Pine, Japanese White
Pinus parviflora
Pinaceae - Pine

Description

Leaves: Needles in bundles of 5; 1-1/4" to 2-1/2" long; fairly stiff; twisted; tufted near branch ends; blue-green with whiteish stomatal stripes on innere surfaces; evergreen, remain on tree 3 to 4 years.

Twigs/buds: Twigs greenish-brown and slightly downy, becoming light gray and hairless with age; short.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a woody cone; short or no stalk; 1-1/2" to 4" long; reddish-brown; persists on tree 6 to 7 years.

Bark: Gray and smooth when young; darker gray, scaly/platy with age.

Wood: Compact, soft; used in Japan for building houses and ships and for cabinet making and charcoal; little information available.

General: Native to Japan. Stays fairly short (25' to 50'), though there are many cultivars with a variety of shapes and sizes. More cold hardy than Himalayan pine. Needs average moisture; tolerant of salt; shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: Good looking like all of the white (5-needled) pines because of its fine-textured foliage. Desirable and could be planted more in Utah. Zones 4-7.

Cultivars: 'Adcock's Dwarf', 'Bergman', 'Brevifolia', 'Glauca'.

Characteristics

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