Cell Grown Plants

A dense and graceful conifer that is conical in habit but with a narrow crown, Tsuga heterophylla - Western Hemlock is fast growing and will ultimately reach a very large size.

Mainly grown for timber although it makes an impressive parkland or arboretum tree.

It is one of several north west American species discovered by the well known plant hunter, David Douglas who sent seeds back to the UK in 1831.

Evergreen with small green needles and pendulous cones that start green and turn to grey brown.

Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas Fir is an evergreen conifer that was named after David Douglas who sent the first seed back from North America to Britain in 1827.

It has soft green needles with two grey bands underneath. Oval shaped cones hang and the bark is an attractive reddish brown colour.

One of the most important timber species in the world and widely planted in the UK, Douglas Fir is fast growing and the timber is strong and durable with few knots.

Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine is one of only three conifers native to the UK and our only native Pine. It is the worlds 2^nd most widespread conifer after Juniper.

An important species for the UK for economic and ecological reasons.

A large evergreen conifer Scots Pine has long blue green needles that grow in pairs. Male and female flowers grow on the same tree and once the female flowers have been pollinated by wind they turn green and develop into cones. The mature cones are grey-brown in colour.

The redwood timber of Scots Pine is relatively lightweight yet strong and can be easily treated with preservatives to prolong its service life for exterior uses.

Picea sitchensis - Sitka Spruce is economically important and the backbone of the UK forestry industry. This single species accounts for half of the UK’s commercial plantations.

Introduced to the UK in around 1850 although its use expanded enormously in the 20^th century to help increase the UK’s perilously low percentage of forest cover.

Coniferous. Evergreen with sharp, flattened needles.

The dense foliage of Sitka Spruce provides good shelter for large mammals.

We grow our Sitka Spruce from Improved seed source to maximise the future timber yield. The sawn timber is versatile and utilised for many purposes including construction and packaging. 

We grow Picea pungens glauca - Blue spruce primarily for the purpose of Christmas tree production.

It is easy to see why this species is a popular choice. It has the traditional pyramid shape with stiff horizontal branches and a dense habit.

Slower growing then Norway spruce but worth waiting for!

The classic shape combined with attractive blue tinted needles makes it stand out when compared against other species – a premium choice.

We grow several other species of cell grown conifers which are all suited for Christmas tree production.

Picea abies - Norway Spruce is one of the most important and widely distributed tree species in Europe.

With the exception of coastal areas it has no climatic limitations throughout the UK so it as been widely planted for timber production plus it has a high ecological value.

Coniferous. Evergreen with sharp, pointed needles that have a rich sweet smell.

The traditional species for Christmas tree production due to its busy habit and attractive scent. It does not have the cut tree needle retention qualities of other Christmas trees species such as Nordmann Fir, however the fast rate of growth and relatively low cost of production still makes it a popular choice – especially for larger display trees.

Juniperus communis - Juniper is a small evergreen conifer that is native to the UK.

Small green needles with a prickly point. Juniper is dioecious so the male and female flowers grown on separate plants.  Once pollinated by wind the female flowers develop into fleshy purple berries.

The berries are popular for flavouring gin but they are equally favoured birds who eat the berries. Juniper is also an important habitat for small mammals and nesting birds due the dense cover that it provides.

Cupressocypairs leylandii Castlewellan Gold - Golden leylandii is a large evergreen conifer that is most commonly utilised for hedging or screening purposes.

Tough, Fast growing and tolerant of most conditions.

The new growth is strikingly golden yellow in colour. We also produce Green Leylandii.

If you are planting for hedging/screening you may also wish to consider Western Red Cedar. This species is equally as fast growing but has a tighter shape and a richer shade of green.

Leylandii is a large evergreen conifer that is most commonly utilised for hedging or screening purposes.

Tough, Fast growing and tolerant of most conditions.

The foliage is dense, dark green in colour and flat in shape. We also produce Golden Leylandii.

If you are planting for hedging/screening you may also wish to consider Western Red Cedar. This species is equally as fast growing but has a tighter shape and a richer shade of green.

Cryptomeria japonica - Japanese Red Cedar is a large evergreen tree with green, dense foliage that turns bronze in Winter. 

Introduced into Britain in 1879, the Japanese Red Cedar has demonstrated its ability to produce a yield that is comparable to other commonly used conifers in the UK such as Douglas Fir & Western Red Cedar.  It’s expansion into UK is likely to be in areas with a warm, moist maritime climate such as W. Scotland, Wales and SW England.

There is limited experience of processing the timber in the UK but in its native range it is highly regarded as a major construction timber and is also often used in exterior, ground contact applications as the timber has good natural durability.

Learn more on this Fact Sheet.

Cedrus atlantica - Atlas Cedar is a large evergreen conifer with silvery blue needles. The branches are horizontal and stiff.

Native to Morocco and Algeria in the Atlas Mountains where it is often grown as a pure stand. It is the only African tree that thrives in the UK, and most of the plants that we produce are used by our customers in the Southern and Eastern areas of the UK, as it is capable of withstanding periods of drought once established.

It produces strong and durable timber that is renowned for its strong and persistent fragrance.

Learn more about Atlas Cedar by reading our factsheet.

Abies nordmanniana - Nordman Fir is the best selling species for Christmas tree production.

It has luscious soft dark green needles, a symmetrical shape, and excellent needle retention qualities.

We grow several other species of cell grown conifers which are all suited for Christmas tree production.

Abies fraserii - Fraser Fir is a fast growing, large evergreen with dark green needles that have a silver grey underside.

Originally from the USA, this species is most frequently planted in the UK for Christmas tree crops as it has a dense, busy habit when young. Fraser Fir has a narrower and more compact shape than Nordmann Fir so is often suited to smaller rooms in houses if it is grown to then be supplied as a cut Christmas tree.

We grow several other species of cell grown conifers which are all suited for Christmas tree production.