Conifers can provide colour, texture and structural diversity to the garden throughout the year. A vast range of species and cultivars is currently available and, if the right choice is made, conifers can be a valuable asset to most gardens. As with most major plant groups the RHS has strong links with conifers and they provide shelter, structure, specific interest or focal points in all RHS Gardens.
Conifers at Wisley
Many of the earliest surviving plantings at Wisley are of conifers and they are still used throughout the Garden. Two Chamaecyparis in the wild garden date from the late 19th century and are thought to be the oldest deliberate plantings in the Garden. The Pinetum itself has trees planted in the 1920s and the Portsmouth Field (Trials area) has surrounding conifers from the 1950s. The Rock Garden contains a significant collection of smaller cultivars and new plantings are made throughout the garden, especially in the Pinetum and Jubilee Arboretum.
International registration of conifer names
Conifers are one of the nine plant groups for which the RHS is the International Cultivar Registration Authority.
Registration of conifer cultivar names
RHS exhibition awards
RHS Exhibition Awards are given to plants with show-bench quality - regular conifers can be put before Floral Committee B and dwarf conifers are assessed by the Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee. Three awards for plants are available, the highest being the First Class Certificate (FCC), followed by the Award of Merit (AM) and the Certificate of Preliminary Commendation (PC). Anyone can put plants forward for such Awards on specified dates when the Committee meets.
List of Award of Garden Merit conifers
Ornamental plant competitions
Conifers can be entered into competitions at the RHS London Flower Shows. Anyone can enter and a competition specifically for conifers is held in February. Contact RHS Shows Department for details.
International Conifer Conference
The RHS first sponsored a Conifer Conference in 1891. Subsequent conferences were held in 1931 and 1970. The 1999 Conference was truly international and subjects discussed included the fossil record, taxonomy, the diversity of modern species, forestry, horticulture and conservation.
Further reading
Coombes, A. 1999. Nov. Evergreen Appeal. The Garden. 124(11): 838-843. Growing pines (Pinus) in Britain.
Gardner, M. 1999. Nov. Viewpoint, Conifers: Friends or Foes? The Garden 124(11): 858-859.
