American Conifer Society


The American Conifer Society was founded in 1983, to help educate the world on conifer trees. The society is divided into four regions which all have their own boards and events. There is also a national board that produces the Conifer Quarterly and schedules the national meeting each year. The national meeting is rotated between the four regions.
To help spread their knowledge and ensure that conifers are enjoyed by all the society also partners with local gardens to help collect plant materials and build gardens. This type of work can be seen in the Conifer Garden at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon.

Education

The society likes to pass on knowledge about conifers as well as discover new and exiting cultivars. This is done through programs like scholarships and grants. The Jean Iseli Memorial Grant provides $4,000 to a public garden or arboretum that takes great measures to show dwarf or unusual conifers. The Society also makes Reference Garden Grants each year and has begun making Conservation Grants. The Society also grants 1-3 scholarships annually, typically in the amount of $2500.
As part of the groups education purpose they have defined growth patterns for conifers around the world as follows:
Growth TypeYearly GrowthGrowth at 10 years
MiniatureLess Than 1 Inch1 foot
Dwarf1 - 6 Inches1 - 6 Feet
Intermediate6 - 12 Inches6 to 15 feet
LargeGreater than 12 inchesMore than 15 feet