What sort of evergreen do you think is best-suited for your neighborhood
climate? There's a lot to consider but once you have a basic understanding of
how to properly classify evergreens, you'll discover just how plentiful, robust,
and charming these trees really are. Evergreens have that holiday charisma in
many homes, but there are a multitude of uses for this tree. In fact, it's
important to understand a little about how evergreens are classified to
understand their usefulness.
The most important classification method has been standardized among
botanists-for centuries. All living organism are divided into a few kingdoms.
For the evergreen, they are in the Plataea kingdom. The kingdom is further
divided into phyla or phylum to help organize similar plants into groups. Phylum
includes plants with some distinct differences, so further sub-categorization
was necessary. Phyla are organized into classes. Each class is then divided into
orders and then into families.
To classify a tree such as an evergreen, distinct characteristics need to be
determined. Evergreen trees come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with varying
colors, needle structures, and a desire for particular soil bases. Evergreens,
just as many other trees owning up to a specific plot of real estate-be it in a
forest, a subdivision, or other landscape of varying features and
attributes-desire preferential treatment. If evergreens could bark, you might
hear them howling at the skies, stating that they have a preference for certain
climates.
The spruce is one of the most famously planted evergreens. Spruce trees
develop short, sharp needles that vary from 1-2 inches in length. The color of
the foliage ranges from a rich, dark green to a strong hearty blue. Of all the
spruce varietals, one of the most popular forms of the spruce trees is the
Colorado spruce. In the past, they were known as the Colorado Blue. Someone,
somewhere along the way removed the Blue from its name.
The Colorado spruce takes its fame to new heights, growing to an average of
40-60 feet tall, with a width of up to 30 feet at its base. This cone-shaped
beauty is not shy. The Colorado vibrates in dark, green needles for all to
see.
The Black Hills spruce, another common variety of evergreen, has much darker
foliage, with finer needles in comparison the Colorado. The Black Hill tree
grows, on average, 30-40 feet tall with a 20-30 foot width. Again, the basic
cone shape is present in this spruce as well.
All pines have needles that grow in bundles. The needles length ranges from 1
to inches long. Varieties well-fit to colder climates include the following
trees: white, red/Norway, Scotch and Swiss stone.
Remember, when classifying evergreens, there is an organized format, one that
has been followed for centuries. This organization makes it possible to breed
evergreens, understand their growth cycles, and helps people determine whether
or not a specific evergreen is suitable for a specific plot of land. Evergreens
are beautiful, robust trees with a variety of uses. Check them out and see if
the evergreen is something you might be interested in learning more
about.
