Spreading conifer plants
There are many types of low growing, spreading conifers that are perfect for using as colourful, textured ground cover at the front of borders, container displays or steep banks and slopes that are otherwise difficult to plant up. They’ll help suppress weeds and their prostrate growth can be handy to discretely cover unsightly objects such as manhole covers. Spreading conifers tend to stand up to the rigours of the British winter to shine through all the seasons. Many of these low, spreading or dwarf varieties are really “witch’s brooms”, a deformity of part of a conventional, conically shaped conifer which results in the natural structure of the plant being changes. These low, congested or weeping growths are then grafted onto a rootstock as a means of propagation and, if proven worthy, used as smaller garden plants for the fronts of borders and rockeries. Low, spreading conifers are also popular for the rockery garden, looking particularly impressive against contrasting coloured or decorative stone or cascaded between craggy rocks. Many spreading conifers are slow growing, making them perfect, low maintenance additions for urban gardens on a modest footprint.