Evergreen plant varieties, including those that are considered small evergreen plants, have played an important part in landscaping designs for centuries. Throughout the years, many different types of these plants, known collectively as “evergreens,” have been used to enhance landscape functionality. One of the most common and useful varieties is the club Moss. Also called cave moss, the club moss grows as big as 100 feet and was as popular as evergreen trees in ancient times. At the Carboniferous period or Mesozoic period, the tiny club mosses known today as clovers grew as large as 100 feet.
They were as popular as evergreen trees in ancient times and served many humans as fuel. The club mosses’ wood-like needles were used as shingles on houses and roofs. Even today, using club moss as roof shingles is popular for commercial projects such as home remodeling, townhouses, resorts and apartment buildings. In addition, many individuals use them to improve the appearance of their homes. Gardeners and homemakers commonly plant them in planters. Their evergreen leaves make an attractive focal point in flower gardens.
Another one of the evergreen plant families, the Ponderosa pine, is also called the Mexican Pine or Chiricot tree. It is a member of the coniferous family, and the genus Cynara. Found primarily in Mexico and South America, the Ponderosa pine has an aromatic oil that wards off moths and other insects. It is resistant to the most serious insects, and is a prized landscape shrub. The most commonly used trimming heights for the Ponderosa pine is three feet.
The tree is a ground-cover, and like the Ponderosa pine has needles that drop from the branches. However, the needles of the Ponderosa pine are longer, broader and bushy. As it grows to about three feet, its height may increase significantly. Aspen, needleberry, cottonwood and black-eyed susans are some of the popular Ponderosa evergreen plants. In addition, the tree can be found growing naturally in Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil.
The clubmoss is another member of the evergreen group, which has a fern-like terminal leaf. It is commonly known as the prickly ash or the true clubmoss. It grows up to two feet high and is widely available. Evergreen clubmosses are highly versatile and are often used in landscaping, mulch and siding. Some varieties have purple-black flowers that may turn red in fall.
The flower buds of the princess pine bloom in the spring. Blooming begins in late spring and is complete by mid summer. The flower buds have four petals, with one rounded section, while the other two segments have four pointed ends. The flower looks like tiny grapes. Clubmosses have white flower buds but lack the fissures on the flower buds.
The most common way to encourage the growth of these small evergreen plants is to make sure they are kept in full sunlight. Both the Ponderosa pine and the clubmosses will thrive in southern light, but they will also do well in northern light. Some species of the princess pine and the clubmosses are sensitive to light and can handle sunlight and shade better in the southern states, where they are native.
When you are ready to begin your gardening, remember that there are two different types of evergreen mushrooms – the mungo and the ground pine. Both mungos and ground pine trees have many of the same characteristics, including beautiful flowers and small evergreen plants. However, their appearance may vary because of their specific mixtures of fungi and spores. Mungos have longer, slimmer leaves, and a fissured bark while ground pine has a straighter back and shorter leaves.