The other day I was thinking about different conifers that are classified as weeping or pendulous or prostrate. Some have very striking pendulous habits that require help to attain any real height at all. Others will begin their lives crawling along the ground and then with some maturity begin to show upward strength as they twist and curve and bend their way to unique and fascinating specimens. Still others will grow tall and straight as an arrow with all their lateral branches turning and growing straight to the ground where they then sprawl and make a ground cover skirt around the base of the tree. Some become full size trees while others are dwarf. The diversity within this category of conifer is truly amazing.
One of my absolute favorite prostrate growing conifers is Tsuga canadensis ‘Cole’s Prostrate.’ While most hemlocks tend to prefer some shade, ‘Cole’s Prostrate’ thrives in it. I love the way it lies tightly to the ground as it crawls and sprawls its way in the garden. Planted in the rockery, it will soften the texture of the rocks and fall over the edge of a wall like a waterfall. I like to stake mine when young to establish some height and encourage a unique form before allowing it to do its own thing.
Yes – weeping, pendulous and prostrate conifers – I love them!
Ed-
Conifer Lover
Thanks to my friends at Iseli Nursery for the links!
The Amazing World of Conifers 
What is the zone range for the prostrate hemlock?
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‘Cole’s Prostrate’ Eastern Hemlock is cold hardy to USDA Zone 4 and its native range extends into Minnesota and Wisconsin. I do not personally know the warmer end of its natural range although a simple Google search lead me here where I found this….
“…southward into northern Georgia and Alabama. Outliers also appear in extreme southern Michigan and western Ohio, with scattered islands in southern Indiana and east of the Appalachians in the middle Atlantic States.”
It thrives in our mild Pacific Northwest climate.
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