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Conifers
Conifers don't produce flowers, but more primitive cones. Many are commonly referred to as "Pines", even if they don't belong to the genus Pinus. There are species that grow in tropical regions, and others in very cold parts of the world.
Many of the popular ornamental conifers for gardens come from the Northern Hemisphere. Queenslanders, especially residents of the subtropical and tropical zones should consider the suitability of their local climate when deciding whether to plant such conifers. More...
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Nurseries supplying garden conifers to Qld
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TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN NURSERY
176 Long Road,
Eagle Heights, Qld 4271
Ph: (07) 5545 4999
tambnursery@iprimus.com.au
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Tambourine Mountain Nursery offers a range of beautiful plants, specialising in classic temperate-climate species and many others that are difficult to find elsewhere in the Brisbane/Gold Coast region.
Range includes plants such as camellias, wisterias, conifers, acers, brugmansias, gingko, birches, liquidambar, viburnums, michelias plus a many varieties of evergreen and deciduous magnolias. White, variegated and portwine jacarandas.
Phone ahead to confirm availablity or arrange an order. Wholesale and retail.
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While general garden centres may carry a few popular varieties, this section is intended for nurseries which might be considered conifer specialists, for customers seeking a greater selection or rare varieties. If you operate such a nursery, click here: Advertising information.
If you specifically want trees in large sizes for instant landscapes, try the nurseries listed on the Advanced Plants page.
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More Information
Conifers range in size from groundcovers to towering trees, but most conifers for ornamental garden use aren't ideally suited to humid sub/tropical climates. Some will tolerate these conditions, but it's a gamble. Be prepared for a short life or pest and disease problems.
This is a particular problem if used in formal applications, such as hedges, avenue or framing an entranceway. Failure of of even one tree may leave a gap.
When specimens of uniform texture and growth rate will be required, look for vegetatively propagated (cuttings or grafted) stock of named cutivars from reputable suppliers.
Even in the case of single feature plants, named (vegetatively propagated) cultivars selected for superior form and foliage characteristics will be preferable to less predictable plants from seed, Propensity to produce cones may be another characteristic to look for when selecting a cultivar. If the conifer is being grown for its foliage (e.g. pencil pines), cones can be unattractive and divert energy from vegetative growth.
The Bunya Pine and the Wollemi Pine are two Australian native conifers appreciated for their ornamental qualities, but are far too large for ordinary garden cultivation (although the Wollemi pine is being promoted as a pot plant). In the future, perhaps other native conifers better suited to the Qld climate than Northern hemisphere imports will be developed for ornamental use.
Although actually a member of the Casuarina family, Gymnostoma australianum from the Daintree rainforest of North Queensland has a coniferous appearance and could be subsituted for conifers where a Mediterranean look (for example) is sought in a tropical climate.
Pruning
Take care with pruning, as conifers are unlikely to reshoot from old wood. A lillypilly or murraya hedge might be cut back hard and be the better for it. A conifer hedge, however, will need regular attention to develop bushiness, then to maintain size and shape when mature. See also the general topics Pruning Hedges and Topiary and Bonsai as well as information on individial species (below)
News
Heritage Hoop Pine gets extra care
A heritage-listed Araucaria cunninghamii in Rosewood is receiving extra care from Ipswich City council to ensure that it is not further stressed by the drought. Hoop pines were once common it the area. Rosewood's specimen is thought to be about 120 years old. Read more from the Ipswich City Council here: Council works hard to preserve Rosewood hoop pine November 2007
More Links
Please Note: The following are for general information or research. Many species or cultivars referred to in links may be unavailable in Australia, or unsuitable for Queensland conditions.
General
Materials Technology - Timber/wood Industrial Technology and Design Teachers' Association of Queensland. There are some nice summaries covering various Australian native conifers here, with special reference to Queensland
Conifers Overview of the group and some of the plant families included. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, U.K.
Araucaria, Wollemia, other Araucariaceae
Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla Ornamentals for the Texas Gulf Coast (Texas A&M University)
Callitris
Callitris The National Forestry Education and Awareness Network
Coastal Cypress Pine Callitris columellaris Coastal Plant Regeneration, Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy, NSW
Port Jackson Pine Callitris rhomboidea Coastal Plant Regeneration, Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy, NSW
Cupressocyparis
Cupressus
Juniperus
Thuja
Others
More to come in future updates
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