Scientific name: Tsuga canadensis

Common name:  eastern hemlock

Family name: Pinaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: 10-15m tall, 5-7m wide

Form: upright, pyramidal

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Simple. Spiraled.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: cone

Limitations:none

Suitable uses: street tree. Forestry.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Conifer. Europe. Needle-like. Simple. Spiraled. Very tiny pegs. Flat needles, brittle branches. Every leading shoot has a row of needles flipped over and pointing forwards (different from other hemlock). White lines underside.

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/1674?image=h

Scientific name: Thujopsis dolabrata

Common name:  lizard tree.

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: 15-22m tall, 7-10m wide

Form: pyramidal, upright

Water use: moderate, high

Soil requirements: well-drained. Acidic.

Leaf arrangement: scale-like. Simple.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: brown cone, open and spreading.

Limitations: none

Suitable uses: specimen.

Quick ID: conifer. Tree. Evergreen. Scale-like leaves, overlapping and flattened. White stomatal bands; thicker bands than Thuja plicata (unique). Rope like branches. And lizard texture (unique). Fat overlapping scales with lots of white.

Scientific name: Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’

Common name:  emerald cedar

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 3

Mature height and spread: 3-5m tall, 1-1.5m wide

Form: columnar. Upright, compact, conical.

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained. Humus rich

Leaf arrangement: scale-like. Opposite.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: cone. Flower looking.

Limitations: not as uniform without sun. needs moisture before established.

Suitable uses: hedge row. Screening. Very tolerant once established. Doesn’t need pruning (wont grow back).

Quick ID: conifer. Tree Evergreen. Scale-like, imbricate, opposite in fan-shaped bunches. Less horizontal fans than T. Occidentalis Fasitgiata’’and thicker needles. Light green underside.

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/179?image=h

Scientific name: Taxus × media

Common name:  hybrid  yew

Family name: Taxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 5-7m tall, 2-3m wide

Form: spreading. oval

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained. Humus rich

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Spiraled.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: red drupe

Limitations: poisonous seed. Die back. Root rot.

Suitable uses: hedge. Really good hedge! Great in shade. Stays tight and narrow.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Conifer. Needle-like. Spiraled. Yellow/green stomata bands(two on each side of midrib). Pointy leaves flat and linear. Two ranks. Needles all same size on branchlet; in sequoia sempervirens needles get smaller towards tip (feather like).

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/1560?image=h

Scientific name: Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’

Common name:  dwarf English yew

Family name: Taxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 0.4-0.7m tall, 1.5-2m wide

Form: Arching, spreading

Water use: low

Soil requirements: well-drained. Acidic. Humus

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Alternate.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: red drupe.

Limitations: poisonous

Suitable uses: solid ground cover. Very tolerant. Doesn’t need pruning.

Quick ID: conifer. Shrub. Europe. Needle-like. Alternate. Dark green on top, bluish underneath. Mostly disticusly arrangd (2 ranks, different tan fastigiata).

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/409?image=h

Scientific name: Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’

Common name:  Irish yew

Family name: Taxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections: HM Eddie.

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 7-10m  tall, 2-3m wide

Form: columnar, low branching.

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: acidic. Well-drained

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Alternate.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: red drupe.

Limitations: poisonous seed. Needs moist soil or will die until established. Too tight for regular plantings(sticks out). Slow growth.

Suitable uses: hedge, screening. After established; very drought tolerant.  Architectural (vertical element).

Quick ID: conifer. Shrub. Evergreen. Europe. Needle-like. Alternate. Very dark green needles. Tight to branch needles; can see midrib. Decurrant (base of needle runs along branch). Mostly spirally arranged.

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/173?image=l

Scientific name: Sequoiadendron giganteum

Common name:  Sierra redwood

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: over 25m tall and wide

Form: pyramidal, dense

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: scale-like. Opposite.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: brown cones

Limitations: very massive; not for residential. Needs heat to release seeds.

Suitable uses: wind break. Fire adapted. Parks.

Quick ID: conifer. Tree. Evergreen. U.S. Scale-like, imbricate, opposite (awl shaped and overlapping). Cord-like branchlets. Sharp feeling. Larger cones than sempervirens. Smells like black licorice/anise when needles crushed.

Scientific name: Sequoia sempervirens

Common name:  coastal redwood

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 8

Mature height and spread: over 100m tall and wide

Form: upright, columnar

Water use: high

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: needle-like, spiraled.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: cone.

Limitations: needs moisture, costal environment; summer irrigation needed in Vancouver.

Suitable uses: shade. Very tall tree.

Quick ID: conifer. Evergreen. Tree. U.S. Needle-like, flat in two ranks. Two white lines underneath. Spiraled. Decussate. Self mulching. Dark green top side.

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/305?image=h

Scientific name: Pinus strobus

Common name:  eastern white pine

Family name: Pinaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 3

Mature height and spread: 22-30m tall, 10-15m wide

Form: horizontal, whorled branches; not regular.

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Fascicles.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: thin cones.

Limitations: needs lots of space; not for residential.

Suitable uses: forestry. Very easy to grow. Like other 5-needle pins; likes some protection.

Quick ID: conifer. Evergreen. Tree. Canada. Needle-like; fascicles of 5; finely serrated, flexible, blue/green colour. Very soft textured needles (unique). Needles in clusters.

http://plantdatabase.kpu.ca/plant/plantImages/1608?image=h

Scientific name: Pinus ponderosa (N)

Common name:  ponderosa pine

Family name: Pinaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 4

Mature height and spread: over 30m tall, 7-10m wide

Form: pyramidal, upright

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: needle-like. Fascicles.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: persistent cone. Pyramidal.

Limitations: mites. Shade intolerant.

Suitable uses: likes heat and sun. needs room. Beautiful form.

Quick ID: conifer. Tree. Evergreen. Native. Needle-like, bundles of 3. Branches smell of oranges when broken. Very, very long needles. Prickly cones.