Woody > Pinus > Pinus sylvestris > Pinus sylvestris 'Aurea'
Pinus sylvestris
'Aurea'
Golden Scots Pine
Mike's
Opinion
"
This tree has amazing winter and spring interest, and being a medium sized tree its ideal for most gardens. Adding this plant into your landscape will add value and uniqueness.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Pinaceae |
| Genus |
| Pinus |
| Species |
| sylvestris |
| Cultivar |
| 'Aurea' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 3–7 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4–8 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -15-(-40) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-40)-5 |
| Height |
| 9–14 m |
| Spread |
| 3–4 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Fast growing accent conifer that requires very low maintenance. Grows only 1.3 m tall in the first 10 years of its life and then grows rapidly as it matures. |
| Landscape |
| Used as an accent tree because of its interesting form and sharp yellow colour. |
| Cultivation |
| Best grown in moist, acidic and well-drained soils. Tolerant of any quality soils and can adapt quite well to its surroundings. Requires low maintenance and medium watering. Transplants well if ball and burlapped and if the roots have been pruned. |
| Shape |
| Strong central leader with a rounded form. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Has a very distinct gold colour in the early spring and winter, which sets it apart from others. 2 needled pine; vary in size between 2.5–7 cm in length. |
| Pests |
| Diplodia tip blight. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Flaking, orange/reddish-brown bark that turns more orangish-brown towards the top of the tree. Thin and smooth in young growth and becomes thicker closer to the base of the tree with some scaly plates. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Oblong-ovate, 0.6–1.2 cm in length with scales, upper scales are free and not fully attached at tips. Buds are resinous and reddish brown in colour. |
| Leaf Description |
| Bright yellow in the spring and winter and green in the summer. In pairs, and live for 2–4 years, once mature they fall off and regrow. Vary in size from 2.5–5 cm in length with leaf sheaths from 0.6–1 cm long. Glaucous with defined lines of stomata. |
| Flower Description |
| Monoecious, deep red in colour with dull white tinge on the outer edges of the flower. It is loosely scaly and very small in size. The flower of this cultivar directly resembles that of its species. |
| Fruit Description |
| Cones are for the most part solitary, sometimes 2 or 3 together and between 4–7.6 cm in length. Grey or dull brown in colour they fall off when they become mature. The fruit has an obtuse shape. |
| Colour Description |
| Bright yellow in the winter and spring and soft green in the summer. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Coenosium Gardens, Eatonville, Wisconsin, Untied States of America. |
| Propagation |
| Seeds do not have any dormancy period; therefore, can be directly sowed in outdoors in the fall, in the winter in containers or unheated greenhouse; sow indoor before last frost. Grafting is used for the cultivars like 'Aurea'. |
References
Dirr, Michael. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses. 6th ed. Champaign, Ill.: Stipes Pub., 2009.
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