Many different species of conifers are found throughout the Arboretum. Performing a multitude of functions in the landscape, conifers are one of the mainstays of any garden. They are known for their fine and varied forms; providing shade, contrast and seasonless beauty. Conifers add structure and compliment the leafless winter forms of native deciduous species. While most conifers are evergreens, there are exceptions; Ginkgo, Taxodium, Larix and Metasequoia are deciduous.
Conifers are displayed in the Arboretum in many ways. The front entrance is framed in a curtain of majestic Picea abies (Norway Spruce) and Picea orientails (Oriental Spruce). A dense screen of mixed coniferous evergreen species, representing many continents, surrounds the Holly Collection; protecting against harsh winter winds and providing a backdrop for the nicely berried hollies. The Arboretum’s first planting of dwarf conifers is located on the Legends Trail. Originally planted in 1972, these “dwarfs” continue to grow and are a good measure of the size attained at maturity by many dwarf conifer species.
The many genera of conifers represented at Bernheim includes: Abies, Chamaecyparis, Picea, Pinus, Juniperus, Taxus, Taxodium, Larix, Metasequoia, Thuja, Tsuga, and Ginkgo.
Included in our collection:
Abies alba - Silver Fir
Abies concolor - White Fir
Abies holophylla - Manchurian Fir
Abies nordmanniana - Caucasian Fir
Chamaecyparis psifera - Sawara Cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa - Hinoki Cypress
Chamaecyparis thyoides - Atlantic White Cedar
Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo Tree
Juniperus chinensis - Chinese juniper
Juniperus communis - Common Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis - Creeping Juniper
Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar
Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood
Picea abies - Norway Spruce
Picea glauca - White Spruce
Picea omorika - Serbian Spruce
Picea orientalis - Oriental Spruce
Picea pungens - Blue Spruce
Pinus densiflora - Japanese Red Pine
Pinus flexilis - Limber Pine
Pinus parviflora - Japanese White Pine
Pinus strobus - White Pine
Taxodium ascendens - Pond Cypress
Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress
Taxus baccata - English Yew
Taxus cuspidata - Japanese Yew
Taxus x hunnewelliana - Hybrid Yew
Thuja occidentalis - Eastern White Cedar
Thuja plicata - Western Red Cedar
Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla - Western Hemlock
Tsuga sieboldii - Southern Japanese Hemlock
