could take quite a long time to do so in your area. You may have to go with a vertical bamboo like Semiarundinaria and root barrier to get what you want. Fast and restrained together in one package are constantly asked for and seldom available.
I am considering fast-growing coniferous evergreens but I like broad-leafed evergreens too so I guess I just have to decide which is best for the job. Thanks Ron and Silver Creek for your suggestions.
Hi, My geography of your part of the world isn't fab so this suggestion may be no good. Over here Eucryphia 'Penwith' is an upright, evergreen tree which has the added bonus of having fab, scented flowers! There are a couple of other conifers that would do the job. I planted a Calocedrus decurrens 'Pillar' in my last garden. It doesn't get much taller than about 25ft and won't spread by much more than about 4ft. It is slower than the species but that goes with not getting too tall. Also, Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Arrow' is good. I guess you may find these cultivated forms under a different name over there (?). I have also planted Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Columnaris Glauca/Aurea in the past. They do have a nice, narrow habit but I'm not sure how tall they will get eventually. It may be more than 30ft. My last recommendation is Pinus flexilis 'Firmament'. It can be a bit slow but it has a good upright habit and doesn't cast much shade. I'm pretty sure it will be hardy enough. Hope the plant hunt goes well! Luke
