More Information
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 make sure the varieties they select are suitable for their climate and give them appropriate care.
This is especially important if the plants are to be used in formal applications, such as hedges, avenue or framing an entranceway because the effect will be spoiled if the plants grow unevenly.
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 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. (for more information on Gymnostoma, go to the Casuarina page
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)
Older 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
Cypress Canker (Seiridium spp.) Department of Agriculture Western Australia (PDF)
Conifers Overview of the group and some of the plant families included. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, U.K.
Araucaria, Wollemia, other Araucariaceae
Bunya Pine ( Araucaria bidwillii Hook) Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Hoop Pine ( Araucaria cunninghamii) Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla Ornamentals for the Texas Gulf Coast (Texas A&M University)
Pacific flora database of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, USA. Select Araucaria columnaris (New Caledonia Pine) from the "Choose A Plant" menu.
Callitris
Callitris The National Forestry Education and Awareness Network, Australia
Northern cypress (Callitris intratropica syn. C. columellaris var. intratropica) Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland
White cypress ( Callitris glaucophylla) Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland
Cupressocyparis
Leyland Cypress (X Cupressocyparis leylandii) Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida
Cupressus
Juniperus
Junipers Fort Valley State University, Georgia
Pinus
Pinus pinea City of Los Angeles Street Tree Selection Guide
Caribbean Pine ( Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis, P. caribaea var. hondurensis, P. caribaea var . caribaea) Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Slash Pine ( Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, P. elliottii var. densa) Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Thuja
Others
Oriental Arborvitae Platycladus orientalis. Online Manual of Subtropical Landscaping Plants, Palm Beach Community College, Florida
More to come in future updates
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