Characteristics

Origin: Europe, western Asia and North Africa.

A shrub with a vast pyramidal canopy, which is slow-growing and very long-lived.  It features soft, flat needles which are dark green in colour and grow in opposite pairs. Both male and female varieties exist.

It is widely used in gardens and as a hedge, since it is easy to trim.

It is highly tolerant of the cold, although it requires some moisture in the environment, making it only relatively drought-hardy, and thrives in well-drained soils.