Other Names:  Silver Pearl, Hexenbesen Horstmann No. 1

Description:

A striking, small tree form variety featuring deep green needles that have silvery undersides which are very showy; excellent as a color accent in a rock garden, container or small garden setting; needs even moisture and shelter

Ornamental Features

Silberperle Korean Fir (tree form) is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its highly ornamental lollipop-like shape. It has attractive emerald green foliage with silver undersides which emerges silver in spring. The small needles are highly ornamental and remain emerald green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Silberperle Korean Fir (tree form) is a dense evergreen dwarf tree, selected and trained to grow in a small tree-like form with the primary plant grafted high atop a standard. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance dwarf tree. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Silberperle Korean Fir (tree form) is ideal for use as a garden accent or patio feature, and is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Topiary
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Silberperle Korean Fir (tree form) will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This dwarf tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Silberperle Korean Fir (tree form) makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.