Evergreen Trees in America
- American holly produces bright red berries.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
American holly is a hardy, evergreen shrub or small tree that reaches a height of 20 to 30 feet at maturity. American holly is adaptable to most soils and a variety of climates. The hardy tree resists drought and disease. The tree presents thick branches growing out from the bottom of the trunk. American holly is planted as a specimen tree foundation planting or used as fencing or windbreaks. Plant holly trees 3 to 5 feet apart to form a dense wall. Holly provides effective privacy screening and reduces noise pollution. - Boxwood defines flower beds.Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
Exceptionally hardy, American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 through 8. The arborvitae is a slow-growing tree that reaches 40 to 60 feet tall at maturity. Fine- to medium-textured leaves are green during the majority of the year. Some leaves may yellow during a harsh winter. Arborvitae presents a stiff, upright pyramidal form. Many varieties of arborvitae have variegated coloration. - Native to the United States, thuja trees are one of the fast-growing evergreens frequently found in landscape designs. Thuja, planted in groupings, provides privacy screening, fencing and noise reduction. A stand of thuja has the additional benefit of providing shelter for birds and small animals. Thuja flourishes in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8.
- Plant juniper for visual interest and brightly colored berries.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Junipers are excellent additions to most any landscape plan. Tall forms such as the upright juniper or formal columnar juniper are used as background, foundation or privacy screening plantings. Spreading junipers are used to hold banks and control erosion. These hardy and fast-growing evergreens are also used as ground cover and edgings. Ground cover junipers include creeping, prostrate, Waukegan and Sergeant varieties. - Large fir cones are great fire starters for the fireplace or bonfire.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii) trees grow to impressive heights, reaching up to 300 feet at maturity with a diameter of over 15 feet. It comes close to being one of the tallest trees in America. Douglas fir has flat, green to yellow-green needles, spirally arranged on the twig. The scales of the cones of Douglas fir are papery, 3 to 4 inches in length. Douglas fir is drought, disease and fire resistant.
Noble fir and grand fir are cultivated for Christmas trees. In the United States, 40 million Christmas trees are sold and 73 million Christmas trees are planted every year, according to the Western Michigan Tourist Association.
