THE KOREAN FIR, Abies koreana, wins my award for best “pine” cones ever, with 3-inch purple cones produced even on quite-young plants. If only this fantastic conifer displayed its cones at Christmastime here, instead of in June, though I’m not sure that purple actually matches anybody’s holiday palette, does it?
The Korean fir in the photo was my Charlie Brown-style Christmas tree perhaps a half-dozen years ago, a scrawny potted baby I festooned with a few shiny things and positioned in the cool back mudroom. (By late summer, its cones turn tan-colored, so it didn’t decorate itself the way it had in summer. And you can only loosely call them pine cones: A. koreana is in the Pinaceae or Pine Family, but not a true pine.) After the holiday I heeled it in for the rest of winter, moving it to a permanent spot in spring.
This beautiful smallish tree, to perhaps 15 or 20 feet tall (30 tops, I’ve read), has just one drawback: It can’t take the heat. For my location, that’s just fine; its ideal setting is zone 5 or 6, just like here.
beloved conifer: japanese umbrella pine 
another hit: my accident-prone lacebark pine 
slideshow: beloved conifers 
What a fantastic colour for a pine cone! I’d happily alter my holiday decorations’ palette to make it work.
These trees are the coolest! I had the pleasure of seeing one in front of a town office in Maine. I will be happy when they are bred to withstand the heat so I can plant one in my Tennessee garden. I simply love them. Great picture of it too! Happy Holidays to you!
Those are beautiful.
The only evergreens I have on my property are the three giants near the road which last week during the ice storm dropped limbs the size of a cadillac near ( but luckily not on) my little house. I would like to start adding groups of evergreens here and there to break up the winter gray blah look of my hardwood laden plot. Suggestions would be welcomed (anything but white pines).
Merry Christmas to you Margaret and all else who celebrate and Happy Holidays to all! I hope the coming year is happy and healthy for all the visitors of A Way to Garden and their loved ones and even those in our lives we don’t love so much;-)
Brian
I would love to have some purple pine cones as holiday decorations in my purple dining room!
Brian,
While you’re considering needled evergreens, please don’t forget hollies. I can’t tell you how much their shining leaves brighten the winter days!
J.
Oh my god, I am so excited over purple pine cones, I never would have thought. I can never have enough purple, this will hold a special place in my garden. June is just fine for display, maybe they might be late one year and surprise us all on Christmas. Happy Holidays. Peace and Joy
Perfect, indeed!
Go to my blog for Holiday wishes
http://jwlwgardens.com
Happy Holidays to all at A Way to Garden
John
Hey Margaret – Have you been hoarding that gorgeous picture just for this perfect time of year? I’ve also lamented that we can’t have those cones in December but to know we have them at all is just deserts.
If anyone wants to read more, there’s an essay on this plant in my book, Plant This!
Welcome, Ketzel. Yes, I have a whole folder called “Photos not Posted” on my Mac desktop, and a white-board list of topics for the winter that correspond to some of those images. Sort of my version of provisioning for a long cold spell, you know?
Glad to see you here, and also at your new blog.
This post reminded me of an old conifer lesson: during my long-ago days as a tram driver at the Chicago Botanic Garden (best summer job EVER, btw), we were taught a quick shorthand to identifying conifers–fir cones point UP and pine cones hang DOWN. Easy breezy, and it kept the garden visitors satisfied. I confess that I haven’t subjected this to a ton of field research–and I’m pretty shaky on my conifers overall, but this gorgeous photo gave me a repressed memory flashback! Thanks Margaret!
Hi, Steve…you know, I never thought about it, but it sounds correct. I have probably 6 or 7 pine species here and all are indeed downward, and maybe three fir species (up). Let’s say it’s so. Thanks.
I live in albany. Where do Iget this plant? get tg
Welcome, Kevin. I got mine (two of them) at Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington, MA, as 2-foot babies, and they grew pretty fast, really. They normally also stock larger ones that are the age that already make cones. It’s about an hour from you; I would call first, (413) 298 3217. I suspect any nursery near to you with a good selection of woody plants will have it or can get it. Hope to see you soon again.
Where do I buy one? I live in albany and shop at0 wards and windy hill
I feel so lucky to have loads of those beauties at the back of my property and one tiny 1 now taking off in front .If it’s cold they want it’s cold they here in Port au Choix,Newfoundland,Canada(zone 3)!!!!!!
Welcome, Loretta. Even after many years with the purple “pine” cones, I can’t believe them every year when they first appear. Such a color! Glad you are a fan (and can give them the wanted cold, as I can). Thanks for saying hello, and don’t be a strangr.
how do you “cure” a pine cone?
Welcome, Miley. I have never done anything but collect them and let them dry naturally; some keep their shape and some don’t. I have read about putting them on a tray in a barely warm oven and about using spray preservative and even polyurethane, but I have never done any of that. I like them just as they evolve on their own, in big bowls in the house. Not sure what your specific purpose was so not sure how to advise?