Decorative coniferous shrubs are widely used in landscape design for landscaping gardens, flower beds, terraces, alleys, etc. There are many varieties of these evergreens, and each gardener can choose for himself the most attractive shrub. In the article we will provide you with a photo and the names of some conifers, as well as a brief description of each of the representatives.
Juniper horizontal
Also known by the name of juniper prostrate. The natural habitat is considered the central and northern part of North America.
The shrub can be found in the United States and Canada near small rivers, in coniferous forests, on mountain slopes, etc. 
Juniper horizontal - evergreen coniferous shrub, with long branches that are pressed to the soil surface. The shoots are painted in blue-green color, at the onset of the first frost they get a brown tint.
The leaves on the reproductive shoots are needle-shaped, prickly, retreating from the branches by no more than 6-7 mm. Juniper also has leaves in the form of scales, which are oval in shape with a slight sharpening at the end.
These leaves are small and tightly pressed to the branches. On the shrub is a constant formation of cones, which have a blue-green hue. In each cone there are 4 seeds.
Did you know? Juniper exists on planet Earth for more than 50 million years.
Introduced in the decorative garden culture in the middle of the XIX century. Today it is often found in botanical gardens and arboretums. In amateur gardens with a decorative purpose began to appear quite recently, so the juniper horizontal just started to gain its popularity. 
The shrub is very beautiful at the beginning of spring, because it is then that its needles acquire a steel shade, which is the main decorative quality of coniferous plants. It will look beautiful on slopes, rocks, near small ponds, etc.
Learn more about planting juniper horizontal.Juniper possesses good frost resistance, grows normally in urban conditions, has low requirements for soil composition, but develops slowly. It prefers sunny or semi-shady places, moderately wet soil and high air humidity.
Pine Mugus
Mountain pine Mugus is widespread in the mountainous regions of the Alps and the Balkans. In the natural habitat of this plant, it can reach a height of 2-3 m, however, the width of its crown exceeds the height and is 3-4 m.
It is because of this form that this coniferous plant is attributed not to trees, but to shrubs. Pine Mugus has short shoots that are stretched upwards.
For a year, the shrub can add only 10-12 cm in height, and 12-14 cm in width. The diameter of the needles on the shoots varies from 3.5 to 4.5 cm. The needles have a very beautiful dark green color with a small gleam of metal. 
Cones give the mountain pine a special decorative look, but they appear only 8-9 year after planting. Cones have the shape of a cut cone 3-6 cm long, painted in all shades of brown.
Mountain pine Mugus is a drought-resistant plant, but with abundant summer irrigation the needles acquire bright decorative effects. A tree without any special decorative losses can winter in the central regions of Russia.
The best place to plant will be a well-lit place with moderately compacted soil. Shady places can cause the pine Mugus to become less resistant to diseases.
The plant is not particularly demanding on the composition of the soil, but when planting it is desirable to add a little river sand and peat to the hole. The pine shoots are strong, so without much difficulty they can withstand a lot of snow in winter.
Dwarf Mountain Pine - a popular plant among gardeners who like to decorate the landscape in the style of bonsai on their site. The plant will be perfectly combined with other coniferous shrubs and trees when you design alpine slides and rocky gardens. 
El Maxwell
This beautiful decorative conifer plant does not grow more than one meter in height. The diameter of its crown can reach 2 m. The shrub grows very slowly, and can reach its maximum size only in 15-20 years.
The crown of Maxwell ate fairly thick, has a slightly pyramidal shape. Shoots are small, evenly distributed throughout the plant. The needles very densely cover escapes, grows radially, has a yellowish-green color. 
Very small bumps form on the shrub, which, unfortunately, cannot be admired, because of their small size, they are practically inaccessible to the human eye.
Important! It is best to plant Maxwell spruce in early spring. At the bottom of the landing pit do not forget to draw up a good drainage system.
Spruce Maxwell can grow on almost any type of soil, it is unpretentious to acidity, but the plant tolerates excessively wet and dry soils with difficulty. Shrub resistant to soot and soot.
Many gardeners grow this spruce in pots that adorn alleys, terraces and gardens. The plant is frost-resistant, prefers sunny places, loves high humidity.
Spruce Maxwell is often used to decorate various decorative compositions. It looks great in line with other deciduous and ornamental shrubs.
This dwarf fir tree will be a bright decoration of alpine hills, stony gardens and other landscape compositions. 
Red cedar
This coniferous shrub belongs to the Cypress family. Natural habitat of virgin juniper: mountainous and rocky terrain of Canada and the United States.
There are about 70 species of this shrub, most of which are capable of reaching a height of 30 m. Under normal conditions, the life expectancy of a virgin juniper is about 500 years.
Young plants have a dense green crown, shaped like an egg. The needles of the plant are small, densely growing, scaly form. In the summer, the needles are distinguished by the extraordinary beauty of a green shade, but when the winter comes it turns brown.
Check out these types of juniper: Siberian, Chinese, Andorra compact, Cossack.Juniper cones have a spherical shape, they do not exceed 3 mm in diameter. Painted in the color of ripe plums, formed in the second year after planting. Pine cones remain on the plant until the onset of the first frost, only then they fall off.
The shrub trunk is strong enough to resist rotting. In the USA and Canada, pencils are made from some varieties of juniper virginsky, for which the plant has received the nickname “pencil tree”.On the territory of Russia juniper came about 200 years ago, since then began to be used in decorative design for palaces and manors.
Did you know? Juniper is able to secrete a large number of phytoncides, which kill all pathogenic bacteria in the air. The area of 1 hectare, which is planted with juniper, is able to allocate about 30 kg of volatile production per day, and this is enough to completely clean the small town from contamination by bacteria.
Today this coniferous plant is very popular among people engaged in landscape and decorative design. Virginia juniper will be an excellent decoration of the coniferous alley, rock garden or alpine gardens.
However, when the bush reaches 40 years of age, its ornamental value tends sharply to zero, as the lower branches begin to wither. In this case, junipers, which served as decorations for gardens and parks, begin to cut off, and new young plants are planted in their place. 
Microbiota
A truly beautiful and very ancient coniferous plant. Historical background states that the microbiota is one of the most ancient conifers.
This shrub is often confused with a creeping juniper, but according to its biological characteristics it is closer to the eastern thuja.
The microbiota has a luxurious lush crown, which reaches a height of 50-60 cm. Its graceful branches spread, rise or wilt at the ends.
The branches of the coniferous shrub have the shape of an elongated flattened oval, which somewhat resemble thuja shoots. Needles are scaly form. It is a dense, small (1-2 mm), bright green color.
The needles fit snugly to the branches, and in shady places they can be slightly bulged. In the fall they get a brownish-yellow hue. 
The microbiota is a dioecious plant, since nipples of female and male can form on one bush. Male cones are smaller, often forming at the ends of the shoots.
Female cones are slightly larger, forming on short shoots, spreading when ripe. Cones of both sexes do not appear on the shrub annually, in addition, they are quite small, so they will not be able to contemplate.
The annual growth of the microbiota is only 2-3 cm. In the natural habitat, shrubs are found in mountainous areas and on the coasts of the mountains, therefore, in decorative and landscape design is most often used for alpine gardens, alpine gardens, stony gardens, etc.
In addition, microbiota are the honored guests of many botanical gardens in the world. Since the height of the microbiota is small, it can often be seen on the alleys, the boundaries of lawn crops, terraces and. 
Cypress
Cypress - a genus of evergreen conifers and shrubs. In Latin, its name sounds like Chamaecyparis. There are seven main plant species in the genus, which are in their natural habitat in North America and East Asia.
To date, breeders have bred more than 200 species of cypress trees, which differ in a variety of decorative qualities. Some of the trees can reach a height of 70 m.
Cypress trees are often confused with cypresses, but the latter have larger branches and needles. Among artificially bred cypress trees, there are many types of ornamental shrubs that reach a height of only 0.5-0.8 m.
Cones are small with a small number of seeds. Cypress trees easily tolerate even the most severe winter frosts, but they overcome an excessive summer drought with great difficulty. 
The shrub has bluish-green or yellow-green leaves (pine needles). Young plants have a needle-shaped leaves, mature trees - scale-like. Decorative cypress trees are of different types, each of them is distinguished by the shape of the crown, shades of needles, growth rate.
Important! Cypress seeds need to be collected in the fall, store them in a tightly closed jar at room temperature. In such conditions, the seeds can be stored for 20 years.
Cypress Endelayensis - a popular plant among fans of decorative and landscape design. This shrub can reach a maximum height of 2.5 m. Its branches are very dense and slightly fan-shaped. Endelayensis has a beautiful needles, greenish-blue color, with opposite growth of leaves.
In the botanical gardens, landscape parks, alpine slides you can find these types of low cypress trees in the form of a shrub: Sanderi, Albopikta, Kontorta, Blue Seprise.
All of these plants are distinguished by a dense pyramidal or pin-shaped crown, a bluish-green color of the needles, a slow growth and a beautiful purple-violet color of the needles in the autumn-winter period. 
Cypress
Cypresses - a large genus of evergreen coniferous shrubs and trees, which in the natural habitat can be found only in the northern hemisphere. Evergreen cypress has long been found in the Crimea, and the ancient Greeks brought it there.
This coniferous plant can be found on the Mediterranean coast, in northern and eastern Asia, as well as in North America (from Guatemala to Canada).
There is a huge variety of types of cypress, which are found as decorative ornaments on the alleys, terraces, in landscaped parks.
Those types of cypress, which in nature can grow up to 25 m in height, grow slowly at home, and with proper care can grow only 2 m in height.
Often, these ornamental coniferous shrubs are planted in groups to create green walls and decorative fences. 
The needles on the bushes resemble the shape of scales. It nestles tightly against the shoots, due to which a slender and magnificent pyramidal crown is formed.
Some landscape designers compare the harmony of cypress with the harmony of a beautiful female figure. Already in the second year on the plant cones are formed, which are painted in bluish-green color.
After a year, the buds become olive-brown, each containing about 20 brownish seeds. The diameter of the cones becomes 3-4 cm, but at the same time they are very dense and thick.
The parks can be seen on the bright cypresses of squirrels, who are trying to steal more cones, because their seeds are excellent food for luxuriant animals.
Cypresses are undemanding to the composition of the soil, so they are often found on the roadsides and alleys in long and orderly rows. Their branches are dense and practically do not bend under the snow or with a strong wind.
Cypress wood is used in shipbuilding, and its oils are used in pharmacology and medicine. 
Balsam fir
This coniferous plant will be an excellent hedge among lawn plantings. Due to the fact that balsam fir has a lush and slim crown, it is often planted in groups on alleys, terraces, etc.
Fir can form an elegant and attractive crown, which will be a unique decoration of any yard, park or garden.
In the natural habitat, balsam fir is found on the rocky shores of small rivers and lakes. Due to genetic predisposition, the plant can be planted around small artificial ponds, in which case harmony will be at the highest level.
The Caucasian and Korean fir are also very popular.It should be noted that in the decorative and landscape design the most popular types of balsam fir are Nana and Hudsonia.
But there are other varieties that differ in different colors of needles (from gray to silver), the shape of the crown (pin-like, pyramidal, conical), growth rate. 
Did you know? Fir balsam, which is isolated from the balsam fir bark, is able to cleanse and rejuvenate the body. Such a balm has been known since ancient times, it was actively used by the inhabitants of Kievan Rus.
The needles have a comb location on the branches. It is slightly blunt, has a greenish tint, and in the lower part there are small white stripes. The length of the needles varies from 20 to 25 mm.
The balsam fir cones are shaped like a cylinder that tapers at the base. Their length reaches 10 cm, width - 25 mm. The color of the lumps varies from dark purple to olive brown.
Coniferous plant with proper care brings decorative value for 40-50 years. In the natural habitat fir balsamic fir lives about 200 years.
Yew
Yew - another representative of evergreen conifers, which is characterized by exceptional longevity. In the natural habitat (North America, East Asia and Europe) the shrub can grow for 3000 years! 
There are many varieties of yew, some of which have beautiful and lush decorative forms, the second - large size, not of interest to landscape designers.
In decorative art, yews are often used in the form of bushes or dwarf trees that do not grow more than 3 meters in height.
The yew symbolizes the strength of the spirit, it is also a symbol of overcoming death. Guides in the botanical garden of Yalta often recall that the yew guarded the entrance to the kingdom of Hades for many millennia, while it looked magnificently and slender, like an ardent Cerberus with a mountain of muscles.
Yew looks gorgeous in a single landing, and in an intricate composition. It will be a bright decoration and the main character of any garden, rock garden, park. Decorative needles will be the perfect backdrop for elegant rock gardens and unusual alpine slides.
Important! For planting yew need to use a mixture of sand and peat in a ratio of 1: 2.
This ornamental coniferous shrub has a dense crown and mutually spaced branches. Its needles have moderate stiffness, located alternately on short petioles.
The fruits of yew are cones, which have a cherry-red pericarp. Ornamental types of shrubs are demanding to the composition of the soil, but they are the only conifers that can grow in shady places without much difficulty. 
Spruce canadian
Canadian spruce or conic is a decorative type of coniferous plant, which, because of its low size, is more like a shrub. In the literature, there are often other names that accurately reflect the bright color of the needles: spruce conic glaucus, fir conic fir, conic fir white.
Canadian spruce is a miniature hybrid of the gray-fir, therefore it is often used for decoration of rock gardens, stony gardens, terraces, alleys. Впервые растение было обнаружено в канадских горах в начале ХХ века.
С того времени миниатюрное дерево начало быстрыми темпами заполнять усадьбы, дворы, парки и сады по всем мире. Due to its compact size, the plant is used in the art of bonsai. Moreover, Canadian spruce is planted in pots and placed on balconies and even window sills.
Canadian spruce grows slowly and, with free care and regular pruning, reaches a height of 1-1.5 m. Its crown is thick and very beautiful, the diameter varies from 1.5 to 2 m. 
The shape of the crown resembles a narrow cone, it is densely filled with small needle needles, which do not exceed 1 cm in length. Needles of a coniferous tree have a greenish-gray color and are not prickly at all, therefore are safe for children and pets.
Cones on Canadian spruce - a phenomenon quite rare, they will not be able to contemplate them every year.
The article indicates not all varieties and types of conifers. However, we made a description of those shrubs that are most popular among lovers of design rocky gardens, rock gardens and terraces.
