A collection of species of conifers suitable for cultivation in Lithuanian conditions and specimens with distinct ornamental characteristics.

Conifers (Pinophyta) are a very old group of seed plants that began to evolve 300 million years ago. The greatest diversity of conifers occurred in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. Around 1000 species of conifers still survive today. Conifers are monoecious, rarely dioecious evergreens, sometimes summer-green trees, shrubs and rarely lianas. The leaves are very varied, the leaves of cycads, gnetums and ginkgoes are large, while the leaves of pine and cypress families are small - thorns or scales. Seeds are produced in the seedpods on the parent plant, which are not enclosed by anything (this is how they differ from flowering plants). The seeds mature in various structures, usually in the cones.

VU Botanical Garden aims to create a collection of the most suitable conifers for cultivation in Lithuania. The aim is to collect around 142 species of conifers suitable for growing in Lithuanian climate conditions. At present, 79 species are on display in the Botanical Garden. Conifers varieties with bright ornamental features are also selected. We currently have 296 varieties of conifers.

The first conifers (species and varieties) were planted at Vilnius University Botanical Garden, Vingis department, in 1949. The first conifers were planted in 1975 in Kairėnai, coming from Estonia. Conifer varieties started to be planted in 1978. 11 specimens have been included for the conservation of genetic resources.

The conifers selected for the collection are cold-hardy, taking into account the climate conditions in Lithuania up to cold zone 6b. Efforts are also made to select seedlings with the widest possible range of characteristics. The aim is to distinguish the shape of the crown: underground, ovate, columnar, conical, hemispherical-globular, nesting, globular, umbrella-regular or oscillating; the colours: variegated, yellow, blue, grey, and green (with some shades of these main distinguishing colours) and the height.

		Common spruce (Picea abies) 'Inversa' An evergreen tree about 2-2.25 m tall with the same width. Leaves swaying, without apex. Shoots brownish, reddish-yellow, more or less naked, annual increment 15 cm. Young twigs are yellowish-green, and grey, drooping downwards. The trunk is grey or reddish brown, split. Spines quadrangular, sharply pointed, stiff, sturdy, prickly, green.
		Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) 'Glauca' Evergreen tree about 4-6 m tall, 1.5-3 m wide. The crown is densely conical when young, changing to a graceful, broader, irregular shape when mature. The shoots are thick, grey-brownish, and sparsely hairy. The trunk is dark grey, shallowly scarred. Spines are arranged in whorls of 5, 2-6 cm long, 1 mm wide, bluish-green, thin, twisted, stiff, and non-spiny.
		White fir (Abies concolor (Gordon) Lindl. ex Hildebr.) An evergreen tree about 25-40 m tall. Crown conical-cylindrical, 5-7 m in diameter. Shoots bare, grey-yellowish or brownish. Branches are whorled, horizontally spreading. Bark thick, shrivelled, grey. Spines longer than those of most firs, 5-7 cm long, 2-2,5 cm wide, curved, with a strip of gills on each side and uniformly greyish or bluish green. Cones are cylindrical, 7-12 cm long, about 4cm across, purplish-blue when young, and light brown when mature.
		Common spruce (Picea abies) 'Cupressina' Evergreen tree about 1.5-2.5 m tall, 0.4-0.6 m wide. The crown is columnar or conical. Shoots more or less naked, trunk grey-brown, split into rounded plates. Spines quadrangular, sharply pointed, stiff, strong, prickly, bluish-green on young shoots, later becoming bright green.