Spherical conifers
When looking for an evergreen spherical tree, the easy-care and robust conifers are of course an obvious idea - except for the native larch (which also does not grow in a spherical shape), the needles stay on the tree for several years and are not discarded in autumn, as is the case with deciduous trees. There are two forms of spherical conifers: False cypresses (such as Lawson's false cypress), the native yew, the sugar loaf spruce or the Korean fir can often be cut into spheres, but they do not naturally grow that way. For this reason, regular shaped cuts are necessary. Other varieties are specially bred with a spherical crown and can be planted either as a ground-covering shrub or as a half or standard stem. We have summarized the most beautiful varieties for you in the table below.
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| Tree species | Variety name | Latin name | Location | Stature | Width | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball cork fir | 'Green Globe' | Abies lasiocarpa | Sun to partial shade | up to two meters | up to one and a half meters | perfect for rock gardens |
| Dwarf tree of life | 'Tiny Tim' | Thuja occidentalis | Sun to partial shade | up to 100 centimeters | up to 150 centimeters | broad globular growth |
| Dwarf globe tree of life | 'Danica' | Thuja occidentalis | Sun to partial shade | up to 80 centimeters | up to 100 centimeters | ideal for bucket culture |
| Ball pine | 'Pug' | Pinus mugo | Sun to partial shade | up to 150 centimeters | up to 150 centimeters | ground-covering, spherical shape |
| Globular hooked or mountain pine | 'Heather pearl' | Pinus mugo | Sun | up to 80 centimeters | up to 60 centimeters | bushy, small tree |
| Globular hooked or mountain pine | 'Winter sun' | Pinus mugo | Sun to partial shade | up to 50 centimeters | up to 50 centimeters | yellow needles, ideal for keeping in pots |
Evergreen deciduous trees with a spherical crown
If you want it to be an evergreen, spherical deciduous tree, you have the choice between different types and varieties of
- Holly (Ilex), such as the European holly (Ilex aquifolium) or the species Ilex meserveae and Ilex mutchagara
- Common box (Buxus sempervirens)
- Privet, for example the glossy liguster (Ligustrum lucidum)
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Portuguese cherry laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
- Spice laurel (Laurus nobilis)
- as well as the winter green olive willow (Elaeagnus ebbingei)
With the exception of box, holly, privet and cherry laurel, however, these are non-winter-hardy species that must be grown in pots and kept frost-free over the winter. Furthermore, these evergreen trees do not naturally grow spherical, but have to be cut into shape accordingly. Such a ball looks particularly distinctive on a high trunk, for example.
Tips
The ball ginkgo 'Mariken' is also very easy to cut, but not evergreen. It only grows up to one meter high and is therefore wonderfully suitable for a bucket culture.
