Habitat

• native to Manchuria, Korea, and Japan
• cold hardy to zone 4, and warmer parts of 3

Habit and Form

• an evergreen tree
• 30' to 40' tall
• loose, pyramidal form
• becomes irregular with age
• medium texture
• slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

• evergreen needles
• 5 needles per fascicle
• 2.25 to 4.5" in length
• dark green in color on outside
• white stomatal lines in inner surface, bluish in color
• coarse-toothed leaf margins
• blunt apex

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color (remains green)
• needles persist 3 years

Flowers

• monoecious
• no ornamental value

Fruit

• brown cone
• oval, 3.5 to 6" long
• resinous
• blunt apex
• found solitarily or in 3's

Bark

• grayish brown in color
• flakes off in irregular pieces
• reddish-brown inner bark
• young shoots covered with a dense reddish brown

Culture

• adaptable to most soil types and pH as long as they are well-drained
• full sun to light shade
• moderately drought tolerant
• root prune for successful B&B transplanting
• probably not tolerant of air pollution
• cold hardy

Landscape Uses

• good for bonsai
• good accent tree
• grouping or screen

Liabilities

• no serious pest problems

ID Features

• needles in 5's, with a bluish innerside
• needles have a blunt apex
• grayish brown park, flaking off in irregular pieces
• serrated leaf margins

Propagation

• by seed, no pregermination requirements

Cultivars/Varieties

'Glauca' - This form bears long, soft needles of a pronounced blue color.

'Silveray' - This is a fastigiate, columnar form with bluish needles.

'Winton' - A low, spreading plant with blue-green needles, this plant grows much wider than tall.