Some conifers perform well in the Southeastern U.S. while others struggle, if barely survive. A Blue Spruce that may only take 2 years to become well established in northerly climates may take 5 or more years in this part of the south. For the more northerly climate conifers such as Spruce and Fir, warm summers and heavy clay soils in the southeast region, particularly wet clay soils, are the biggest enemy. High nighttime air temperatures, along with increased soil temperatures lead to increased respiration rates. When clay soils are wet, air pockets are filled with water. Therefore, the soil does not provide the oxygen level that the root system demands, due to the plants increased respiration rate. The end result is root death, and an undesirable or dead tree. When planting conifers in the south which are generally suited to northern climates, these conditions must be taken in to consideration. Proper siting combined with proper planting becomes critical. This applies to those areas of the southern region, outside of the Appalachian Mountain region and below 2500 feet in elevation, minimum. Growing conditions of hot/humid summers and mild winters found in such areas as the Coastal Plain, is not conducive to the cooler season conifers. In general, except for Momi Fir and Nikko Fir, the success of the majority of Fir in the southeast region is non existent. Many people like to push the envelope so to speak, including I, and try plants removed from their region. I've seen a Blue Spruce (if one could truly call it that), in Beaufort, South Carolina, the heart of the Lowcountry. Many things can be done if one wants to put forth the effort, albeit not with the success that nature can. Whether it lives or not it's still a learning experience, and that's what this journey is about. Many conifers are slow growing, measured in just a few inches per year. Patience is a necessity, but the rewards are great.

Botanical Name Common Name
Abies firma Momi, or Japanese Fir
Abies homolepis Nikko Fir
Cedrus deodara Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara 'Albospica' White tipped Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara 'Aurea' Golden Deodar Cedar (Possibly 'Well's Golden'? but was labelled 'Aurea')
Cedrus deodara 'Kashmir' Kashmir' Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara 'Shalimar' Shalimar' Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara 'Silver Mist' Silver Mist' Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara 'White Imp' White Imp' Deodar Cedar
Cedrus libana (ssp. atlantica) glauca Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula' Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica 'Fastigiata' Upright Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus libani 'Nama' Dwarf Cedar of Lebanon
Cedrus libani pendula Weeping Cedar of Lebanon
Cedrus libani brevifolia Cyprus Cedar
Cedrus libani var. stenacoma Hardy Cedar of Lebanon
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' Weeping Alaska Cedar
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Green Arros' Green Arrow' Alaska Cedar
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Van de Akker' Van den Akker' Alaska Cedar
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crippsii' Crippsii' Hinoki Falsecypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Compacta' Hinoki Falsecypress cultivar
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kerdalo' Hinoki Falsecypress cultivar
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Pyramidalis' Hinoke Falsecypress cultivar
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' Boulevard Japanese Falsecypress
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea' Golden Threadleaf Falsecypress
Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Blue Sport' Blue Sport' Atlantic Whitecedar
Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan Sugi' Japance Cryptomeria cult.
Cryptomeria japonica 'Vilmoriniana' Japanese Cryptomeria cult.
Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca' Blue Chinafir
Cuppressus arixonica var. glabra 'Blue Ice' Blue Ice' Arizona Cypress
Cuppressus arizonica 'Blue Sapphire' Blue Sapphire' Arizon Cypress
Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' Autumn Gold' Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba 'Magyar' Magyar' Ginkgo
Glyptostrobus pensilis Chinese Swamp Cypress
Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa' Hollywood Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum 'Tollesons' Tolleson's Blue Weeping Juniper
Juniperus virginiana Easter Red Cedar
Larix kaempferi Japanese Larch
Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood
Picea abies Norway Spruce
Picea abies Pendula Weeping Norway Spruce
Picea abies 'Remontii' Norway Spruce cultivar
Picea glauca 'Sanders Blue' Sanders Blue' Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Pinus x hakkodensis ?????????????????
Pinus nigra var. nigra Austrian Pine
Picea omorika Serbian Spruce
Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera' Tanyosho Pine
Pinus elliotti Slash Pine
Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf Pyramid' Limber Pine cultivar
Pinus flexilis 'Glenmore' Glenmore' Limber Pine
Pinus pinea Italian Stone Pine
Pinus strobus Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus 'Pendula' Weeping White Pine
Pinus sylvestris 'French Blue' French Blue Scotch Pine
Pinus sylvestris 'Mitsch Weeping' Mitsch's Weeping' Scotch Pine
Pinus taeda Loblolly Pine
Pinus thunbergiana Japanese Black Pine
Pinus virginiana Scrub Pine
Pseudolarix amabilis Golden Larch
Taxodium ascendens Pond Cypress
Taxodium distichum Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls' Cascade Falls' Weeping Bald Cypress
Thuja occidentalis 'Filiformis' Weeping Threadleaf Arborvitae
Thuja plicata Western Arborvitae
Thuja x 'Green Giant' Green Giant' Arborvitae
Thuja plicata 'Stoneham Gold' Western Arborvitae cultivar
Tsuga canadensis 'Golden Splendor' Canadian Hemlock cultivar
x Cuppressocyparis leylandii Leyland Cypress
x Cuppressocyparis leylandii 'Post Sentinal' Post Sentinal' Leyland Cypress
x Cuppressocyparis leylandii 'Caslewellan' Castlewellan' Leyland Cypress
x Cuppressocyparis leylandii 'Naylors Blue' Naylor's Blue' Leyland Cypress