Pinus pumila (Siberian Dwarf Pine, Japanese Stone Pine)
Michael's Opinion
A beautiful, low-growing pine native to East Asian mountain sides. Its blue-green foliage and colourful cones keep interest year-round, and it has a unique shape for a pine. It is great for use in a rock garden but also does well as a mass planting; although, it is prone to a numerous amount of pests and diseases. Pinaceae pumila was put on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species in the category LC (Least Concern) in 1998 but has yet to be updated since.
Botanical Information
| Family | Pinaceae |
| Genus | Pinus |
| Species | pumila |
| Category | Woody |
| Type | Shrub (evergreen) |
| References | Brickell, C. Encyclopedia of plants & flowers. 3rd ed. London, England: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2011. Print. |
| Origin | East Asia. |
| Pronunciation |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 3–8 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | 2b–7a |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H7 |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -40-(-7) |
| Temperature (°F) | -40-20 |
| Height | 0.5–3 (5) m |
| Spread | 1–̶̶̶3 (5) m |
| Growth | Slow |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A multi-stemmed, dwarf conifer with yellow-brown to red-purple cones and blue-green foliage. Also, the wood, resin and sawdust can cause dermatitis in people who are sensitive. |
| ID Characteristic | The blue-green dense foliage, its small size and unique form (for a pine). |
| Shape | Multi-stemmed, spreading, with a slightly dense, loosely oval form. |
| Landscape | Typically used in rock gardens or as mass planting. |
| Propagation | Sow the seeds in individual pots in a cold frame once it is ripe or in late winter. Stratifying the seed for 6 weeks will help to improve the germination of the seed, plant the seedlings in their permanent places as soon as possible but protect them from the first couple of winter seasons. |
| Cultivation | P. pumila is best cultivated in well-drained soils, standing in full sun. |
| Pests | Can be susceptible to bark beetles, blight, blister rust, canker, damping off, dieback, root rot, pine needle miner, pine weevil, pinewood nematode and scale. |
| Notable Specimens | Whistling Gardens, Wilsonville, Ontario, Canada. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden of the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. |
| Habitat | Higher elevations on mountainside in eastern Asia. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Bark is typically grey-brown in colour, with its branchlets initially brown, changing to a dark red-brown after 2–3 years and is densely pubescent. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Developed in the winter and are red-brown with a conical-ovoid shape and are slightly resinous. |
| Leaf Description | Needles that are 3.5–7.5 cm in length each, densely arranged around the stem in fascicles of 5 with a blue-green colour. |
| Fruit Description | Ovoid, seed-bearing cones that are 2.5–5 cm in length. Violet-purple colour throughout the year, ripening to red-brown or yellow-brown if female, and bright red-purple if male in the spring. |
| Colour Description | Lovely blue-green foliage throughout the year with red-purple or yellow-brown cones in spring, and violet-purple cones for the rest of the year. |
| Texture Description | Densely pubescent bark maintained throughout its life span. |
Photographs
.jpg "Pinus pumila 'Draijer's Dwarf'")
Pinus pumila 'Draijer's Dwarf'
.jpg "Pinus pumila 'Glauca'")
Pinus pumila 'Glauca'