The Conifer returns as Christmas approaches
Timeless in design and resilient in nature, Humaira Ikram is back to advocate for the return of the Conifer in Pro Landscaper’s December issue.
As Christmas approaches, I’ve been thinking about the trees we bring indoors — those resin-scented evergreens that fill our homes with warmth and nostalgia. If we love them so much inside, why did conifers fall from favour outdoors?
For many, they still evoke the overgrown front gardens and shabby rockeries of the 1970s — dense, dark and difficult to maintain. Yet, like all fashions, conifers are quietly returning. And it’s not only Pinus mugo ‘Mops’ that deserve renewed attention (though it remains a gem).
In today’s smaller, curated gardens, where texture, scale and year-round structure truly matter, conifers are finding their rightful place once again.
We are rediscovering what these evergreens can offer beyond hedges and boundaries. Their architectural silhouettes, tactile foliage, and subtle palette of greens, blues and even golds can bring calm and cohesion to planting schemes that might otherwise rely too heavily on perennials.
Conifers are among the most ancient of plant lineages, originating from habitats as varied as Taiwan’s cloud forests (Chamaecyparis obtusa), the dry slopes of the Rockies (Pinus ponderosa), and the snow-clad ridges of Japan (Abies veitchii). Understanding these origins helps us to place them well.
Dwarf pines from alpine regions love free-draining, gritty soils, while forest-edge species such as Thuja and Chamaecyparis prefer richer, moisture-retentive ground. Following the “right plant, right place” principle keeps them healthy and looking good.
Linnaeus’s naming system provides clarity, but it can strip away the poetry of local names. Take Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’, a silvery-blue conifer that can reach eight metres. In Japan it’s known as Sawara — a sacred cypress whose fragrant timber was used to build temples and shrines. Understanding such cultural and ecological histories can add meaning and new purpose to how we design with these trees today.
Which conifers merit a place in modern schemes?
- Pinus mugo ‘Mops’ – From the limestone slopes of Central Europe’s Alps and Carpathians. A slow-growing, cheerful dwarf pine, tolerant of poor soils and alpine conditions. Pair with grasses, thymes and sedums for a mountain-meadow feel.
- Abies koreana ‘Kohouts Ice Breaker’ – Native to the cool, misty mountains of Korea. Its silvered needles and upright cones shine amid mosses, ferns and woodland perennials in dappled light.
- Thuja occidentalis ‘Danica’ – From the wet lowlands and lake margins of North America, this neat, spherical conifer thrives in moist, fertile soil. You could combine with hostas, astrantias or shade-tolerant groundcovers (if you don’t have an issue with molluscs).
- Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ – Hailing from the humid mountain forests of Japan, it’s ideal for cloud pruning and suits calm, layered plantings with maples, azaleas and ferns.
- Pinus banksiana ‘Schoodic’ – A coastal pine from Canada and the northern US, thriving on sandy, acidic soils. Perfect among heathers, blueberries and native grasses.
- Taxus baccata – Our native yew, found from chalk downs to shaded woodlands. Use dwarf forms such as ‘Repandens’ to lend gravitas beside hellebores, ferns and spring bulbs.
The difference today lies in context. Rather than dense monocultures or sombre borders, conifers can be used as punctuation points, sculptural anchors as well as enduring companions within layered, living plant communities. After decades of perennial-driven planting, their structure and longevity are more necessary than ever.
Perhaps it’s time to welcome conifers back — not as relics of another era, but as timeless, climate-resilient allies for the gardens of the future.