Columnar plants for tight areas
Home properties are getting smaller so it isn’t surprising that we get a lot of requests for plants that will fit in areas where width is limited. When shopping for a plant, check the label first for size dimensions. Keep in mind that the size stated is a 10-year size, meaning that it should take 10 years for it to attain that size. Also know that plants will grow differently depending on location and soil conditions. Most plants generally grow very well here in the Pacific Northwest and many will grow to sizes outside the range listed on the label.
Italian Cypress ‘Swane’s Golden’ – One of my favorite vertical accents. I grow several of these in my garden. They are tall and very thin with attractive golden foliage. The eventual size is 15-18′ x 2-3′. (Evergreen)
Juniper ‘Skyrocket’ – Junipers are excellent conifers for vertical features. I grow both ‘Skyrocket’ and ‘Spartan’. Other varieties to look for at Yard N’ Garden Land are ‘Moonglow’, ‘Taylor’ and ‘Blue Arrow’. (Evergreen)
Feather Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’ – You might not think of ornamental grasses for vertical accents but many varieties are great choices if you do not want to exceed 6′ tall. ‘Karl Foerster’ is one of the most popular. Tall (5-6′), skinny and topped with reddish brown plumes that turn gold in the fall. This grass performs well in wet or dry soils.
Here are a few suggestions for popular columnar shrubs and trees.
Other plants to consider:
*Wissel’s Saguaro false cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
*Graham Blandy boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Arborvitae ‘Degroot’s Spire’ (Thuja occidentalis) – The ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae is undeniably the most popular choice when it comes to privacy hedging. If you are looking for a more refined focal point or perhaps a container plant, consider ‘Degroot’s Spire’. It can eventually attain a height of 15′ or more but remains very narrow (2 – 3′). (Evergreen)
Holly ‘Sky Pencil’ (Ilex crenata) – Looking for a punctuation mark in the garden? Look no further than the ‘Sky Pencil’ holly. Growing to 10′ tall and 2′ wide, it is effective in groups or by itself. It does well in sun or shade. I grow this on the north side of my home where it receives very little sun and it does fine. (Evergreen)
Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’) is a dense, upright shrub with fine textured leaves that are deer resistant. 10′ tall and 3-6′ wide. (Evergreen)
Buckthorn ‘Fine Line’ (Rhamnus frangula) grows 6-8′ tall and 2-3′ wide. Frilly, willowy foliage provides a dramatic and different focal point. The leaves turn yellow in the fall. It is deciduous in the winter but the bark is very attractive. Bees love it! (Deciduous)
