Red cedars (Juniperus virginiana) magnanimously provide for 54 or more bird species – an outstanding number. Among them are Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird and Northern Mockingbird. A favorite food of Pine Siskins is seed from the numerous small cones of Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). Common Grackles, House Finches, Robins and occasional Sparrows smartly hide their nests under cover of their evergreen foliage.

Hemlocks are the preferred nesting choice for Wood Thrush plus Blackburnian and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Chickadees love its seed. Sadly, Dr. Craig recounted the demise of so many stands of hemlock in Connecticut due to Wooly Adelgid epidemic. Michael Dirr, horticultural expert, in Manual of Woody Landscape Plants says that if he could plant but one conifer it would be Tsuga canadensis, eastern hemlock. The species has many forms available: dwarfs, miniatures, weepers, gold-needled and those with variegated foliage. Of course, it would be the larger growers which would be of interest to the birds that might frequent them.

Blackburnian Warblers tend to remain in the upper reaches of hemlocks. Their backs are boldly striped with a large patch of white on each wing. Males sport a striking orange throat, eyebrow and crown patch. In females these characteristics trend yellow. We will be seeing fewer of these warblers now that many wild stands of hemlock have been decimated.

Four seasons of interest can be found in many deciduous shrubs. For instance, staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) has architectonic construction. Female forms produce red “candles” lasting through winter. There are lacy cut-leaf forms with beautiful ferny foliage during the growing season which color gorgeous to fiery shades in autumn. Sumacs will also feed Red-eyed Vireos, Robins, Catbirds and Cedar Waxwings. There are many species of cotoneaster, good-looking in all seasons that form beautiful small pomes, nature’s bounty for Rufous-sided Towee and many other flyers.

Female evergreen holly forms including any among the Meserve hybrids (Ilex x meserveae) provide both food and refuge to Robins, Catbirds, Bluebirds and Cedar Waxwings. Inkberry (Ilex glabra), another evergreen holly, beautiful during the bleak months, nourishes as many as 15 species including Northern Bobwhite, Northern Mockingbird and Hermit Thrush.

The providence of viburnums which are available in so very many species, forms and sizes is a godsend to Eastern Bluebird, Northern flicker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Robin, Catbird and Cedar Waxwing to mention some. They are attractive in the winter landscape but shine in spring with large showy flowers followed by fruit sets in changeable colors depending upon the species. The fall foliage show is always a treat. And after the leaves fall to the ground often can be found nests tucked in branch crotches whose previous inhabitants chose amid its dense canopy as a safe place to raise a brood.

Shrub dogwoods are a most important resource for many birds. As an example, the red-osier dogwood, Cornus stolonifera, draws approximately 18 different species, including Wild Turkey and Catbirds. They grow densely, slowly forming thickets which many songbirds use for cover and nesting. Shrub dogwoods come in numerous species, sizes and colors with both summer and autumn nourishment for a host of birds. And they double as ornamentals splendidly endowed with year round garden interest. When planted to stand down broadleaf and coniferous evergreens their stems glow in shades from deep dark red to bright corals, sunny yellows, some with brassy tones which trip the light fantastic in the winter landscape. Even thicket-forming Cornus racemosa, our native graytwig dogwood, is attractive but most especially in late summer when copious cymes of pearly-white fruits each dotted with a small dark eye set atop bright red pedicels occurring at branch tips while autumn foliage tones of wine-mahogany create a most handsome foil. Plant it before a backdrop of golden conifers such as Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsii’ to contrast the gray stems. Under-plant with a groundcover of bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) and you not only will complete a balanced visual display you will also attract Hummingbirds the following May when they produce striking spikes of dark blue flowers.

Highbush and lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum and V. angustifolium) are fantastic food-producing shrubs with all-year ornamental qualities. Pretty bellflowers in spring form delicious blueberries that feed more than 34 possible takers including Orchard Oriole. The autumn foliage on all blueberries is deep, rich glowing garnet-ruby. The winter stems are generally a commendable earthen red. Plant them in acid soil in near to full sun.

Feeding at this time is a wonderful pastime and of strategic import, too. Choose seed mixes with various plant species represented, those running the gamut from tiny seeds to larger. Mixes with numerous kinds and sizes including grasses such as corn and millet plus thistle, sunflower and peanuts will attract more birds. And you can augment a blend by simply supplementing it with seeds not included in the mix.

So many feeder styles are available. It would be better to spend a little more money purchasing those of sturdier construction formed of better materials. And unless you don’t mind squirrels greedily stuffing themselves with seed you have intended for the feathered ones then I strongly recommend buying ready-made cages in which feeders fit. Sometimes they come together as sets. The cages’ gaps are large enough to allow the birds through to the perches where they may dine in peace. But the gaps are too small to allow larger marauders entry.

Place feeders where you can view them from your home’s windows and doors. We find this brand of bird watching an endless source of entertainment. And you are performing an act of kindness for creatures which often benefit from a helping hand during the cold months. They will return the kindness with a fascinating procession of antics and beauty.

Suet feeders also come in a variety of styles and sizes. Attach them directly to posts or deck railings. Or use a short piece of chain supporting them from easily reached decorative hangers attached to a deck post or lower tree branches. They will sway with abandon in breezes but not spook hungry birds that relish this fattening treat in cold temperatures. Suet is inexpensive and can be purchased from grocery stores or slaughter houses. These wire feeders are also excellent vessels to hold halved fruits such as apples or oranges. Fruits are also attractive food sources for many species including Baltimore Orioles which summer in northeastern Connecticut. It is important every now and again to collect all feeders and wash them in warm soapy water. This diminishes the possible spread of diseases.

Shallow open water sources are most beneficial especially in particularly cold winters when temperatures may not rise above 32F for consecutive days. In very cold periods thaw puddles will not collect from which the birds may drink.

Another rewarding project is making the “woodpecker feeder log”. Choose a piece of log about 18 inches tall by at least 6 inches wide. Drill one inch diameter holes to two and one-half inches deep setting the holes a few inches apart from each other. Drill them in an artful spiral from top to bottom or simply in four or five up and down rows. This feeder can be mounted atop a post. Or with the use of an eye hook positioned at its top-center hanging it from a sturdy tree branch using a small chain. (If concerned a chosen tree branch may incur damage from bare chain string it through plastic tubing so that the bark will be protected.) Into its holes I stuff the mix from the following recipe: combine one pound of lard with 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of yellow cornmeal with 2 cups of any other kind of flour you may have on hand. I blend this by hand into a pliable mix with the consistency of Play Dough. If too sticky add a little more meal or flour until it is a bit stiffer and doesn’t collect on your fingers. We leave this mix un-refrigerated as it will stay fresh for many weeks.

This food is a magnet for an extensive number of species including Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Flickers, Cardinals, Juncos, White-throated, Song and Chipping Sparrows, Carolina and House Wrens, Nuthatches, and occasional Blue Jays. . Bright-eyed Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees loosely flock together in winter raiding seed from feeders though both are partial to this mix as well. Once we watched a migrating Yellow-bellied Sapsucker eating contentedly. The lard augments the flour with a much-needed fat source buffering against winter cold. Curiously, there have been many mornings when I have begun to fill this feeder when suddenly I heard the piercing electric voice of the Red-bellied Woodpecker repeating “churrrr” from a not distant vantage. I cannot help but feel as this happens with frequency that I am being watched and the announcing bird is awaiting its treat in joyous anticipation! Stay tuned.

Insects are an integral part of any properly functioning ecosystem. Well-rounded landscapes in which few or preferably no chemical weed controls, pesticides or fungicides are spread will draw more insects, the good, the bad and the fascinating. These, in turn, will attract the birds that feast upon them. A healthy, well-rounded landscape will also be a magnet to beneficial insects that will help contain the deleterious along with the birds.

Heavily-fed monocultures such as weed absent lawns are unnatural states. Monocultures, absent in nature are the fastidious contrivances of man. You will find many fewer insects and birds in such a green desert – the chemical agents that artificially keep the lawn looking healthy are a bane to all manner of life including the microscopic flora and fauna which naturally reside by the millions upon billions in well-composed cup of healthy soil.

Many of you are old enough to remember Rachel Carson’s illuminating book, Silent Spring. During this period, in the late 1950s through the 1960s numerous bird species were noticeably declining. She deduced that chemicals such as DDT which were heavily applied in many venues were damaging the reproductive systems of many bird species. Eggs were formed without hard shells rendering them dead on arrival. Other pesticides were mutagenic causing reproductive systems in young birds to fail. Insecticides in a double-whammy also reduced the food populations upon which many insect-eaters fed. The green movement of the 1960s and ensuing decades has focused on chemical-free landscapes. This has set the stage for the return of many bird species that would feast upon the things that creep, crawl, bore and fly, including Bluebirds. It is logical that the greater the array of plants, both deciduous and evergreen grouped together sans the use of chemicals increase the opportunities for food – both insect and fruits. And greater the number of clustered plants provide shelter, nesting materials and nesting sites for your feathered inhabitants.

Handsome omnivorous Rose-breasted Grosbeaks nest in the lower branches of trees or in thickets. They construct their nests using small twigs and stems lined with hair, pieces of root and grass. An enormous help to farmers they relish larva, caterpillars, grasshoppers and potato beetles, insects forming half of their diets. But you can help them along by planting maple, dogwood and hawthorn as they also feast upon their seed. They especially fancy the developing seeds of wild cherry (Prunus serotina) which they pick out from the centers of dying blossoms.

I have observed sleek and pert Catbirds with green larva dangling from their beaks warily looking about to be certain the coast is clear before disappearing into a dense thicket of evergreen hollies in which their hungry hatchlings await. But these same Catbirds enjoy a broad palette of fruit and seed as they devour dogwood, sumac, viburnum, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), hollies, cherry, spicebush (Lindera), blackberry (Rubus), mulberry (Morus) and red cedar (Juniperus virginiana).

Some birds are just plain wild; these you will likely never draw to a feeder. But understanding their habitat needs and availing it to them will increase your chances in keeping them nearby. The elusive Veery, another omnivore, with its distinctive and beautiful descending reed flute song in nearby woodlands at dusk feeds on many ground-hugging insects but is also partial to bountiful wild fruits. Though they may choose a low-lying shrub in which to build their nests they are normally ground-nesters laying their eggs in a hefty bowl of moss, leaves and plant fibers set in a clump of grass or ferns. Should you be fortunate enough to have them nearby in a wild verge then leave it be. Oftentimes by doing nothing you will have done a good deed! Though I almost never see them I would very much miss their incredible ethereal voice at summer vespers. Stay tuned.

For instance, if you live adjacent to fields, pasture and open woodlands these habitats are more likely to harbor Bluebirds. Beloved and keen-eyed Bluebirds are rapacious insectivores consuming spiders, caterpillars, ants and beetles. But being consummate omnivores they also eat the fruits of Elderberry, Flowering Dogwood, Virginia creeper and Serviceberry (Amelanchier). I have watched these beautiful creatures eagerly ingest berries from evergreen hollies and Red Cedars in snow-covered landscapes in mid-winter when insects are few. You can supplement their preferred foods when harsher seasons prevail by planting in your landscape evergreen hollies and Red Cedars which hold onto their fruit in winter. When times are tough Bluebirds will naturally default to these plants. And during a warm winter day they might even find an insect treat among the branches.

Seviceberries flower in the middle of spring. Their delicious fruits ripen quickly becoming available in late spring and early summer. Elderberries form copious summer fruits and prefer moist soils forming thickets which also provide cover. The fruit of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), one of our loveliest native trees, ripens late summer and is available food during fall migration.

You can build feeding stations. Bluebirds (and numerous other species, too) will flock to your feeders when baiting them with the following recipe: mix together 1 teaspoon corn oil, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups yellow corn meal, 1 cup of peanut butter (unsalted) to 1 pound melted lard. Optional: you may add raisins, sunflower hearts, raw peanuts and/or meal worms (available from most pet stores and some aquariums). Form into a roll. Refrigerate. When cool cut into pieces to fit small suet feeders, tie up with raffia to hang from nearby branches or set in shallow bowls atop squirrel-proof poles.

Erecting a Bluebird house at the edge of your field will provide a nesting opportunity. It was long thought that a two-inch diameter entrance in the front wall was optimum however a one and one-half inch hole will suffice. Place the house five or so feet above the ground mounted on a post. It is important to keep an eye out for English House Sparrows and English Starlings which are aggressive competitors. These foreign invaders will steal a nest right out from under the inhabitants. Both exotic species have been an impediment to Bluebirds reclaiming their former territories. Our native Cowbirds are no kinder. They will commandeer a nest while the Bluebirds are searching for food, crush the inhabitant’s eggs, lay their own and trick the unsuspecting parents into raising a generation of Cowbirds. Reprobates! Bluebirds are, nevertheless making modest strides. You can help them along by being vigilant when they are nesting, rooting-out would be marauders, providing cover and making or planting foods which enhance their wild forage.

Numerous birds are omnivorous feasting upon both insect and seed. Robins tirelessly peruse patches of lawn for night crawlers but will strip bare in late summer during migration the weeping fruit-laden branches from sour Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa). They nest in trees and conifers alike. They will also set-up housekeeping on a platform under an eave. Red-bellied Woodpeckers, increasing their northerly range have become a common sight in southern New England. They are drawn to many of the same fruits to which Bluebirds are fond plus starchy acorns and beech nuts as well. They will also grab a seed snack from a feeder. Like most woodpeckers they are beneficial to farmers and gardeners as they gobble grasshoppers, wood-boring beetles and various pests. They usually nest in still vertical expired trees in which they’ve carved a pocket to keep their little ones warm and dry. If a dead tree on you’re the fringes of your property doesn’t endanger buildings or neighbors consider allowing it to stand so as to help the woodpeckers.

An excellent text in which you may refer to both habitat and to identify unfamiliar species is the Field Guide to Birds, Eastern Region by the National Audubon Society, published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York. You can find it online at www.randomhouse.com/audubon. Stay tuned.

Dr. Robert Craig, locally famous ornithologist, author and teacher has studied bird populations in all quarters of Connecticut and Rhode Island in every season. From steamy bug-infested swamps in summer to frozen ice-coated forests in winter this intrepid researcher has compiled fascinating documentation about the feathered creatures which inhabit the world beyond the windows of our homes. Birds, our feathered neighbors are squarely in the sites of our binoculars. We will examine some of his findings in this, Part I of An Exaltation of Larks.

Dr. Craig founded Bird Conservation Research (BCR) in 1999. This non-profit research foundation formulates scientific evaluation which provides municipalities, land trusts and others in making informed decisions regarding open space acquisitions and their management. In this vein Robert has written texts which have been very helpful to towns interested in making careful choices in land set-asides. Among them are Forest Birds of the Last Green Valley and Discover the Critical Habitats of Connecticut. His most recent research will result in Forest Birds of Connecticut and Rhode Island, an atlas, not yet available. Anyone interested in procuring these books can telephone (860) 928-2178 or go to the website, http://www.birdconservationresearch.org/ . Should you join BCR you will receive the electronic or paper newsletter which is informative and always interesting.

Dr. Craig states, “Southern New England conservation groups have identified the development of a high level, quantitative database on wildlife resources as key to developing substantive regional open space acquisition strategies”. In his eighth and final year of heavy-duty field work he continues to compile a comprehensive contemporary database of forest birds in southern New England. According to Robert birds are “by far the most diverse wildlife group of the region”. All of his compelling findings are being made available at no cost to town Conservation Commissions and other interested parties.

I asked Rob to share some lesser known facts regarding our regional woodlands and bird populations. He pointed out that forest communities are dynamic; woodlands metamorphose over long periods of time, transitioning through various successions until maturity is achieved. If undisturbed they change naturally: pioneer species of plants which draw certain species of birds and animals are replaced by successive communities, each with an associated bird-mammal-plant make-up. Regional climate patterns affect and development will stymie succession patterns which would naturally move towards a mature maple-beech-birch forest mix. But other events such as disease will determine which species might be more successful. West Nile virus sharply reduced crow numbers for several years. Wooly Adelgid on hemlocks killed enormous numbers of these magnificent conifers in Connecticut which in turn negatively impacted and reduced populations of conifer-associated bird species such as Blackburnian Warblers. Particularly cold, snowy winters will kill Carolina Wrens outright as they search in vain for enough food to sustain them through harsh times.

Robert tells us species doing well presently include Ovenbirds, Veery, Red-eyed Vireo and Scarlet Tanagers. I’m especially glad to hear about the Scarlet Tanagers as I look for them every summer but only rarely catch a glimpse! On the other hand, birds associated with early succession forests are not as fortunate. Farming is practiced less often in southern New England. We have moved into a time when our remaining forests are growing up, becoming denser, darker and graduating towards woodland mixes more closely associated with mature stands. This has severely affected the numbers of those birds that would be associated with early succession forests such as Least Flycatchers, both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos and Whip-poor-wills. Sadly, they are seldom seen.

Another interesting point Robert made is that even on substantial land set-asides but those near larger cities, the number of species living in these preserves are many less than they would be if near smaller towns. Though it’s difficult to know with certainty several factors may contribute to the diminished number of species: feral cats and increased human foot traffic upset ground-nesting species. Skewed balances of plant species might directly dissuade species which might more heavily depend on those plants in fewer numbers. Also, soaring squirrel populations can tip the balance and impact species competing for the same foods.

A more hopeful piece of Dr. Craig’s research has demonstrated that many species congregate and winter in southern Connecticut. The warmer climate is the draw. There are conifer-loving species such as Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill and Redpoll that are more associated with the northern tier of counties but after fall migration can be found closer to the shore.

In Part II of An Exaltation of Larks we will take a more direct look at various feathered species which delight and enrich our lives. In the meantime please consider joining BCR. Your donation will be tax deductible. This is an important resource for all who love and live in the Last Green Valley. Stay tuned.

In this vein I’d like to recommend 9 gold-leaf conifers from 6 genera. With so many gold cultivars I made choices based on ease of care, differing size, shape and availability. These will fill a range of environments and design needs in zone 5 and in some cases colder. May this strike a flame in the cresset of your heart for one of my favorite class of shrubs and trees.

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Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Fernspray Gold’, an outstanding cultivar of Hinoki Cypress believed long lost to the trade surfaced, fortunately for us, in New Zealand. The arching branches, held nearly horizontal, radiate from the central trunk(s). Each elongated flattened branch mimics a heavily ruffled and gilded fern frond. The golden scale-like foliage shades to a rich dark green at the interior of the shrub. The green darkens in winter as the yellow burnishes to a golden orange. ‘Fernspray Gold’ develops very bright yellow foliage in full sun, greener-gold in half shade. This lovely shrub grows upright and broad with a perhaps oval outline eventually. Use it as a specimen or at a foundation. Try it in a mixed border with other conifers or grasses such as Miscanthus sinesis ‘Graziella’.

Classification*: Intermediate

Height x Width: 6 feet x 4 feet in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full Sun to Half Shade

Soil: Good moisture-retentive but draining loam with added humus

Zone: 5

For a wonderful “Ceramic Christmas Tree” plant Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Lynn’s Golden. This memorable mini exhibits small, dense and beautifully articulated scallops of golden foliage. It looks great placed foreground in a foundation planting or as a specimen in a rock garden. It will hold its own in a dwarf conifer border or a heath and heather garden. With small-leaved rhododendrons like ‘Midnight Ruby’ it would be stunning. This little darlin’ will mound upright with an irregular conical outline.

Classification*: Miniature

Height x Width: 3 feet x 2 feet in 15 years

Light: Full Sun with some winter shade if possible but not absolutely necessary

Soil: Good moisture-retentive but draining loam with added humus

Zone: 5, perhaps into 4

Chamaecyparis pisifera hosts a number of gold cultivars. Many gardeners are familiar with ‘Golden Mop’ and for good reason. A mutation of C. p. ‘Filifera Aurea’, it shows-off the brightest yellow of the Golden Thread-leaf Cypresses. Happiest in full sun, this dwarf will also “do” in part shade forming a bushy wild-haired mound with the outline of a flattened gumdrop. The long, weeping strands of foliage are, indeed, thread-like giving this shrub an unusual soft appearance like an umbrella-shaped fountain of liquid butter erupting from a vigorous spring. Some individuals may develop a leader. If you let it grow the shrub will become pyramidal, otherwise, prune the stem down to maintain a rounded mound. These look great as a short hedge or in the foreground of a mixed shrub/conifer planting. For 4 season interest in a perennial garden it’s hard to beat. One or more would be gorgeous in front of large leaved rhododendrons and any deciduous shrubs with beautiful winter bark color such as hard-pruned Salix alba ‘Britzensis’. With its contrasting upright dark purple stems Salix purpurea ‘Canyon Blue’ would make a terrific partner.

Classification*: Dwarf

Height x Width: 2 ½ x 3 in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full Sun for best foliage color

Soil: Good moisture-retentive but draining loam

Zone: 5

If you’re looking for a tight, symmetrical column with clean lines for full sun then Juniperus communis ‘Gold Cone’ is a great choice. Though a dwarf this form of Eastern Common Juniper can make a great vertical accent wherever it is used, even in a rock garden. The gray/lime-green foliage with a gold cast on countless vertical branches gives this shrub a solid yet soft look. ‘Gold Cone’ will tolerate xeric conditions once established. I have planted one in a cactus and succulent border where it looks terrific among the stone and boulder. This could make a quite formal, low-maintenance hedge or a vertical specimen wherever a not too big accent might be needed such as a heath and heather garden. Two could act as sentries either side of a walkway leading to the front door of a home or at the entrance of a sunny garden path.

Classification*: Dwarf

Height x Width: 4 to 5 x 1 ½ feet in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full Sun

Soil: Well-drained, add sand if soil is heavy

Zone: 5

Some conifers straddle the categories of growth rate. Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ revels in the nexus between intermediate and large. Its composition is multitudes of variously arranged flat fans set thickly within the outline of a narrow symmetrical upright cone. Though I am not a strong supporter of arborvitae in that it has been over used as to be a bad cliché I am struck by the beauty of this tree. The gilded sprays of fans hold color well all year in full sun. And though perfectly content in light shade the gold will temper. You can plant a pair as front door sentries. Use one as a distinguished marker at the threshold of a garden path. Use it in a mixed hedgerow as one element among other conifers and deciduous shrubs. Plant one as a vertical accent in a perennial border or at the corner of a large home near a weeping deciduous tree such as Acer japonica ‘Orangeola’ or Prunus ‘Snow Fountain’.

Classification*: Intermediate to Large

Height x Width: 8 to 10 feet x 2 to 3 feet

Light: Better foliage color in Full Sun, more muted in Light Shade

Soil: Good moisture-retentive soil

Zone: 5, possibly colder

To gaze upon Pinus sylvestris ‘Gold Coin’ in summer is to think you’ve been cheated from the gold-needled cultivar you paid good money for. But don’t run back to the seller with your Golden Scots Pine just yet… Come winter this wonderful tree changes from the rich green of the growing season to a remarkable yellow. An upright pyramid, it will form an amazing sentinel in the winter landscape.

Lighthouse,

Golden beacon in

Endless white,

Seas of wind-danced froth and waves

In the wild season of night

Candle,

Burning soldier,

Sentry of my winter’s heart

Against black might,

Golden spark…

Light pointing towards light.

Plant it in a large conifer/mixed tree and shrub garden contrasted with other-colored winter interest plants such as Salix x ‘Scarlet Curls’, Ilex verticillata ‘Stop Light’ or Viburnum x lobophyllum ‘Oneida’. Mix in different colors and shapes of conifers for a large hedgerow or screen. But best of all: it will make a fabulous specimen. Plant it in full blazing sun. Be sure to site it where you can enjoy it in winter perhaps adjacent to a stand of Cornus stolonifera ‘Cardinal’.

Classification*: Intermediate

Height x Width: 8 feet tall in 10 to 12 years

Light: Full Sun

Soil: Not fussy as long as the drainage is good

Zone: 3

Juniperus horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’ originated as a sport on J. h. ‘Wiltonii’. Though a moderate grower this Golden Rug Juniper has proven extremely slow here at the nursery having spread less than 2 feet by one inch thick in 5 years. This is testament to the fact that once established ‘Mother Lode’ can well tolerate adverse conditions for it is planted in sandy scrabble! It will grow quicker in better soil and modestly layer as it goes. Among stone and boulder this groundcover is like a pool of molten butter that seeped away from the fountain of ‘Golden Mop’. Its beautiful yellow foliage burnishes golden bronze in winter. It would be formidable quilted among other mat-forming junipers and creeping phlox on a sandy bank performing the duty of erosion control. And, too, set as an edger facing-up its taller neighbors in a mixed, multi-planed design scheme. What about ‘Mother Lode’ adjacent to Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ and Cornus stolonifera ‘Kelseyi’?

Classification*: Intermediate

Height x Width: 4 inches high eventually, creeps 6 to 12 inches per year

Light: Full Sun

Soil: Not fussy, well-drained

Zone: 3

From evergreen and small we go to deciduous and enormous. Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Ogon’, a.k.a. ‘Gold Rush’, is a beautiful gold-needled Dawn Redwood. This Chinese species was thought to be extinct. This cultivar comes to us from Japan. ‘Ogon’ will rise 13 feet tall by 6 feet wide in 10 years and top-off at 35 or 40 feet, so I’ve been told. It is a dwarf compared to its green brother which can mature at 115 feet! In spring the lovely new growth emerges soft yellow and remains all summer ‘til late season. In autumn before the needles fall they change color ranging from golden bronze to rich orange brown. Beautiful in winter, too, the outline of this gentle giant is an upright, statuesque pyramid clothed in rich cinnamon-brown bark supported by a heavily muscled and fluted trunk. Set them paired in rows along a grand alee affording them plenty of room to grow. Use one as a lawn specimen near a body of water with a weeping willow as a cohort. This would make a spectacular addition on a large property, a park or an estate. But for goodness sake: do NOT plant one too close to a building!!

Classification*: Large

Height x Width: 13 feet by 6 feet in 10 years, fast grower

Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Moisture: Good loam, constantly moist to wet

Zone: 5

I remember spying Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’ at a nursery many years ago and falling instantly in love. I even fell in love with the name. Short, close-packed soft golden needles coat the stems of this relatively slow grower. In that the needles are finer and shorter than most spruce, the architecture of the plant is plainly evident. The trunk bears main branches from which secondary branches fork and in turn produce branch tips like countless yellow fat fingers. When the brilliant new growth is young and tender the overall look of the branch structures is that of large broad layered weeping fans enhancing this Golden Oriental Spruce’s sculptural appeal. Younger plants may burn a bit in full late-season and winter sun but they do outgrow this trait. ‘Skylands’ also forms stunning rich red cones. They are glorious hanging from the golden arms. Gradually they lengthen and morph to brown. Plant one as a specimen. Use it in larger mixed planting with deciduous trees and shrubs that produce persistent berries in winter such as Malus ‘Donald Wyman’ or Viburnum ‘Cardinal Candy’. As a member of a large mixed evergreen screen or hedgerow ‘Skylands’ would be extravagant.

Classification*: Intermediate

Height x Width: 15 feet tall in 10 years

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade

Moisture: Good moisture-retentive but draining loam with added humus

Zone: 4

Remember, this is but a sampling of all that is available. There are witch’s brooms of Hinoki Cypress tiny enough for life in a partly shaded trough and gigantic green ginkgos whose geisha fan-like modified needles transform to bright bullion in the autumn sun. And, of course, yellow-foliaged members are merely one galaxy filled with bright stars in the astral show of green, variegated and blue species, forms and cultivars.

Considering they are largely low-maintenance and so versatile if you have not contemplated golden conifers then let me leave you with something to ponder… Though they are glorious in all seasons these exceptional plants will light the way when we are most in need: during the dark days. Indeed, they are the torch bearers leading the way from winter to life renewed.

We are in the midst of a silent renaissance resplendent with all brand of green life. May this in some small way ignite your ardor for the gift of golden-wrapped light.

*The American Conifer Society’s growth rate categories are as follows:

• Miniature: average rate of growth is up to 1 inch per year. Estimated size in 10 to 12 years is 10 inches to one foot.

• Dwarf: average rate of just over 1 inch up to 6 inches per year. Estimated size in 10 to 12 years is just over 1 foot up to 6 feet

• Intermediate: average rate of growth is 6 to 12 inches per year. Estimated size in 10 to 12 years is 6 to 12 feet.

• Large: average rate of growth is 12 or more inches per year. Estimated size in 10 to 12 years is 12 feet or taller.