Different Evergreen Trees

Conifer trees, commonly known as evergreens, add constant color to the landscape as they normally keep their foliage throughout the year. Green thumbs add numerous types of evergreens to home landscapes, where the trees serve as borders, shade trees, hedges and privacy screens. Plant different species of evergreen apart from each other to avoid competition for water supply and root space. Though hundreds of species fall into the evergreen category, botanists divide the trees into four core groups.

Evergreens in the Abies – and sometimes Pseudotsuga -- genus fall into the fir category. Fir tree cones face upward while other conifers sprout downward-facing cones. Needles of these trees have a softer feel than other evergreen needles and the trees grow in a mostly symmetrical fashion. Botanists have identified 18 different kinds of firs, including the popular Douglas fir, which grows up to 60 feet tall in a conical fashion and sprouts distinct "mouse tail" cones. Other examples include the blue-hued white fir, the fragrant balsam fir and the slow-growing blue dwarf Rocky Mountain fir.

Evergreens in the Juniperus genus, as well as the Caryocedrus and Sabina subgenera, also go by "juniper" or "cedar." Junipers grow as trees or shrubs with alternating, scale-like leaves, usually taking on columnar shapes, though some are conical. These fragrant trees feature fleshier cones than other varieties. Among the 50 species of juniper evergreens, large red cedars, yellow cedars and shrub-like California junipers provide popular examples. Small blue points, Chinese Junipers and spearmint trees only reach heights of 12 to 15 feet.

Pinus trees occur across about 115 different species, including the Strobus subgenera. Pines usually feature a distinctive conical shape, and they may become round or flat-topped as they age. Branches occur in "whorled" fashion, shooting off as small bracts of needles or scales along a main branches. Huge yellow-green Ponderosa pines reach up to 60 feet tall, while white pines – which actually sport blueish-green leaves – grow about 40 or 50 feet high. Twisted needles and rust-colored bark defines the popular Scotch pine. Bristlecones and pinyons grow to sizes of about 20 feet while dwarfs such as the tannenbaum, a popular Christmas tree, or teardrop feature dense, dark green leaves.

Like firs – and unlike pines – stiff and sharply pointed spruce needles attach individually to the branch. These evergreens sport roughly textured branches and thin-scaled, flexible cones. Individual pegs along the branch hold thick spruce needles in place. The roughly 40 species of spruces include the Pacific sitka spruce, the bright green or blueish-green Engelmann spruce, and the 60-foot tall Colorado blue spruce.