Conifers have a great importance in nature and economics. Suffice it to say that forests with their prevalence are almost half of the forests on our planet. In Russia this ratio is even more - two-thirds of the forests. In addition to the biosphere and resource functions, conifers have the esthetic function which is equally important. Throughout the Northern hemisphere, except for tropical latitudes, conifers are the most important component of the cultural landscape. In the West and in the Far East they are represented not only by dozens of wild species, but hundreds (perhaps even thousands!) varieties, cultivars, garden forms. Their great diversity is provided by technologies of reproduction, cultivation, and use. How does Russia look like on this background? Alas, not very impressive. On the one hand, it is clear that we are behind the developed countries in many other ways. On the other hand, it is inadmissible. Since Russia is a northern area with hard climatic conditions, where the need for the widest use of conifers to decorate our lives is predetermined by nature itself.
We can’t just take and carry numerous foreign species and cultivars to our country because of natural conditions. They need to be tested and only then we can use them. At the same time, we need to generalize our own experience; study and use the enormous potential of the Russian conifer species which are completely resistant to our climate. No one will do this most important work for us neither in Europe nor in America, or in China. We have to do it for ourselves!
In countries with the developed garden culture its obligatory component is the so-called “conifer societies” - public organizations of professionals and advanced amateurs who specifically engaged in solving the whole range of issues relating to this kind of plants. Now we have Russian Conifer Society!
The purpose of the Society is to support the introduction and breeding of conifers, especially rare and unusual, which are used for garden culture and landscape building. This purpose is concretized in our Tasks. The majority of information and communication activity of the Society is carried out through this website. Therefore, in order to understand this system and successfully join us, you should familiarize yourself with the structure of the Society and the structure of the site.