When it comes to searching for the perfect Christmas tree, bigger is not necessarily better, especially if you prefer a living tree.
It's a lesson I learned early, and often. Every Christmas for years I watched a neighbor family that purchased a large, live fir or pine tree to grace their living room. Each year the tree arrived with its large root ball swaddled in burlap. And each year the man of the house huffed and puffed as he dragged the tree from the back of the truck into the house. After a week in the house, the tree was hauled outside and planted in the garden.
Over time the Christmas trees, all full-size varieties, grew and grew. Finally an arborist was called in to remove the trees, which had outgrown their allotted spaces.
Rather than buying a tree that eventually will overwhelm your garden, consider a smaller conifer for your live Christmas tree.
Dwarf and medium-size conifers come in many shapes -- from upright and pyramidal to compact and mounded. Foliage colors include yellow-green, bright and dark green, chartreuse, silver and silver-blue.
Containerized dwarf and medium-size conifers are easily transported and can sit on a tabletop or on a plant stand. They can be potted up and underplanted with evergreen herbs, perennials and trailers, and left undecorated, or they can be festooned with traditional family ornaments.
Whether you plant the tree in your garden or leave it in a pot on the terrace or patio, these dwarf conifers won't outlive their welcome.
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Cyano-Viridis' (syn. C.p. 'Boulevard')
Attractive silver-blue foliage graces this softly conical shrub, a nice contrast in foliage form and texture to other conifers and evergreen shrubs. If not overwatered, it thrives in containers. Underplanted with a green- and gold-toned variegated ivy,
Hedera helix
'Gold Child' and golden thyme,
Thymus
x
citriodorus
'Aureus,' this boulevard cypress is ready to be moved inside for the holidays and back outdoors once the presents are opened. Height: 8 to 10 feet.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides'
Graceful, curving branches characterize this slow-growing, pyramidal conifer known as the fern-spray cypress. Foliage resembles fern fronds. Hardy to zone 5, its small stature, irregular, open habit and fine texture make it a good container plant or low-maintenance shrub in a mixed border. Height: Eventually, 8 to 10 feet.
Picea abies 'Clanbrassiliana Stricta'
Small, congested needles on short branchlets and a conical shape make this dwarf Norway spruce the perfect miniature Christmas tree. Discovered in 1780 in Ireland, 'Clanbrassiliana Stricta' is happiest in full sun. Height: 3 feet; could reach 8 to 10 feet after 10 or more years.
Picea sitchensis 'Papoose' (syn. 'Tenas')
This dwarf form of the very large and fast-growing Sitka spruce was introduced into cultivation by David Douglas in 1830. The silver and green leaves reflect light, creating a soft, shimmering effect. This low, mounding conifer performs best in full sun, and its sharp, pointed needles are unattractive to deer. Height: 4 feet.
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kosteri'
Bright green, asymmetric, flat sprays of foliage are the hallmarks of this dwarf conifer shrub. In winter, leaves and stems assume tints of copper and bronze. Good choice for small gardens or containers. Height: 3 to 4 feet.
Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis'
Branchlets reminiscent of the mythological Medusa, with leaves or needles twisting around the stems in a spiral, as the name suggests. Overall habit of this slow-growing, sun-loving shrub is irregular and slightly mounded. This bright green species of Japanese cedar, also known as 'Granny's Ringlets,' would be a welcome addition to a rock garden or the front of a border. Height: 4 feet; could reach 10 feet in 20 years.
Pinus heldreichii
var. leucodermis (syn. Pinus leucodermis)
Although not a dwarf, this Bosnian pine is a slow grower with a conical upright habit and stiff, brush-like needles. Very salt-tolerant, making it a good choice for coastal gardens. Height: 10 feet after 10 years.
Thujopsis dolabrata 'Nana'
Broad, flat branchlets with glossy, dark green leaves that look like a staghorn led to this underused shrub's being known as the deerhorn cedar. 'Nana,' a dwarf form of this genus that only boasts one species, slowly becomes a low, compact flat-topped shrub happy in partial shade. Height: 4 feet.
– Lucy Hardiman
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