Height30-50cm

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Graceful, broadly conical evergreen with soft, dark-green needles that are silvery-white beneath, creating an elegant, feathery appearance. Highly shade-tolerant, long-lived and suitable as a specimen tree, woodland planting or clipped hedge. Provides year-round structure and soft texture with relatively low maintenance once established.

Key growing conditions

• Full sun to partial (or even full) shade – one of the most shade-tolerant conifers
• Moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil; acid to neutral preferred (tolerates slightly alkaline)
• Avoid dry, exposed or waterlogged sites
• Fully hardy but needs shelter from cold, drying winds (shallow-rooted and wind-sensitive) 
• Performs best in cooler, moister parts of the UK

When to plant

• Autumn or early spring when soil is workable (not frozen or waterlogged)

How to plant

• Dig a wide hole (at least twice the width of the root ball) and the same depth
• Position so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil
• Backfill with excavated soil mixed with organic matter if needed, firm gently and water thoroughly
• Mulch generously to retain moisture and keep roots cool (keep mulch clear of the trunk)
• Space according to purpose: generous room for specimens (mature height often 15–25 m+); closer for hedges

Aftercare

• Water regularly for the first few years, especially in dry spells
• Maintain mulch and protect from drying winds while young
• No regular pruning required (tolerates clipping if used as a hedge)
• Generally pest-free in the UK but may be susceptible to root rot in poorly drained soil

Best suited to sheltered woodland gardens, larger landscapes or formal plantings where consistent moisture and some shade can be provided.

Photo credit: Gmihail at Serbian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)