Types of Evergreen Trees

Unlike the deciduous trees that lose their foliage, evergreen trees retain their leaves all the year-round. To be more precise, evergreen trees remain green throughout the year, irrespective of the season. Evergreen trees retain their leaves for few months to many years. In the former case, new leaves are grown as the old ones shed; whereas in the later case, the original leaves are retained, either for a few years or even thirty years (e.g. Welwitschia).

Evergreen trees have modified leaves that help to conserve the loss of moisture and thrive in extreme conditions. For example, most evergreen trees have leaves that are needle shaped and wax coated. These leaves also provide insulation and play a major role in protecting the trunk and branches from sun and frost. However, there are also some evergreens with broad leaves.

Evergreen trees thrive better in certain temperatures and weather conditions. This is the reason why they are more prevalent in tropical regions, as compared to temperate climates. Though, evergreens can tolerate the cold, climatic conditions; they are rare in the polar regions of the world.

Types of Evergreen Trees

Evergreen trees, due to their rich aesthetic value, are most preferred for use in landscape designing and as shade garden plants and ornamentals. Since most evergreen trees are perennial plants, they are also used in rock gardens. There are many types of evergreen plants; some of which are listed below.

Cypress: Cypress, due to its soft, feathery texture and symmetrical shape, is one of the most popular evergreen trees in the United States. It is drought-tolerant and grows about 3-4 feet per year. It is easy to prune and shows great adaptability. Cypress is mostly used in creating privacy hedges and borders around property. For better growth and development, plant cypress keeping a 6 feet distance between two trees.

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus is another popular evergreen tree, which grows to a maximum height of 6 feet per year. Almost all the species of eucalyptus are pest and drought resistant. The barks and leaves of eucalyptus are aromatic and can be used as a repellent for insects and pests. Eucalyptus tree is a good option for providing shade and can be planted anywhere as per your convenience.

Pine: There are about 115 species of pine. This evergreen tree grows about 3-4 feet per year. Though, pine trees are drought resistant, they may be either tolerant or intolerant to frost. Many people prefer to grow pine trees as ornamentals, mainly because of their needle shaped leaves.

Thuja: Thuja is the fastest growing evergreen tree in the world. It grows about 3-5 feet per year, once it gets established. One major advantage of growing thuja is that it is pest and drought resistant. It is adaptable to any environmental condition. Keep a 5-6 feet gap between two trees, when planting thuja. The thuja plant can be used as a wind screen or a privacy hedge.

Well! These are some of the commonly grown evergreen trees. There are many other evergreen trees that are used in landscaping; some of these are fir, cedar, spruce, Christmas tree and maple. Plant evergreen trees where there is enough sunlight and water as per the requirement of the plant species. While planting evergreen trees, make sure that you keep enough space from the other non-evergreen trees (if any). Since evergreens make the soil acidic, they may kill the plants that are planted close to them.