Your Guide to Evergreen Trees
Not everyone likes watching their beloved trees and plants go through their autumnal cycle. Not only do you have to rake up dead leaves, but the trees can end up looking nowhere near as beautiful as you know they are. That’s why evergreen trees in NZ may capture your attention.
Evergreen trees remain green throughout an entire growing season. Unlike deciduous plants and trees, they don’t lose their foliage during winter or dry seasons. When you want your property to look as pretty as a picture regardless of the season, it can be worth asking, what are the best evergreen trees? Well, you’re about to find out.
Which New Zealand trees are evergreen?
It’s not hard to know why evergreen trees are so popular. They’re beautiful, and you can even buy fast-growing evergreen trees in NZ that assist in providing your property with shelter and privacy. The fact that you don’t have to worry about cleaning up dead leaves is just a bonus.
But when you start your hunt for small evergreen trees in NZ or even medium-sized ones, how do you know which ones tick all the boxes? Here are some of the most popular options.
New Zealand Kauri
We are blessed here in Aotearoa to have the Agathis Australis – or NZ kauri. This slender, wind-tolerant tree can grow in most conditions and up to 50m tall. They are also one of the largest and longest-living trees in the world, with some as old as 2,000 years old. If you decide to plant evergreen trees for privacy, you can guarantee a 50m kauri would do the trick.
Image source: Wikipedia
Bottlebrush
If you type ‘what are the best evergreen trees’ into Google, you’ll likely see the bottlebrush near the top of the list; you may also see it referred to as the Callistemon Kings Park Special. It’s a large shrub that grows flowers that look like bottle brushes and manages to produce flowers throughout spring and into summer. These flowers stand out brilliantly on a vibrant, dark green backdrop.
If you have been searching for small evergreen trees in NZ, the bottlebrush isn’t one of them. They can grow up to 5m tall and 3m wide unless you focus on tree trimming to keep it in check. People often purchase bottlebrush shrubs to use as screening, shelter, and hedges, which means they are truly versatile plants worth your inspection.
Titoki
When looking for evergreen trees in NZ that encourage birdlife, don’t look past Alectryon excelsus, or Titoki. This shade tree grows up to around 4m tall and can produce green, glossy foliage up to about 4m wide.
Alongside their aesthetics, people also love Titoki trees because they are semi-hardy and require no pruning. Other than assisting with early shaping, you can ultimately leave these fast-growing evergreen trees NZ residents love to their own devices.
Image source: Gardenia.net
Ponytail Palm
Suppose you only want small evergreen trees in NZ rather than large, imposing ones. In that case, turn your attention to the ponytail palm or Beaucarnea longifolia. It only grows up to around 1-2m tall and has a width of about the same.
They thrive in well-drained soil and have long, narrow green foliage and a chunky, short stump. The best part is, you don’t have to water them during winter. In fact, it’s recommended that you don’t, to avoid root rot.
If you have been asking nursery workers, what is a good small evergreen tree? You’ll be amazed at how many people recommend the ponytail palm.
How to Care for Evergreen Trees in NZ
Many people contact landscaping and lawn care experts to take care of everything grounds-related. While they can also help take care of your evergreen trees, there’s no harm in learning a bit about their needs so that you can play a role in their care, as well.
The cultivation, mulching, watering, fertilising, and pruning process of most evergreen trees is relatively straightforward. You just need to know how to begin.
Cultivating
Where you plant your evergreen tree can play a massive part in whether it survives or thrives. Most evergreen trees love full sun during the summer months but shade in the winter. They also need well-drained soil and acidic soil conditions.
Watering and Mulching
While you’re mulching your gardens, set some aside for your evergreens. Shredded bark and coarse wood chips mixed with compost can add nutrients to the soil and slow down evaporation. Make sure you give your evergreen plenty of water during the warmer months of the year.
Fertilising
If you have deciduous trees, you may feel like you are always giving them fertiliser to keep them in peak condition. The most popular evergreen trees in NZ are less demanding. It’s generally only when you notice slow growth or a change in the colour or size of their leaves that you should follow a fertiliser programme.
Pruning
Not everyone has the time to dedicate to tree pruning, even if it’s in the best interests of the tree. Fortunately, evergreen trees rarely require it. The only times you may need to prune your evergreens is if they are showing signs of damage, disease, or dead branches. However, it’s a good idea to prune them when they are young to begin forming a shape.
Is it time to plant evergreen trees?
Out of all tree types, evergreens are some of the most popular in NZ, and now you know why. They require very little care and maintenance yet reward you by remaining green year-round. Say goodbye to leaf raking by planting evergreen trees today. If they ever do need care, you’ll surely find a tree expert who is more than willing to assist.