Here in the Great Plains, most residential and commercial landscapes contain some variety of evergreens, used for year round interest as well as for something that simply looks alive during our long, leafless winter months.

But what if the landscape situation calls for a smaller conifer rather than a larger one?

And what if that smaller conifer needs to be something a bit more unusual, or better yet, a plant that requires less maintenance?

The dwarf norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Pumila’) is that plant.

This little gem remains a dark, rich green all year long and never needs pruning.

A Zone 3 plant, the pumila spruce grows slowly at about 1-2” per year and attains a height of 12-18” with a width of about 5’. It can be used in full sun or in a great deal of shade.

Unlike the bird’s nest spruce (P. abies ‘Nidiformis’), this dwarf evergreen doesn’t appear to be affected by spider mites. Just remember that like most conifers, it prefers to be mulched and not over-watered.

There are also several varieties of colorado spruce (Picea pungens) that could be considered dwarf. montgomery spruce (P. pungens ‘Montgomery’) gives the landscape a beautiful, blue color that reminds one of its parentage.

Although it can form a leader with age, it generally is seen in a globe shape, growing 3” per year and a size of 3’ x 4’ after 10 years.

The montgomery spruce is also grafted at varying heights, thus it can be found as a low bush form or at 18” on a standard, giving it a blue lollipop look.

Mesa verde spruce (P. pungens ‘Mesa Verde’) is nest-style colorado spruce which is green instead of blue.

Reaching 12” x 5’ in 10 years, this tough Zone 2 plant can be used in full sun as well as landscapes exposed to the extreme weather conditions of the Plains. This nest spruce also appears to be resistant to the infestation of mites.

The creeping blue spruce (P. pungens ‘Procumbens’) is great for a bright blue groundcover around the base of taller plantings or in the foreground of a bed. It generally remains at ground height, rolling over boulders and logs or slowly draping over walls, but can eventually form a winding leader skyward.

Another ground hugging conifer is hillside creeper scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris ‘Hillside Creeper’).

Growing up to 6” per year, this equally tough Zone 3 conifer can tolerate hot, dry sites and very little attention, making it great for use on slopes or retaining walls.

Threadleaf hinoki (Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filfera) is a lesser known Zone 4 conifer that gives the landscape a fine textured look.

This mounding plant does well in full sun, but will always appreciate a bit of afternoon shade during the hot, humid days of summer.

And if green weren’t enough, this plant also comes in another bright, eye-catching color.

Mops threadleaf hinoki (C. pisifera ‘Mops’) develops a vibrant gold new growth in spring that remains throughout the summer and in to the winter months.

Both varieties can be trimmed to maintain a desired height, but if left untouched, they would slowly reach 4’ x 5’ as a 10 year size.

This very short list of dwarf conifers is just enough to get one thinking outside the juniper and yew mindset, plants often used around foundations.

The list is limitless as many of these dwarf plants originated as witches’ brooms (many twigs densely clustered together) on their larger counterparts.

So, who knows, you may have a new dwarf plant growing at the top of your tree at this very moment, making us all look at plants in a different way.