Height

10cm+ 25-40cm

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Elegant, vigorous evergreen conifer with a conical habit, drooping leader and soft, flattened dark-green needles (white-striped beneath). Highly shade-tolerant, fast-growing on suitable sites, produces good-quality timber and regenerates freely. Excellent specimen tree or for continuous cover forestry, underplanting and mixed woodland; combines beauty with usefulness.

Key growing conditions

• Full sun, partial shade or full shade (highly shade-tolerant, especially when young)
• Moist but well-drained soils of poor to medium fertility; prefers acid brown earths (pH approx. 4–6.5); tolerates a range of soils but avoid pure peats, very dry or heavy chalky sites
• Best in higher-rainfall areas (>800–1,000 mm annually), typically western and upland Britain
• Sheltered sites only – intolerant of exposure and drought; sensitive to late spring frosts
• Cold hardy throughout Britain

When to plant

• Bare-root: dormant season (November–April), avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground

How to plant

• Dig a hole wide enough for roots to spread; plant so the root collar is at soil level
• Firm gently and water if needed
• Best used for underplanting, group planting or sheltered woodland rather than open exposed ground
• Protect from deer and other browsers (highly palatable)
• Allow generous space for specimen trees (mature height often 30 m+, with wide lower branches)

Aftercare

• Keep weed-free and moist until established
• No regular pruning required
• Suited to continuous cover systems due to strong shade tolerance and natural regeneration

Ideal for larger gardens, parks or woodland plantings in moist, sheltered locations; less suitable for dry, exposed or open sites.