Finding a plant that has a natural blue colour in nature is very rare - nothing else in the plant world produces striking blue tones quite like the needles of blue conifer varieties. With the added bonus of displaying their blue colour all year round in the garden unlike the few flowering blue plants.

From bright powdery blue spruces and firs to the more subtle blue green pines, conifers go from one end of the blue colour spectrum to the other. Their strong structure and attractive shapes are a real feature throughout the year thanks to their unique colours. They also create a serene look, particularly during times of snow and frost. 

Their unusual colourings mean unlike their green relatives blue conifers are often used as accent plants. Use them to create an unusual ambience and strengthen a specific viewpoint.

Here at the nursery we have planted our blue conifers with a variety of other trees, they look most striking when placed next to our red acer’s, its a match made in heaven.

Here are some of our favourite blue conifers:

Cupressus 'Blue Ice' is a narrowly flame-shaped evergreen conifer with vivid whitish-blue foliage in dense sprays. Looks great in the winter garden. 

Abies Lasiocarpa 'Kenwith Blue’ has beautiful pale blue needles and unusual white cork like bark. This conifer is the perfect specimen if you are looking to add colour to a boarder or rockery.

Abies Pinsapo 'Horstmann' is an exceptional compact evergreen conifer with short stiff brilliant blue needles that are arranged radially around the branchlets. It has a spreading and round habit in youth that becomes densely pyramidal with age. Another striking feature is their pinkish purple upright cones which turn to shades of brown over time. This Abies is also very drought tolerant.

Pinus Sylvestris 'Chantry Blue' is an attractive small blue pine tree that brings structure and colour to the garden, especially in winter when other plants die down. Commonly known as a Scot's Pine this variety has blue-silver needles year round and an irregular, bushy habit. The small cones are about two inches in size and ripen to grey or reddy brown in colour.

Pinus wallichiana ‘Vicky’ was discovered here at Lime Cross Nursery by founder Jonathan Tate and named after his daughter Vicky. This charming variation of Pinus waliciaina is a striking lime green colour with sunset yellow hues. The whorls of needles are soft and shaggy and are said to have reminded Jonathan of his baby daughters striking ginger Mohawk (natural hair formation at birth).

Pinus strobus 'Tiny Curls' is a compact, slow-growing, evergreen conifer with a rounded habit and short, unusual twisted blue-green needles held in groups of five. A beautiful and unusual ornamental tree for all gardens.

Our blue conifers looking majestic in the snow this week.