| Plant of the Month - June, 2005 |
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by Gary Whittenbaugh ROOTS Board Member
Dwarf Douglas Fir One of the questions I am frequently asked when giving a confer presentation or taking a group through the Heartland Collection at the arboretum is: What Conifer is your favorite? To some this might be hard to answer, but for me it is very simple. Whatever conifer I happen to be standing by at that moment is my favorite! One of the conifers I always try to stand by when I am at the arboretum is the Dwarf Douglas Fir 'Little Jon' (Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Little Jon'). No I didn't forget the "h" Jon is the correct spelling. This is not one of those flashy conifers that is a show off with gold or white foliage. It is just a great little plant. Quite often, at first glance, people mistake it for the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. From a distance it does resemble the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. In fact, I think 'Little Jon' would be a great substitute for that plant. The foliage is not quite as dense on 'Little Jon' but it grows at about the same rate as the Alberta Spruce. The big advantage however, is that the foliage does not burn on the south side in winter sun as it does on the Dwarf Alberta Spruce. Also it is not nearly as susceptible to spider mites. So, if you're looking for that cute little conifer that will eventually have that Christmas tree shape, that you can decorate in your landscape at Christmas this, may be the conifer for you.
About the Author:
Gary Whittenbaugh is the retired president and former co-owner of Service Center, Inc. in Oelwein, Iowa. He has been gardening for more than 30 years, with the past 15 years dedicated to working especially with dwarf, slow growing and unusual conifers. Currently he is president of the American Conifer Society Central Region, a member of the board of directors and a state representative for Iowa with the American Conifer Society. In addition to being a Master Gardener and serving on the board of Iowa Master Gardeners, he is a member of the North American Rock Garden Society.
In recent years, Mr. Whittenbaugh has appeared on public television, lectured extensively about conifers, and was a keynote speaker at the Conifer Society's national meeting in 2002. He has taught classes about gardening in Davenport, Iowa, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Rock Island, Illinois.
His small garden in Oelwein (gardened with his brother, Tom) received the first place award for the best landscape given by the Oelwein Area Chamber of Commerce.
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