Here is an evergreen tree chart to help you decide what kind of tree is best for your needs.
|
Common Name
|
Latin Name
|
Sun
|
Soils
|
Zones
|
Height
|
Notes
|
|
Austrian Pine
|
Pinus nigra
|
 
|
salty soils, wide range of soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
60ft
|
tolerant of wind and extreme cold, road salt, air pollution and dry conditions
|
|
Balsam Fir
|
Abies balsamea
|
|
rich soils, swampy soils, sandy soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
90ft
|
popular Christmas tree, attracts small wildlife, almost identical to Fraser Fir
|
|
Black Hills Spruce
|
Picea glauca 'Densata'
|
|
sandy soils, light soils
|
Zones 3-6
|
80ft
|
wonderful ornamental, immune to pests & disease, slow growing, sharp needles
|
|
Canadian Hemlock
|
Tsuga canadensis
|
|
rich soils, clay soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
70ft
|
can be aggressively pruned and sheared
|
|
Colorado Blue Spruce
|
Picea pungens 'Glauca'
|
|
wide range of soils
|
Zones 3-6
|
100ft
|
popular for Christmas, deep root systems, sharp needles
|
|
Concolor Fir
|
Abies concolor
|
|
rich soils, sandy soils, clay soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
150ft
|
fast growing, popular ornamental, soft needles
|
|
Dawn Redwood
|
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
|
|
rich soils, swampy soils, clay soils, standing water
|
Zones 5-8
|
150ft
|
living fossil, fast growing, very adaptable, deciduous needles turn yellow, orange & red in Fall
|
|
Douglas Fir
|
Pseudotsuga menziesii
|
|
rich soils, swampy soils
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Zones 3-6
|
200ft
|
popular for Christmas, soft needles, fire resistant trunks, pleasant aroma
|
|
Eastern Red Cedar
|
Juniperus virginiana
|
|
wide range of soils
|
Zones 3-9
|
40ft
|
dense growth, rot resistant wood, great for wildlife, sharp needles
|
|
Fraser Fir
|
Abies fraseri
|
|
slightly acidic soils, rocky soils, sandy soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
80ft
|
popular for Christmas, needs good drainage, soft needles with silver undersides
|
|
Japanese Fir
|
Abies firma
|
|
wide range of soils clay soils, poor draining soils
|
Zones 6-9
|
60ft
|
resists Phytophthora root rot [rampant in the Carolinas] resists common pests and diseases, drought and heat tolerant, dense growth
|
|
Meyer's Spruce
|
Picea meyeri
|
|
light soils, heavy soils, acidic soils
|
Zones 3-8
|
40ft
|
Nearly identical to Colorado Blue Spruce, resists common pests and disease, drought tolerant
|
|
Norway Spruce
|
Picea abies
|
|
rich soils, sandy soils
|
Zones 3-6
|
150ft
|
fast growing, popular ornamental, deep root systems sharp needles
|
|
Oriental Spruce
|
Picea orientalis
|
|
poor soils, clay soils, rocky soils
|
Zones 4-9
|
50ft
|
moderate drought tolerance, dense growth, no pruning, attracts birds and small game, resists common pests and disease
|
|
Red Pine
|
Pinus resinosa
|
|
sandy soils, light soils, rocky soils, poor soils
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Zones 3-6
|
150ft
|
fast growing, wind tolerant, very adaptable to poor conditions
|
|
Serbian Spruce
|
Picea omorika
|
|
wide range of soils
|
Zones 4-7
|
60ft
|
gorgeous ornamental, needles feature silver undersides
|
|
Tamarack Larch
|
Larix laricina
|
|
swampy soils, wide range of soils
|
Zones 2-6
|
65ft
|
soft, deciduous green needles turn golden and drop in Fall, extremely cold resistant, needles used as pine straw mulch
|
|
White Cedar
|
Thuja occidentalis
|
|
wide range of soils
|
Zones 3-9
|
40ft
|
slow growing, pleasant aroma, resistant to insects, wood is resistant to rot
|
|
White Pine
|
Pinus strobus
|
|
sandy soils, light soils
|
Zones 3-7
|
200ft
|
provides natural food and shelter for wildlife
|
|
White Spruce
|
Picea glauca
|
|
wide range of soils
|
Zones 3-6
|
100ft
|
tolerate extreme wind and cold, sharp needles
|
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