Pinus parviflora
Common name: 
Japanese White Pine
Pronunciation: 
PI-nus par-vi-FLO-ra
Family: 
Pinaceae
Genus: 
Pinus
Type: 
Conifer
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Conifer, evergreen tree, to 100 ft (30 m) tall, slender branches.  Needles 2-8 cm long, 5 per cluster, slender, margin serrulate, green on outside, white on inside (ventral) surfaces.  Cones solitary or in clusters, 5-10 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, nearly sessel (not stalked), opening widely, persisting 6-7 years.  According to Jacobson (1996)....wild specimens have very slender 9 cm needles and grow as normal "white pines"...such trees are rarely seen in North America... the commonly cultivated form is ‘Glauca’ which has shorter needles, less than about 5.7 cm.  The specimen shown here, although labeled Pinus parviflora, may in fact be P. p. ‘Glauca’.
  • Sun
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Native to Japan
  • Many cultivars available, some conifer nurseries list 30-60 selections, here are but a few:
    • 'Catherine Elizebeth''  -  dwarf, globe shaped, grows about 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) per year. With age, it will begin to spread, creating a broad pyramid, foliage is short-needled and light blue-green.
    • 'Glauca'  -  tree, needles 5-7 cm long, stiff, bowed and twisted, green on outside, very blue-white on inside, most common form in cultivation
    • 'Ogon janome'  -  small, broad upright tree, soft green needles have bright yellow banding, 4 ft (1.2 m) tall in 10 years
    • 'Pygmy Yatsubusa'  -  small upright tree; needles small, thin, green, grows about 3 inches (7.5 cm) a year
    • 'Tani Mano Uki'  -  shrub, dwarf, round mound; needles green with white, new needles are pink
  • parviflora: small flowered
  • Portland, Oregon: Portland Classical Chinese Garden.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • branches

    branches

  • spent cone

    spent cone