What species of conifers would grow decently well in South Europe?

[FedericoMelis]

I'd like to field grow a bunch of conifers and see if I can educate some as bonsai over the years.
I'm sure junipers, some species of pines and cypress grow here, and also yew.
Excluding those, what other kind of conifers might do well? Maybe with some summer or winter help
I like cryptomeria, spruces, hemlocks

 

[Potawatomi13]

From the home of Franco Columbo. Fine avatar picture. Perhaps poor question but is there any local Bonsai group to help? Best personal suggestion is compare local climatic zone to trees of personal interest. Pretty sure Hemlock and most Spruce would not be happy there.

 

[Shibui]

We have almost Mediterranean climate here. Averages look quite similar to Sardinia. Most pines do fine even if some 'experts' try to tell you pines need colder winters. There are plenty of pine species native to the Mediterranean area that will obviously do well there. Japanese black pine is fast and strong and will grow well in that climate. We can also grow some spruces and cryptomeria but I have not seen hemlock often.

Metasequoia and taxodiumare both deciduous conifers and should do well with extra water in summer.
Gingko appears to have broad leaf but is actually a conifer. Very tough but slow growing.
Chamaecyparis is another traditional bonsai favorite that can grow for you.

You will need to take some care when field growing many conifers as many do not bud on bare wood so they need to be manged well to preserve low and inner growth that you can eventually cut back to.

 

[0soyoung]

P. halopensis should be on the list.

 

[FedericoMelis]

From the home of Franco Columbo. Fine avatar picture. Perhaps poor question but is there any local Bonsai group to help? Best personal suggestion is compare local climatic zone to trees of personal interest. Pretty sure Hemlock and most Spruce would not be happy there.

Indeed, rest in peace Franco!
The only bonsai group I'm aware of here is more than 100 kilometers away, and they meet like once a month.. The only time I've been there I've seen no conifers at all.
I should be in zone 10, but we have zone 9 trees here, and even zone 8 or even less.
We have black pines in the mountains (zone 9) which are 3-7 hardiness, we have thousand years old Yew forests, which should be 5-7 hardiness..
Spruces are something like 2 -7 and hemlocks are 3-8 so according to this they should be fine?

 

[FedericoMelis]

P. halopensis should be on the list.

That one is a native tree here in my island, so yes that one will surely do well !

 

[FedericoMelis]

We have almost Mediterranean climate here. Averages look quite similar to Sardinia. Most pines do fine even if some 'experts' try to tell you pines need colder winters. There are plenty of pine species native to the Mediterranean area that will obviously do well there. Japanese black pine is fast and strong and will grow well in that climate. We can also grow some spruces and cryptomeria but I have not seen hemlock often.

Metasequoia and taxodiumare both deciduous conifers and should do well with extra water in summer.
Gingko appears to have broad leaf but is actually a conifer. Very tough but slow growing.
Chamaecyparis is another traditional bonsai favorite that can grow for you.

You will need to take some care when field growing many conifers as many do not bud on bare wood so they need to be manged well to preserve low and inner growth that you can eventually cut back to.

We have some pines here: halopensis, domestic, maritime, monterey and black pine. I'm confident almost every pine would do well, I've already bought some Jap black pines.
Chamaecyparis do well for sure, we have those.
Taxus, we have ancient taxus forests here, so they should do well
I should try with cryptomeria, hemlock and spruces, I don't see them here
One that will most likely not do well is fir, I wont bother with those

 

[Starfox]

If you can find Tetraclinis articulata they are well suited to your climate and a bit of a rare species. P. pinea too should be readily available.
Some of the lesser known Junipers like oxycedrus should be in your area too.

 

[FedericoMelis]

If you can find Tetraclinis articulata they are well suited to your climate and a bit of a rare species. P. pinea too should be readily available.
Some of the lesser known Junipers like oxycedrus should be in your area too.

Tetraclinis articulate seems to only grow in Sicily and Spain here in Europe, I dount I'll find one
Pinus pinea yes, we have that one
Junipers of course! I already have some. We have red junipers (oxycedrus oxycedrus), macrocarpa junipers (oxycedrus macrocarpa) and phoenicea junipers

 

[AJL]

You could take a look at what Mistral Bonsai nursery grows- https://www.mistralbonsai.com/tienda/es/
Presumably their climate is similar to yours? Also have you thought of growing Thymus - great for Mame/ Shohin cascade

 

[FedericoMelis]

You could take a look at what Mistral Bonsai nursery grows- https://www.mistralbonsai.com/tienda/es/
Presumably their climate is similar to yours? Also have you thought of growing Thymus - great for Mame/ Shohin cascade

I have seen them before, the climate is similar but they seem to have very few conifers, the obvious junipers and some pines.
There is very few people in mediterranean Europe that bothers with spruces, larix, cedars, hemlocks or such things. I guess I'll have to find out myself.
Thymes, I like thymes, we have outstanding yamadori thymes here, I still have not bothered to go and collect some but soon or later I'll do, along with rosemary

 

[Mayank]

Gingko appears to have broad leaf but is actually a conifer.

That's wild, did not know that. Guess cause it bears cones not flowers, right?

 

[A. Gorilla]

pinus nigra

 

[FedericoMelis]

pinus nigra

yes aware of that one, already have some JBPines going in the ground and more seeds, scouting for wild ones soon