Awesome Conifer-Like Plants to Know!

I’m crazy about conifers (see link at bottom page for past post on conifers) so today, I want to share with you more info about them -but not really -them – instead, conifer like plants!

Now I know what you’re thinking… What’s this about?! But in your garden, the textural element of chosen plants (by way of foliage) can create a wonderful effect and these foliage effects can in turn create drama, tranquility, and an artistry left only to your creative imagination!

So, the same thing I love about real, needle-leaved conifer plants applies to these five conifer-like plants below.

How to Use Needle-like foliage:

Use as a way to Mimic dwarf or smaller conifers in the garden
Use to capture their finely textured leaves
Use to contrast with bold foliage or to blend

Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’ and Westringia Blue Gem

Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' hedge showing conifer like foliage

Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’ (left); Westringia ‘Blue Gem’ (right). Nice needle-like foliage and nice blend + color combo! Berkeley, CA.

1. Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’ – Sunset Gold Breath of Heaven. Zone: 8 – 10. Native to Australia this plant is an excellent compact spreading shrub with fragrant, golden needle-like foliage. As you can seen in photo above, this is a great plant for contrasting with other foliage colors and textures. Flowers: Pale-pink, blooms winter to spring. Exposure: Full Sun to light shade. Soil: Good drainage. Water: Moderate to low. Size: 2-3′ h x 4 -5′ w. Good seacoast plant!

2. Westringia Blue Gem – Blue Gem Westringia. Zones: 9 – 10. This beautiful shrub is compact and upright with foliage composed of narrow 3/4″ olive-green, needle-like leaves, on dark maroon-brown stems. Flowers: Bluish purple blooming from spring and intermittently throughout year. Exposure: Full sun to light shade. Water: Low. Tolerances: Coastal exposure, drought, inland heat and humidity. Size: 4 -6′ h x 3 -4′ w.

Euphorbia ‘Blue Haze’ – Blue Haze Euphorbia

Mixed planting with Euphorbia 'Blue Haze' in flower!

Mixed planting showcasing the chartreuse flowers of Euphorbia ‘Blue Haze’. SF, CA.

3. Euphorbia ‘Blue Haze’ – Blue Haze Euphorbia. This Euphorbia was bred for its blue conifer-like foliage and red-tinted stems. A semi-spreading compact plant. Likes well drained soils. Exposure: Full sun. Flowers: gorgeous contrasting greeny-chartruese

Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’ – Sutherland Hebe

Sutherland Hebe. National Aids Memorial Grove, San Francisco, CA.

4. Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’ – Sutherland Hebe. Zones: 6 – 11. Nice conifer like foliage this evergreen shrub stays compact and grows densely in low mounding form. The Size: 1.5′ h x 2 – 3′ w. Great coastal plant. Water: Regular. Exposure: Full Sun. Bloom time: Summer. Flowers: White with blue flower spikes. Foliage: white-green.

Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’ – Foxtail Fern

Foxtail Fern. Berkeley, CA. This is a fern -like perennial.

5. Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’ – Foxtail Fern. Zones: 7-9. This evergreen plant is not a true fern but rather a perennial. Growing gracefully with architectural shape, Foxtail Fern is clothed in soft chartreuse linear shaped leaves that clothe upright plume-like stems. Lovely as a specimen or in mass. Size: 2’h x 4’w.

Conclusion:

Plant fine leaf (conifer-like) foliage plants individually or in mass. If you plant in mass, cohesion is good, especially if you juxtapose with contrasting broad leaf plants, tropicals or those with bold foliage. Conifer-like plants, which consist of fine textured foliage can appear more airy in the landscape. Definitely a good counterpoint or a fine specimen!

Want to learn more about conifers? Read this post…