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Tsuga canadensis

Evergreen, coniferous, Pinaceae

Common name: Canadian hemlock

Hardiness: 3-7

Mature ht and spread: 40-70 ft tall, 25-35 feet wide

Form: dense, pyramidal

Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade

Leaf: flat sprays, lacy foliage, smallest needles and cones in genus, short dark green needles with two white bands beneath, arranged in two rows along stem

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: tan brown, small, pendant, short stalked

Limits: some disease

Suitable uses: shady areas of garden, hedge

Id: smallest cones and needles

Native to: Canada

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Thujopsis dolobrata

Evergreen, coniferous, Cupressaceae

Cultivar: ‘nana’ low growing

Common name: asunaro, the lizard tree

Hardiness: 6

Mature ht and spread: 8-15 m tall, 6-10 m wide

Form: conical, multiple upright stems and horizontal lateral branches

Conditions: full sun-part shade, moist, fertile, acidic soil, tolerates drought, compact soil

Leaf: overlapping, thick, shiny, scaly leaves, white waxy stomatal patches underneath (on back), flat, fan like drooping branchlets

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: imbricate, wax covered scales, distinct, decussate scales

Limits: none

Suitable uses:

Id: don’t mistake for thuja!

Native to: Japan

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Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’

Evergreen, coniferous, Cupressaceae

Common name: emerald cedar

Hardiness: 3

Mature ht and spread: 8-12 m tall, 5-8 m wide

Form: narrow, pyramidal, dense, ascending branches, conical

Conditions: full sun-part shade, moist, fertile, acidic soil, needs water to get established

Leaf: overlapping, dull green scaly leaves, flattened, fan like branchlets, in sprays, emerald green, bronze in winter

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: ovate, small, smooth imbricate scales

Limits: intolerant of poor drainage, drought, drying winds

Suitable uses: specimen, accent, screen, hedge (most popular used)

Native to: eastern North America

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Taxus x media

Evergreen, coniferous, Taxaceae

Common name: yew

Hardiness: 4-7

Mature ht and spread: 2-20 m tall, 2-12 m wide

Form: shrubby, wide spreading

Conditions: full sun-part shade, medium water

Leaf: Two ranked, pointed, oblong to needle-like, olive to dark green leaves are attractive year round

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: reduced to single seed surrounded by red, cup-like aril

Limits: can’t tolerate wet conditions

Suitable uses: hedges, borders, massing, versatile

Native to: Japan, England

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Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’

Evergreen, coniferous, shrub, small tree, Taxaceae

Common name: English yew

Hardiness: 6

Mature ht and spread: 8-12 m tall, 6-10 m wide

Form: wide spreading, dense branches, ground covering yew

Conditions: full sun-part shade, deep, moist well drained soil, tolerant of periodic drought

Leaf: undulating branches, spirally arranged, pointed, dark green flattened needles, lighter green under, two ranks along branchlet

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: reduced to single seed surrounded by red, cup-like aril

Limits: all parts of yew are poisonous

Suitable uses: parks, gardens, groundcover

Id: almost impossible to id without seeing whole plant

Native to: Europe, northern parts of Africa

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Taxus baccata ’Fastigiata’

Evergreen, coniferous, shrub, small tree, Taxaceae

Cultivar: HM Eddy bc of no arils or seeds

Common name: Irish Yew

Hardiness: 6

Mature ht and spread: 8-12 m tall, 6-10 m wide

Form: vase shaped, spreading, tall, thin, low branching

Conditions: full sun-part shade, deep, moist well drained soil, tolerant of periodic drought

Leaf: spirally arranged, pointed, dark green flattened needles, lighter green under, two ranks along branchlet

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: reduced to single seed surrounded by red, cup-like aril

Limits: all parts of yews are poisonous

Suitable uses: specimen, accent, screen, hedge

Id: look at cone

Native to: Europe, western Asia, North African mountains

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Sequoiadendron giganteum

Evergreen, coniferous, Cupressaceae

Common name: giant sequoia, sierra redwood

Hardiness: 6

Mature ht and spread: 8-18 m tall, 8-10 m wide

Form: broad, conical, horizontal, lateral branches

Conditions: full sun, moist, well drained, deep soil, open space, drought and heat tolerant, fire resistant/adapted

Leaf: aromatic, spirally arranged, overlapping, awl shaped, green-blue green leaves

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: needs heat to release seeds, ovoid, produced in clusters at branchlet tip

Limits: intolerant of cold winds, aerosol pollutants

Suitable uses: specimen, accent, grove

Native to: central California

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Sequoia sempervirens

Evergreen, coniferous, Cupressaceae

Common name: California redwood

Hardiness: 7

Mature ht and spread: 10-20 m tall, 8-10 m wide

Form: strong upright growth with broad lateral branches

Conditions: full sun, part shade, deep, moist well drained soil, tolerates periodic drought, grows in fog belt, likes moist and cool, tallest known tree on the planet

Leaf: spirally arranged, pointed, dark green flattened needles, glaucous underneath, two ranks along branchlets

Fall: none

Flower: none

Cone: seed cones reddish brown, oblong

Limits: not tolerant of drying or cold wind, needs moisture

Suitable uses: specimen, accent, groves

Native to: northwestern California, southwestern Oregon