This list includes only a few of the species available. These diminutive evergreens grow slowly, retain their compact shape with minimal pruning and come in a beautiful range of green, blue, silver and golden yellow shades. Available in a variety of shapes and foliage textures, dwarf conifers provide year round color and form to the garden.
Definitions vary, even among growers and collectors, but here's a general description.
Don't be confused by plants labelled as 'slow-growing' or 'compact', they may be smaller than normal trees but they're not 'dwarf'. If you're unsure, do some research before you buy. Also trees deliberately stunted by growing conditions, such as bonsai, are not 'dwarf'. Dwarf conifers are cultured mutations. They appear either as slow growing seedlings of normal trees or slow growing shoots called witches' brooms which are dense growths produced by single mutated buds of normal trees.