Plant focus: Conifers
Evergreen structure, texture, and year-round reliability in planting schemes
Conifers are one of the most useful groups of plants in British landscapes, with dependable structure, a broad range of forms, and year-round interest. From low, spreading ground cover to tall screening trees, conifers offer an impressive level of versatility, being suitable for everything, from private gardens to large-scale commercial and public planting schemes.
The term ‘conifer’ refers to a group of woody plants that produce cones rather than flowers, and most have needle-like or scale-like foliage. They belong to the gymnosperms, an ancient group of seed-bearing plants that existed long before many of the broadleaved trees and shrubs we know today. Although they are often thought of simply as evergreen screening plants, conifers are far more varied than that, with each species offering architectural form, rich colour, textural contrast, and valuable ecological benefits.
Many conifers are evergreen, holding their foliage through winter and giving planting schemes a sense of continuity when herbaceous perennials have died back and deciduous trees have shed their leaves. They create a permanent framework, helping to anchor softer planting and maintain visual interest in the colder months.
Conifers range widely in size and character. Some form tight, clipped hedges or upright columns, while others develop broad pyramidal crowns, dense domes, or low carpeting habits. Foliage colours can vary from deep forest green to glaucous blue, golden yellow, silver-grey, and fresh lime green, allowing them to be used for both structure and contrast within a planting scheme.
As well as their ornamental value, conifers are practical plants. Many species are wind tolerant, resilient in exposed sites, and relatively low maintenance once established. Dense evergreen growth also provides year-round shelter for birds and invertebrates, making conifers useful in wildlife-friendly schemes, shelterbelts, screening, and habitat planting.
Key Characteristics:
✓ Mostly evergreen trees or shrubs
✓ Produce cones rather than true flowers
✓ Needle-like or scale-like foliage
✓ Available in upright, spreading, rounded, or columnar forms
✓ Useful for screening, hedging, specimen planting, and ground cover
✓ Bring year-round structure and colour to landscapes
✓ tolerate exposed and challenging conditions
✓ Low maintenance once established
✓ provide shelter and wildlife cover
Did You Know?
Not all conifers are evergreen. While most keep their foliage throughout the year, some, such as larch, are deciduous and lose their needles in autumn after turning a rich golden colour.
Popular conifer varieties
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata
A native evergreen species commonly known as yew. It has dense, dark green foliage and an exceptionally long lifespan. Shade tolerant once established, and responds well to clipping, making it ideal for hedging, screening, topiary, and formal planting. Can also develop into a specimen tree if left unclipped.
Pinus sylvestris
Commonly known as Scots pine, and is the only truly native pine to the UK. Features an open, rugged habit and blue-green needles. As it matures, its upper bark develops warm orange tones. It is particularly useful in larger landscapes, naturalistic planting, and exposed sites, providing resilience and structural form.
Pinus mugo
A tough, compact mountain pine well suited to smaller gardens, gravel schemes, and exposed positions. It forms a dense, bushy mound of dark green needles and provides a neat evergreen presence without the plant becoming too large. Tolerant of poorer soils and harsh conditions, making it ideal for more challenging settings.
Cupressocyparis leylandii
A fast-growing evergreen conifer with dense, upright growth, well suited to exposed sites and poor soils. Its tight foliage provides effective shelter and wind protection, while its vigorous habit allows it to establish quickly and form resilient screening in challenging conditions.
Pinus sylvestris ‘Watereri’
Cupressocyparis leylandii
Picea pungens ‘Blue Diamond’
An evergreen conifer with a strong, upright form and striking blue foliage. Its dense needles reduce moisture loss and tolerate cold, wind, and exposed sites, making it a resilient choice for structure and year-round interest in challenging conditions.
Juniperus communis
A hardy evergreen conifer with a needle-like foliage, natural resilience and strong textural quality. Depending on the variety, it can be upright, spreading, or low growing, which makes it useful in a range of design situations, such as banks and slopes or mixed shrub borders. Copes with lean soils and suits low-input schemes.
Picea pungens ‘Blue Diamond’
Juniperus communis ‘Green Carpet’
Thuja plicata spp.
Western red cedar commonly used for hedging and screening due to its dense growth and fresh green, aromatic foliage. It creates a strong evergreen barrier and can be maintained as a neat hedge with regular trimming. Provides a softer more natural look than other formal conifer hedges, making it useful in both urban and rural landscapes.
Thuja occidentalis spp.
An evergreen conifer with a dense, upright habit, well suited to a range of soils and conditions. Its tight foliage provides year-round cover and shelter, helping reduce wind impact and create stable, protected planting environments with minimal maintenance.
Thuja plicata ‘Goldy’
Thuja occidentalis ‘Golden Smaragd’
How to grow conifers
The exact requirements of conifers vary between species, but most grow best in full sun or light shade and prefer reasonably well-drained soil. Some, such as yew, will tolerate heavier soils and shade, while others, such as many pines and junipers, prefer freer-draining ground and an open, sunny position. Choosing the correct conifer for the site is important to achieve long-term success.
Container-grown conifers can generally be planted at most times of year, as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. Spring and autumn, however, are usually ideal, as the soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth, and natural rainfall helps plants establish more effectively.
When planting conifers, pay close attention to the eventual size and spread of the species. Many problems arise when conifers are planted too close to buildings, boundaries, or neighbouring plants. Giving each plant enough room from the outset will help it develop a healthy shape and reduce the need for future pruning.
Prepare the planting area well by removing weeds and improving the soil structure where necessary. In poor or compacted soils, incorporating organic matter can help improve conditions, although rich soils are not usually essential for conifers. Once planted, a mulch of composted bark or other organic material will help retain moisture and suppress weed growth. As with most woody plants, mulch should be kept away from the stem to prevent rot.
Conifers are particularly useful in exposed sites, but newly planted specimens may still benefit from shelter while they establish. Larger standard trees and feathered conifers may need staking in windy areas to prevent root disturbance during their first year or two.
How to care for conifers
Newly planted conifers should be watered regularly during dry spells until they are well established. This is especially important during their first growing season, and for larger plants, which often take longer to settle. Even species that are considered drought tolerant once mature can struggle if allowed to dry out repeatedly soon after planting.
Once established, most conifers are relatively low maintenance. They rarely need feeding if planted in suitable soil, although a spring mulch can help to conserve moisture and support healthy growth. On poor sites, a light application of a balanced fertiliser in spring may be beneficial, but excessive feeding should be avoided, as it can encourage soft growth.
Pruning needs depend on the type of conifer. Yew responds well to clipping and can be cut quite hard if necessary. Other conifers, however, do not regenerate readily from old wood, so harsh cutting back can leave permanent bare patches. In many cases, the best approach is simply to remove dead, damaged, or misplaced growth and carry out light shaping where required.
Hedging conifers such as Thuja and some Chamaecyparis varieties benefit from regular trimming to maintain density and shape. This is usually best done during the growing season, taking care not to cut back too severely into leafless older stems. As with all evergreen planting, consistent maintenance from an early stage usually gives better long-term results than infrequent heavy pruning.
Pests and diseases that affect conifers
Conifers are generally robust plants, but they can be affected by a number of pests and diseases, particularly when stressed by drought, waterlogging, poor soil conditions, or unsuitable siting. Aphids and scale insects may sometimes appear on young growth, while vine weevil can be a problem for container-grown plants, especially when roots are damaged by larvae feeding below the surface.
Poor drainage is one of the most common causes of issues, as waterlogged soils can lead to root stress and decline. Browning foliage, dieback, and reduced vigour are often linked to problems below ground rather than purely above-ground pests. Correct siting and good planting preparation are essential to achieving healthy conifers.
Some conifers may also be affected by fungal diseases that cause needle browning, cankers, or dieback, particularly where air circulation is poor or plants are growing too densely. Removing affected growth, avoiding unnecessary stress, and ensuring the plant is growing in the right conditions will all help reduce the likelihood of disease becoming severe.
Regular inspection is worthwhile, especially for newly planted conifers and clipped hedges. Catching early signs of stress or decline often makes management much easier and helps keep plants healthy over the long term.
Conifers are some of the most dependable plants in the landscape. Their evergreen character, range of forms, and practical resilience make them ideal for schemes that need lasting structure, shelter, and year-round interest. Whether used as a clipped hedge, a bold specimen, or part of a mixed planting design, they are a staple in gardens and landscapes of every scale.