10 Weeping Evergreens for Winter Interest

If you’ve ever admired the branches of a stately weeping evergreen, you know how lovely this distinctive aesthetic can be. With branches that cascade from the trunk like water down a mountainside, weeping trees are coveted treasures in a garden anytime of the year, but hold a special place in my heart during the winter months.

With their limber branches drooping downward in elegant, graceful repose, a weeping tree is a great choice for a focal point in the garden. Here are several options that do well in our climate and are sure to provide a dramatic addition to your garden that is as stunning in winter as it is in summer.

1. Weeping Alaskan Cedar – adds a surreal, dramatic touch to any landscape with its narrow, towering shape and long, drooping branches covered in soft, wispy needles. At 25 -30′ tall, this tree is small enough for more confined spaces while still making a huge impact.
2. Weeping Nootka Cypress – considered a nice alternative to the Weeping Atlas cedar with the same tinsel-fringed appearance. The Nootka adds thicker, aromatic foliage on upward-curving branches (rather than downward), and plenty of autumn “berries” to the mix.
3. Weeping Hemlock – makes a strong statement wherever it is planted. At 10-12′ tall with an equal spread, this petite, elegant tree will be the talk of your garden.
4. Graceful Grace Weeping Fir –this fir earns its name with branches full of blue-green needles that angle gracefully downward. Over a decade, this fir can be expected to reach 7-8’ tall and 3-4’ wide.
5. Weeping Silver Fir – this significant ‘drooper’ is well-known for its arching branches, laden with silvery-green needles that cascade down from a columnar trunk. It’s considered a dwarf compared to other firs, since it’s fully grown at about 8’ tall by 4’ wide.
6. Blue Cloak Fir – famous for its glowing blue foliage and bowing branches. Beautifully growing as a lone garden feature, topping out at only 10’ tall, or when planted as part of a grouping of trees and shrubs. This is a brilliant choice for winter interest and summer color.
7. Weeping White Pine – this pine variety has a prominent weeping feature, including a weeping trunk. Its pale green fronds will drape beautifully over stone retaining walls, fences, or along the ground.
8. Norway Weeping Spruce – grows in an elegant, conical form with pendulous branches that drape down from the trunk like a flowing gown. Its blue-green needle color adds a complementary flair to deep green perennial borders.
9. Gold Mop Cypress – considered a dwarf shrub that grows like a miniature tree. With drooping, chartreuse needles that stay true through winter, this cold-hardy weeper provides vivid contrast against darker plants. This compact beauty is a slow grower, ultimately reaching 5’ tall and wide.
10. Weeping Colorado Spruce – singing the blues, this dusty-blue weeper appears as if it lays weeping across your garden. A broad, limber trunk is covered with lush, glowing needles and will reach 10’ in height at maturity.

About the Author:

Patricia is a long-time resident of the Alta Vista area of Ottawa with 30+ years of gardening experience.  If you’d like to share your thoughts about this article or reach out for design and planting advice for your garden, please contact Patricia by email: OttawaPlantByNumbers@gmail.com or on Instagram: @ottawaplantbynumbers