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Blue Japanese Pine

Pinus parviflora 'Glauca'

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Blue Japanese Pine (Pinus parviflora 'Glauca') at Glasshouse Nursery

Blue Japanese Pine

Blue Japanese Pine

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Blue Japanese Pine (Pinus parviflora 'Glauca') at Glasshouse Nursery

Blue Japanese Pine foliage

Blue Japanese Pine foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  40 feet

Spread:  40 feet

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  6a

Description:

A majestic and artistic evergreen specimen tree when mature, with broadly spreading branches and attractive bluish-green needles, color is more developed than in the species; quite compact in size, excellent choice for smaller home landscape use

Ornamental Features

Blue Japanese Pine is primarily valued in the landscape for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The needles are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Japanese Pine is a dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Japanese Pine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Shade

Planting & Growing

Blue Japanese Pine will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 5 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Shade 
Applications
Foliage Color  Plant Form  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features