As you walk the gardens of the Columbus Park of Roses and enjoy the changing foliage of deciduous trees and plants, also take note of the conifers. In many plantings, they provide a unifying backdrop as seen below in the magnificent Norway Spruce trees that frame the north side of the circle beds. In other spots, their shape and texture make them the featured attraction.

Conifers are defined as woody shrubs or trees that produce cones. Evergreens and conifers differ: some evergreens are conifers, but not all conifers are evergreens. The CPOR has seven types of conifer: Cedar, Cypress, Dawn Redwood, Hemlock, Pine, Spruce and Yews.

An interesting aside is the question about whether Ginkgo trees are conifers. The current thinking is that while the Ginkgo tree is closely related to conifers, and in the past was considered a conifer, it no longer is considered a conifer. Ginkgo is a gymnosperm, which means it produces “naked seeds” on its branches, rather than seeds enclosed in fruit or flowers. Conifers are also gymnosperms. Interestingly, The American Conifer Society includes ginkgos within its umbrella, and in 2007 named Ginkgo biloba ‘Mariken’ its Collectors Conifer of the Year but sees it as only closely related to conifers. The Ginkgo have been classified into their own division, Ginkgophyta, with a single class, order, family, genus and species, of which Ginkgo biloba is the only representative.

A new Self-Guided Conifer Walk posted on the Columbus Park of Roses website provides information on a sampling of conifers that might pique your interest as you tour the gardens.

Viewable on smart phones, each entry provides a photo of the conifer, location, available history of origin, distinctive features and growth habits. You can access the document from parkofroses.org > Visit > Self-Guided Conifer Walk.

For a late fall/winter “pick me up,” return to enjoy those conifers that remain evergreen and take center stage in the gardens!