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