EVERGREEN or FIR

Question: I am replacing a large Norway Spruce that was dying from borers.  I want a similar type of hardy evergreen that will spread out.  What would you suggest?  I can consider planting more than one tree.  I do NOT want a narrow tree.  The photos show the space where the old tree was cut down.  The wood chips have been moved and spread around to fill in ruts caused by the equipment used to grind up the stump.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 27, 2023, 11:16 AM EDT
response: Fir trees (botanical name Abies) are not suitable to most of Maryland since our climate is too hot and humid in summer, and our soils generally too easily compacted, for them to thrive or live very long. (There are a handful of cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in the state, but they too can have trees struggle and are located in areas with slightly cooler weather and excellent drainage.)  We can share some ideas for plant candidates, but more information would be helpful first. When you say "spread out," do you mean you want a plant maturing wider than tall, such as dwarf shrubby varieties of spruces tend to do, or a plant that has the pyramidal shape typical of non-dwarf spruces, where their "skirt" of bottom branches is the widest point on the tree?  What is the rough size of the space available? (Since you mention that more than one tree might be planted.) Do deer browse in that area? Does the planting site receive full sun (6-8 or more hours of direct summer sun) or a bit less? It looks quite sunny but we wanted to make sure.  Borers tend to attack plants under stress, or which have had injuries like lightning strikes or root damage. Regarding the tree that was removed, do you suspect it had root dieback from poor drainage or wet conditions? (Overwatered plants, at least among deciduous trees, tend to attract Ambrosia Beetle, for example. Drought stress can draw in other borers.) We want to avoid having whatever stressed that tree affect a new planting.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 27, 2023, 5:25 PM EDT
response: Miri, thanks for all the information.  I want a tree similar in size & shape to the other tree, i.e., tall and pyramidal.  The available space you can see in the other photos I sent of the big bare space is about 19' square (on all sides).  There is a little less sun in the morning, but plenty the rest of the day.  The house faces SSW. The other tree as far as I know was never struck by lightning.  It was only watered by nature.  I didn't plant it.  The house was built in 1966.  I moved in in 1977 and it was doing well at that time.  It grew fine for many years, but in the past several years started losing branches.  The land slopes down a little to the next property.  There is no standing water and no indication of root dieback.  The first photo below is from March, 2015.  There were still a lot of branches low down and the tree seemed OK then.  The next several photos were taken the end of May this year.  A LOT fewer branches (I did cut off a couple of completely dead ones low down where I could reach) and evidence of borers in the trunk. Sandi

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 28, 2023, 11:11 AM EDT
response: Hello Sandi,  Thank you for the information and photos. Based on its appearance, the old spruce might have contracted a needle cast disease (quite common for spruces in our area, though we see it most often on Colorado Spruce) in addition to borers. Given the size desired and site conditions, we can list a few ideas below, though it's not an exhaustive list. Few plants will emulate that exact look the spruce provided -- the classic wide-base pyramidal "Christmas tree" shape -- but we'll try to come close, though there may be trade-offs for some traits (mature size or growth rate, for example). Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)Many cultivars on the market, largely differing by mature height (dwarf versus full-size) and foliage color (most are green, though some are almost frosted with light yellow). Some varieties "bronze" more in winter than others, which is when the foliage takes on a bronzy-/coppery-brown blush. Growth of non-dwarf varieties can be quite rapid.American Holly (Ilex opaca) or Foster's Holly (Ilex x attenuata 'Foster') American Holly is locally native and can become the largest holly of all those grown in our area, but the trade-off is that they're fairly slow-growing. Female varieties can produce red (or more rarely, orange-yellow) berries, but only if pollinated by a male variety (nearby wild trees might be sufficient pollinators). Birds enjoy the berries, though usually don't touch them until late in the winter, so they remain decorative for a while.Foster's Holly is a hybrid of two native species and is more slender, though still pyramidal. Growth is a bit faster than American Holly but not rapid. Foliage is less prickly and most forms on the market are female, though like the above, would benefit from a compatible male (a Foster male in this case) in order to fruit.Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara), Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica), or Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) In most Maryland winters, Deodar Cedar is sufficiently cold-hardy, but if we were to have an unusually cold year, it would be best to select a cultivar with improved cold tolerance, such as 'Karl Fuchs' or 'Kashmir'There are numerous varieties of Deodar Cedar, largely differing in mature size (dwarf versus full-size) and needle color (the usual blue-green to golden yellow-green)Cedar of Lebanon and Blue Atlas Cedar will be pyramidal in youth but as they age (decades down the road) they can develop more of a flat-topped shape.Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica / glabra)Most cultivars are full-size but a few are more compact in height, though the main difference between varieties is foliage color: some are tipped with creamy-yellow, others yellow-green, and most are silvery blue-green, somewhat like the color of Colorado Blue Spruce. Growth rate is moderate to rapid, though their mature stature might be smaller than the spruce's was.Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)Not evergreen, but included here if you plant multiple trees where the others are evergreen, or if you aren't prioritizing that trait.Very rapid growth and large mature size (more so relating to height than width) that would easily rival an old spruce. Foliage turns bright bronzy-orange in autumn. There is one cultivar whose summer foliage color is bright yellow-green. Roots near the trunk might be shallow and run along the soil surface.Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)Essentially the same traits as the above -- deciduous, fall color, rapid growth, surface roots -- but this species is native. Handles wetter soils well.Close relative Pondcypress (Taxodium distichum imbricarium / ascendans) has slightly different foliage texture and may leaf-out later in spring, but is otherwise used the same.Japanese Umbrella-pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)Slow growth rate, and will mature a little smaller than the spruce had grown.More rare and harder to find; between this and the growth rate, will be more expensive.Generally pine-like foliage appearance but with a unique needle arrangement and thicker-leaved, waxier texture.Western Arborvitae (Thuja plicata or its hybrids)The hybrid variety 'Green Giant' is by far the most common on the market, but others do exist that might get even taller, or have a less-slender upper third of the plant. Growth is generally rapid and foliage might bronze a little in winter, taking on a chocolate-brown blush but not a drastic color change. Miri