Of all the living things on the planet, conifers are some of the oldest (bristlecone pine, 4,700 years), tallest (coast redwood, more than 360 feet tall) and largest (giant sequoia, more than 52,500 cubic feet). And they've been around since the Carboniferous Period, 300 million years ago. Their use as landscape plants is long-lived as well, holding places of honor in Chinese and Japanese gardens for centuries, not to mention their integral role in the ancient art of bonsai. While the Victorians — whose penchant for collecting things is legendary — amassed conifers much like they did ferns and orchids, today's conifer options are so numerous as to boggle the mind. Many are diminutive enough for a respectable collection to be assembled in an average-size yard. But their usefulness in the garden far exceeds any gotta-have-one-of-everything allure. Focal points, screens, hedges, topiaries, groundcovers, shade trees, container plants — the list satisfies nearly every need in the garden, especially given their variety of textures, colors and forms. One of their strong suits is their quintessence as living structure. Add to this that most are evergreen (and even the deciduous ones have attractive silhouettes and bark in winter), and they become essential components for any year-round garden.

Japanese White Pine
Reaching 2 to 3 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide in 10 years, Pinus parviflora 'Fuku-zu-mi' is a slow grower, with lush tufts of twisted, blue-green foliage. An ideal specimen plant, this medium-size tree naturally has an unusual, irregular, spreading form that makes it look windswept. Zones 5 to 8.

Canary Islands Juniper
Native to the Canary Islands and Madeira — Juniperus cedrus has been listed as endangered since 2000 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but it is starting to regain ground. Both tall and broad, ultimately reaching more than 50 feet in height, this juniper is cloaked with graceful, dramatic swags of pendulous blue-green foliage. Zones 7 to 9.

Blue Arizona Cypress
Frosted-blue foliage on delicate branches makes a striking contrast against the brown bark of Cupressus arizonica var. glabra 'Blue Pyramid'. Much taller than wide, this upright, symmetrical form of Arizona cypress can reach 20 to 25 feet high by 10 to 12 feet wide in 10 years. Zones 6 to 9

Colorado Spruce
An elegant, slow-growing small tree, Picea pungens 'Hillside' is a dwarf form, reaching 3 to 6 feet tall in 10 years, creating a flattened pyramid. Stiff bottlebrushes of needles are blue-gray-green. Zones 3 to 7.

CARE: One of the most common problems gardeners have with conifers is ignoring the edict of right plant, right place. Like a Great Dane puppy, they can be little and cute when young, and then surprise you with their ultimate bulk. Before you plant (even before you buy) a conifer, check its growth rate and mature size. Forcing a plant into a too-small space by indiscriminate whacking and pruning will leave it misshapen and unhealthy. For proper pruning, take stock of where growing points are on the stems and how many times a year the genus produces (flushes) new growth. Some genera respond well to regular shearing (like yews). Dwarf and miniature conifers may never need pruning. But never cut back beyond live buds on any conifer, or the branch will likely die. Specifics on pruning each type of conifer are too lengthy to cover here, so research your plants before you start cutting.

ZONES: There are conifers for almost every temperate hardiness zone, from slash pines in South Florida's Zone 10 to Siberian juniper (Microbiota decussata), which can grow as far north as Zone 2. Most conifers fall within the broad range of Zones 3 to 9, but check information on the specific plant to find its ideal zones.

EXPOSURE: The majority of conifers need full sun to thrive. A few, such as hemlocks and yews, can tolerate and even do well in part shade.