Coniferous Landscape Trees

USDA Zones 2 and 3

• Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) is the rare conifer that sheds its foliage rather than remaining evergreen year-round. It grows to 90 feet, with a narrow width, and features bright-green needles that change to shades of golden yellow in autumn. Native to very cold climates in Asia, dahurian larch is found in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 and 3. It is a specimen tree that does well in acidic soil with full sun. No North American pine is found farther north than the jack pine (Pinus banksiana), notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. It has olive-green needles that are stiff and short. Jack pine grows to 50 feet tall, and it is a good choice for createing windbreaks.

USDA Zones 4 and 5

• The white fir (Abies concolor) is a conifer native to the Rockies and the mountains of California, and it is appropriate for USDA zones 4 and 5. White fir grows as tall as 100 feet, and it has bluish-green foliage, grayish-white bark and 5-inch-long cones. It transplants easily, withstands urban pollution, and is the most adaptable of fir species, according to the University of Connecticut Plant Database. Engelman spruce (Picea engelmannii) is another species of western North America. It grows between 30 and 50 feet high, and it features bluish needles and scaly, reddish-brown bark. Engelman spruce will not thrive in climates warmer than those in USDA zones 4 and 5. Give it room to mature, and use it for screens or windbreaks.

USDA Zones 6 and 7

• Tsuga canadensis 'Albospica' is a small Canadian hemlock cultivar that grows between 8 and 25 feet tall. Albospica possesses variegated needles, as the dark-green foliage has white at the end. Albospica, like all hemlocks, does well in shady areas. USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7 are the warmest zones in which it grows. Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) is a small conifer that is a good choice for landscapes with limited room. This pine, which is native to central Europe, grows as tall as 40 feet. It has soft green needles as long as 5 inches, and it prefers sandy loams.

USDA Zones 8, 9 and 10

• Hot climates limit your choices for landscaping with coniferous trees, but the stone pine (Pinus pinea) is a species capable of doing well in USDA zones 8 through 10. Stone pine has a reputation for assuming some odd shapes, with its crown often resembling a mushroom or an umbrella. The cones are large, up to 6 inches long, with gray-green needles that can reach lengths of 8 inches. The monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is a South American conifer that has winter hardiness for zones 8 through 10. With its odd shape, featuring no lower branches and an upper canopy like an umbrella, this tree has 2-inch-long evergreen leaves. The monkey-puzzle tree in cultivation averages between 20 and 30 feet high.