The neighbors planted this row of conifers as a privacy hedge in 1990. The trees were short and cute. Now they are about 25–30 feet tall. Can anyone tell me the name just by this picture of branches and cones? Thanks.
This message was edited Apr 26, 2014 5:19 PM
Some of us could - and some of us would ask why (since these are the neighbors' trees) you wouldn't post multiple pictures here of these plants? Like, a whole tree or the whole hedge?
I would otherwise say that you have Norway Spruce (Picea abies) as your next-door conifer.
I can!
I just happened to have this shot handy due to trying out a new zoom lens (to get an artsy shot of the cones).
I have nothing against the trees; in fact, they are my favorite accent along the side of the yard. The neighbors who live on the other side of the trees are not the original planters and may very well believe that the row of conifers belongs to us.
I can live with that.
More pics to come. Eventually.
The neighbors who live on the other side of the trees are not the original planters and may very well believe that the row of conifers belongs to us.
You have indeed provided a high-quality and interesting image of the cones and branch tips. I didn't mean to belittle that - only to say that pictures of whole plants should be the lead, and then proceed on to closer and closer details.
Conifers come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes the zoom images mask what the plant could be without the "whole plant" context - such as a dwarf, columnar, pendulous, etc.
So we wait with conifer-baited breath!
On a complete tangent from the subject, I took a look at your member page since I didn't recognize your name - before I assumed you were new to the site. You obviously are not, and I'd like to thank you for your extensive contributions, especially:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4349/
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/4608/
I really appreciate the American Holly article. As an officer with the national organization Holly Society of America (which you referenced) I thank you for your writings, and encourage you to pursue further information about Ilex opaca in North America, in all its cultural, economical, and historical permutations. You are fortunate to live nearly in the epicenter of this species' original concentration, though the ravages of development have certainly reduced its overall significance.
Membership in HSA may very well provide you answers to those many musings from your article. With the 67th Annual Meeting on the horizon in October 2014 (at Rutgers University, NJ), this may be a serendipitous opportunity.
Thank you again, and let's see some more spruced up images...
No worries! I was just being a bit lazy. Next time, I will make an effort to photograph the trees with some perspective reference (like my husband's pole shed with junk—er, ah, extra stuff—that is stashed alongside this row of conifers.)
If I go into the neighbor's yard, (for a cleaner picture) the K-9 attack dogs will probably get agitated enough to jump the fence on their outdoor dog pen.
If I stay in my yard, I will have to tidy up the area in order to get a nice photo. But I will certainly try.
I looked up info on the Norway Spruce and have an instant, new-found respect for this specimen. I feel fortunate to live right next to a Norway Spruce row. In my mind's eye, I see these already-towering trees at three times their height in the next decade.
Why did my neighbor John plant Norway Spruces, though. Then he moved. I can't imagine these trees at 100+ feet tall. OMG.
I absolutely love these trees but confess to trimming their branches in an ignorant manner last year. My tools were not the best. I want to get a pruning saw and tree wound paint and possibly saw off some of the lowest branches that rub the ground, or at least tidy up what I trimmed last year now that I know a little more.
Thank you for your appreciation of my articles. I love trees, what can I say?
The American Holly is an awesome tree, and it is EVERYWHERE in the understory in my area. The deciduous trees are now leafing out and hiding the holly again, but I know they are still in there, and it makes my day.
Ditto to Norway Spruce
Resin
One horizontal shot and one vertical shot of the spruce row. Sorry, I do not have a good wide-angle lens nor any space between the pole shed and the row of trees to get a whole tree in the viewfinder.
Anyway, as you can see by the size of the boat and other objects on the ground, the trees are already very tall.
Thanks for the interest.
