Conifers

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The conifers are a group of about 588 species of trees and shrubs that include many of the best-known plants in the world. All conifers bear seeds inside cones, woody protective structures. There are seven families of conifers. The largest is the Pine family (232 species), which includes such familiar trees as pine, spruce, fir, and larch.

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens' Conifer Collection contains nearly 200 different varieties, including dwarf, intermediate, and large specimens. Of these, 66 are species (not cultivars). Thirty-seven of those species are on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of threatened species and are classified as our Rare Conifer Collection.

Our collection also includes California natives and rare exotics from New Zealand, Tasmania, Brazil, Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Taiwan, South Africa, and other locations. These serve as backdrop and windbreak for our cultivated gardens, in addition to structure and winter interest in our Perennial Garden when herbaceous plants are dormant.

Our conifers offer beautiful variety in their textures, and include weeping forms, vibrant gold foliage in winter, and some with blue cones.