Trees are the backbone of every landscape, it is a fact everyone probably knows but don’t really think about very much.  If there were no trees our landscapes would be very boring, not to mention the air we breathe wouldn’t be as clean, since trees play an essential role in purifying our air.

So since trees are valuable for many reasons there’s no reason not to choose some interestingly configured trees to add year round interest to the landscape.  These are the trees which weep or are columnar or have twisted stems, all have their merits to consider when adding trees.  Of course, here at Nature’s Friends Landscape we have considerable knowledge regarding different types of trees so we are happy to help you choose a new and different tree to add to your garden.

These trees can create a certain mood in the garden or act as a piece of garden sculpture, adding a depth to your garden you will appreciate in all seasons.  One of the most popular is the weeping form, they provide a nice ambience as they add movement in the garden.  One of those is the Camperdown Elm, a grafted plant which will only grow to about seven feet tall.

Photo Credit: prospectpark.org

Conifers provide some interesting weeping growth patterns, two of them which have horizontal growing limbs are Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendual’ and Cedrus libani ‘Pendula’.  These trees sometimes require staking to support their striking forms as they grow.  You’ve seen these in landscapes, they are particularly architectural in their growth patterns.  Being conifers they will provide green during the winter months when everything else is so bare.

Columnar shapes are good for narrow spaces where nothing else will fit, or they can be used as a design element in your landscape.  There are several evergreens which will qualify as columnar; the Sky Pencil Hollies are wonderful, topping out at four to five feet, in addition there is the Sky-rocket Juniper which will grow up to 20 feet if you need more height.

Twisted stem varieties are interesting, the best of them being ‘Contorta’ Harry Lauders Walking Stick or also referred to as a contorted hazelnut.  This is a wonderful tree to add to any garden as they only grow to 4-5 feet and provide amazingly contorted growth which is really visible in the winter.