Abies Koreana
Abies Koreana , this Korean Fir Makes a wonderful specimen tree. The dark green leaves are distinctly silver on the underside, however the striking feature of this evergreen is the large blue cones.
Generally described as slow growing, the one planted in our garden was about four feet tall when purchased from the garden centre. After a period of six years it was very near ten feet in height.
I first spotted this evergreen tree on a visit to Cruickshank Botanic Gardens in Old Aberdeen. A truly magnificent mature specimen.
If I were asked to choose which was my favourite evergreen conifer, I would place Koreana a very close second to (Cedrus Deodara Aurea).
Height – 30ft
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Position – Full sun/partial shade
The Abies Koreana which I photographed today is actually one which I planted in my neighbours garden about twelve years ago. The one in our own garden was placed in the totally wrong position and eventually had to be removed.
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No garden is complete without trees, don’t be put off by thinking your town garden is too small.The addition of one or two carefully selected specimens can enhance even the smallest plot.
Careful consideration where you place your specimen is essential, something in my case which eventually sunk in! You do not want to be shaded out completely, however a little dappled shade can indeed be quite pleasant.
A west facing border can be a very good choice as the shade from this planting position will not affect your garden. Mind you, take into account that this could cause unwelcome shade in your neighbours garden.
Check out your local nursery for ornamental trees which grow to fifteen feet or less. Rowans are well worth considering as are the Japanese Acers, and quite a number of the cherry trees would also be suitable.
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Cedrus Deodara Aurea
Although I now like to take care when planting conifers in the garden because of the shade which they may create, one which is absolutely outstanding is Cedrus Deodara Aurea. The specimen above was planted in our round garden two years ago, it will take a little time before it reaches the stage where you say wow!
This tree has a graceful weeping habit, longer more elegant branches than those on most conifers. The golden yellow needles in Spring and early Summer are fabulous. Perhaps Deodara is a little on the large size for the smaller garden, however it is slow growing and placed carefully in the medium sized garden it will most definitely look outstanding.
The first time I saw this one in all its glory was a number of years ago when we were viewing a house in Aberdeen which we were keen to move in to. The house turned out to be a little disappointing, but the Cedrus Deodara Aurea in the back garden was the most beautiful conifer I have ever seen.
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Some other conifers in our garden
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The Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) which borders our garden on a spare patch of land which belongs to Aberdeen Council are just magnificent. We generally like to think these trees are native only to Scotland, but in actual fact are found throughout Europe and Asia. This handsome conifer will grow to a height of 20/30mtrs and on average will live to 200/300 years. One specimen in Sweden is actually 700 years old. As I say, these ones are not actually in our garden but I have just decided anything seen from our kitchen window belongs to me.
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Taxus Baccata Fastiagata (Irish Yew) is another splendid conifer in our front garden. Fastiagata differs from the more common form (Baccata) and is in fact more upright and narrow.
Seems that, in the 1700s two seedlings were found growing in county Fermanagh, and from this source millions of these trees are now seen all over the world. The Irish Yew bears bright red fruits which the blackbirds just love to feast on.
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This Pine tree is in a neighbours garden, its about forty feet tall and is very much visible from our back garden. As for the name, not at all sure. It is a handsome tree that unfortunately causes quite a great deal of shade in the garden of a morning.
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So long since we had Asiatic Lilies in our garden. Planted in the garden in Late February, here they are starting to flower on the 2nd of July. These unnamed ones came free from J Parkers with an order for Tree Lilies (Orienpets)
I was reading a post yesterday by Donna from Garden walk garden talk She made a lot of very interesting points about showing our pictures in context with their surroundings. For instance macro shots of plants with perhaps no reference to where they are placed in the garden. Take a look at what she has to say. I am not saying I will do this on every occasion that I take a close up, but there will now be times when I will be more inclined to consider this.
The main border in our back garden 2nd July where these Asiatics are planted.
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
Hi,
I have the Abies Koreana Fir. Indeed the blue cones look lovely. I am always disappointed that mine have white gluey stuff coming out spoiling the look. Also this year the needles on some branches have turned yellow mid way down and dropping off..
Maybe too much watering.
Thank you so much! I watermarked your image and put a source link back to this page. You can see it here: http://www.anotherpartofme.com/plants-on-my-wish-list-for-2014/
If you do as you say Brian, I will be quite happy for you to use my picture. Its not a very mature specimen.
Gorgeous conifers! I have a wish list of plants on my website, and I wondered if you would mind if I use your photo of the Cedrus Deodara Aurea with a credit and link back to your website? It is one of the best examples I have seen. Thanks!
I would wait until mid/late September Dorothy. Try and get a good root ball and water in well.
Hi Alaistair
I’m thinking of transplanting my abies koreana and moving it down to my allotment. Would this be a good time of the year to do so? Its about four and a half feet tall at present Its been in the ground for 7 or eight years
Rob, Koreana is so well known for their blue cones. The cones are at their most blue whilst young and do fade to a silvery grey as they age. Our soil is quite acidic.
Alistair,
I have a Korean Fir that has 15 cones on it, but they are all a light silverish lavender color. Do I need to amend the soil in order to get the dark blue color?
Janet, conifers do same to be more favoured in Scotland, probably because we get so much rain. Fortunately, not quite so much in the east coast where we are. However June was the coldest recorded for 10 years in Aberdeen, so much for the global warming, oh of course its now climate change.
Hi Alistair, I’m with Carolyn, I don’t tend to favour conifers in the garden because of the dry shade they create and the tendency to remove the moisture for what seems like miles around, but you make a good case! And I couldn’t agree more about the value of having trees in a garden, however small, and about “borrowing” from neghbours. Interesting post.
Rosie, the North east is cold, We seem to have been lucky with the Yew trees. Perhaps our Winter temperature doesn’t fall quite so low in the Winter.
Beautiful conifer choices you’ve made Alistair for your garden. My Taxus baccata Fastiagata aurea was newly planted when the first of those dreadful winters killed it and I’ve never replaced it yet. Most of my conifers are the very very dwarf ones in my scree beds at the front of the house. As for alstromerias………… I used to try and grow them but I couldn’t get the newer ones through the winter with my soil which is such shame as they are so pretty. I’ll be sure to pass your tips on feeding as I meet lots of alstromeria growers.
Yes Michael, the cones are the talking point for this conifer.
Hi Jennifer, the grass and weeds do grow through the cracks, it gets tidied up from time to time.
I was at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton on the weekend when I came upon a small Abies Koreana Silberlocke. I stopped dead in my tracks to admire its blue grey cones. I don’t know all that much about evergreens, but so love them that I am determined to learn more and squeeze a few into my garden. The lilies in your garden are pretty. I enjoy seeing the shots of the full beds. It helps to give a better sense of your garden. I really like the brick edging on one of the two borders you showed in this post. How do you manage to keep the grass from sneaking up through the cracks?
Bom I probably will post a little more showing the garden , its not that big so I have to take care not to repeat myself too often.
I envy you all your trees. While I have a lot of space, I don’t have much land to plant on and as such I am limited to only 5 trees that should not grow wide.
The blue cones against the green leaves and your lilies are so vibrant. You really should post more wide angle shots. Your backyard looks fantastic, Alistair, and it’s not something easily imagined from the close-up shots.
I would plant the Koreana for the cones alone! Beautiful specimen.
Thanks Christine, you are kind to old timers, I will mark you down as my future carer.
Mark and Gaz, yes I have given myself considerable work in the past with badly placed Leylandii.
Wow, that last photo is superb, well done Alistair! Conifers are underrated (and maligned because of Leyladii) but alot of them are architectural and make superb backbone, including Abies 🙂
Hi Alistair – As always, I absorbed every word of this post.
I do find macro type photos enchanting but especially as a new gardener, I find photos of a plant in its actual setting (i.e. with other plants in the garden) very useful as I get a far better perspective of how it would look once planted). For example the photo of your bed above – I can see how I SHOULD be planting. Of course you are not here to educate me, but it is why I am always drawn to your blog – because it entertains and educates me. Thank you!
Greggo, off to check out that Alaskan Cedar.
Laura, the border has had many faces over the years, I think its at its best now, but then again!
You’ll be glad you did S Butterfly don’t put yourself in the shade though.
Love them blue cones and the red lilies, gorgeous.
Lovely conifers! I really like evergreens in the garden because they provide so much winter interest when everything else is dormant. I am seriously considering getting a Korean Fir…lovely!!
nice post. have you ever seen a Chamaecyparis nootkatensis pendula-Alaskan Weeping Cedar? I’ve always liked the blue cones on Abies. i lived in Colorado for 3 years andviewed many unique conifers. your tour was great. if the dwarf pine has soft limber needles it is probably a white pine.
Simply beuatiful examples and a great review of coniferous evergreens suitable for the garden, even the shadier parts. Very good point about planting west facing to avoid shade casting. Love your thick, ascending border Alistair – such a good eye for planting and like to see your grasses with plenty of room
Thanks Andrea, Donna always makes some good points.
Amazing cones in the first photo. I agree with your mention of Donna of GWGT, those lilies macro shots are so stunning making your post and your garden more amazing. Of course that’s also because the photos are nice! thanks.
Thanks Cathy, Larry has told me that he thinks it is a Pinus strobus ‘nana and not Mugo.
Yes b-a-g our one is not mature enough to give of its best.
Watch out for adding more shade Carolyn.
The blue coned conifer is very special Masha.
Yes, I fully get this Frances.
Thanks Frances, I always appreciate your opinion.
oophs also meant to say I love seeing the larger view of gardens, I actually leave a blog or website that shows just close ups especially if it’s all macro, like looking at a catalogue not a garden, just my quirks, Frances
I am just taking notice of conifers and ericas as a ‘go with the weather’ style of gardening and I love the 2 small conifers I bought earlier this year but having such a large garden I would love some of the faster growing and larger specimens you have here but the only shop in town that sells them only has small dwarf varieties, I completely agree with you to plant a tree but also when living so close to neighbours you must keep in mind the shade a large tree could be putting them in,
love your lilies mine are still in bud, years ago my first lilies were free from J Parker when I had ordered other plants, last autumn when I ordered more lilies I got tulips free which I really enjoyed this spring, Frances
Your garden looks so lush and colorful, I don’t think I would ever post pictures of mine…. I love the conifers you showed, especially the one with the blue cones and in your neighbors’ garden, they are really special.
Very pretty garden – love the long shot. I love conifers, but it’s a bit hot here for most of them. But I do agree trees give so much back, and should be included in the garden. Like that you have a great view of your neighbor’s tree! Good planting!
I am not very good about using conifers in my garden. Your post makes me want to add a few.
Alistair – When I first read this post I couldn’t understand how the blue-coned Korean fir could come second to the cedrus. Then I googled cedrus out of curiosity and saw some mature trees – now I can understand why. I would describe them as shaggy (in a nice way) and I guess each has its own unique personality. It will be interesting to watch yours as it grows up.
Alistair, if I had room for one more tree at this point, I would seek one of those out. it is positively stunning and I can only imagine what the cones are like in real life!
We actually planted a tree grove a few years ago, and I identify with everything you said about trees in the garden, since Steve and I feel the same way. A rare tree sprouted in our garden two years ago (this sprout is now 10 feet tall LOL) and we are working with arborists to relocate it to a more appropriate place on our property, which is going to require a landscaper at this point.
As for your mugo, I definitely think it’s a mugo — based on what little one can tell from a photograph. My Dad raised mugos and other shrubs in his nursery for years and years – mugos were his favorite – and I used to have one in my former yard. When we planted our gardens on this property, we bought a shrub labeled a mugo, although I had my doubts just looking at it, and it clearly was not, but it is a dwarf blue spruce (I think) with a habitus similar to mugo, although definitely not the same color nor as petite.
Lovely gardens as usual, and I do love the lilies!
Hello Larry, The Abies seems particularly happy in this part of the world. Thanks for the suggestion regarding the dwarf pine. Hope the Racoons don’t cause too much damage. Enjoy your garden walks and take it easy in the sun.
Good morning Alistair… your post is wonderful today… so many things of interest to me! Regarding borrowed views… I have donated a few trees to the neighbors that I didn’t have room for in the garden and yet my view of them is much better than theirs!
Our orienpets are set to open any time soon and some are seven feet tall this year… can’t wait!
I enjoyed the conifers in your post… Siberlocke is definitely a favorite for me. My original plant was purchased close to 25 years ago… it never grew and I tried moving it to different sites to no avail. This spring I thought I’d try one last move and it has started taking off and growing… unreal. The second Silberlocke I have, was purchased as a two foot tree and it has barely grown in the three years I’ve had it… interesting behavior.
Your ‘mugo’ pine is most likely not a mugo, but rather a Pinus strobus ‘nana’ or dwarf white pine… I couldn’t comment on the particular cultivar. These can get sizable here over time although I’m sure a number of more diminutive cultivars are probably available.
The taxus is lovely, but I’ve read they aren’t hardy here so haven’t tried one… I’m not certain whether we could grow the beautiful cedar… I agree it is a beautiful plant!
It is now garden walk season here and we are headed about 75 miles north for one best most most years… we will see seven gardens and hope to head out early as we are in for a very hot and humid weekend… I don’t handle the sun as well as I used to I’m afraid.
I was moving hoses in the middle of the night when I discovered what has been digging in our gardens lately… young raccoons I’m afraid and I got rather close in the dark which I realized when I turned on the flashlight.
Have a great week and I’ve really enjoyed this post and as you know do appreciate the close-ups, but especially the garden views… your gardens are sensational this year! Larry
Thanks for the visit Bernadette, always good to see plants which grow in other parts of the world. I will look forward to catching up with your blog.
The cones of the Abies koreana are indeed striking. Such a fabulous colour. I love the weeping habit of the Cedrus. Neither of these trees are common sights here. Conifers, in general, are not a typical planting in our part of the world, so it’s terrific seeing them in your photos.
Your garden is just stunning. That last shot shows just how fantastic the planting is in your borders and garden beds. The Asiatic Lilies are marvellous. That is a plant that will grow here … must get some!