Pines are wonderful! You can choose pines that are short or tall, skinny
or fat. No other group of evergreens offers you such a wide range
of shapes and sizes. There are many varieties that are well-suited
to our stressful Minnesota climate. In fact, the Minnesota state tree
is the Norway (a.k.a. red) pine. In addition to being valuable landscape
plants, pines are important as sources of wood, paper pulp and oils.
Pine nuts are the seeds of specific types of pine and are used in
pesto and other foods.
Pines are easily distinguished from any other type of evergreen.
Almost all evergreens have needles. The only exceptions are broadleaf
evergreens such as rhododendrons and boxwoods. Some needled evergreens
(such as junipers and arborvitae) have unusual foliage that looks
more like scales. Pine, spruce and fir all have the more traditional
form of needle but of all those, pines are the only evergreens
with needles in bundles. When you look closely at the needles
on a pine, you will see that they grow in groups of 2, 3 or 5
bundled together at their base by a sheath. This is a great help
when identifying the various types of pines and it is the reason
for their fuller, softer look.
Pines are relatively easy to grow when they are planted in an
appropriate site. They do require well-drained, acidic soil. Soil
type is not critical as long as it is well-drained. As a group,
pines need lots of sun. When grown in shady areas, they tend to
struggle, growing with a more open habit and becoming more susceptible
to insect or disease problems.
As with all evergreens pine needles may stay green year round,
but they do not last forever. With pines, needle retention varies
greatly from the white pine family that only hold 2 years' worth
of needles to some other varieties that hold 5 or 6 years' worth
of needles. Each fall the trees will shed the oldest year's worth
of growth. Pines are always relatively bare on the inside and
clothed by the foliage on the outer ends of branches.
Shrub Form Pines Austrian Globe Pinus nigra 'Hornibrookiana'24"
tall x 3' wide; green foliage; dwarf, dense pine with stiff green
needles; needles 2-3 inches long in bundles of 2; needles persist
4-8 years; hardy to Zone 4 (maybe Zone 3b). Beauvronensis Pinus sylvestris 'Beauvronensis' 4'
tall x 4' wide; blue-green foliage; very slow-growing (1-2" per
year); needles about an inch long in bundles of 2; needles persist
3-5 years; hardy to Zone 2. Blue Shag Pinus strobus 'Blue Shag' 3' tall x
4' wide; blue-green foliage; compact, rounded shrub; long needles
in bundles of 5; needles persist 2-3 years; hardy to Zone 3. Hillside Creeper Pinus sylvestris 'Hillside Creeper'
12-18" tall x 6-8' wide; green foliage; slow growing and
ground hugging; needles about an inch long in bundles of 2; needles
persist 3-5 years; hardy to Zone 3. Mugho Big Tuna Pinus mugo 'Big Tuna' 6'
tall x 6' wide; dark green foliage; compact, upright form of mugho;
needles 1-3 inches long in bundles of 2; needles persist 5+ years;
hardy to Zone 2. Mugho Dwarf Pinus mugo pumillo 6-8' tall x 8' wide;
dark green foliage; candles must be pruned yearly to keep it compact
(see Pruning Evergreens); needles 1-3 inches long in bundles
of 2; needles persist 5+ years; hardy to Zone 3. Mugho Free Form Pinus mugo pumillo 15-20'
tall x 15-20' wide; dark green foliage; natural form of mugho; needles
1-3 inches long in bundles of 2; needles persist 5+ years; hardy to
Zone 3. Mugho SlowmoundPinus mugo 'Slowmound' 3' tall
x 3' wide; dark green foliage; forms a dense mound; useful in rock
gardens and smaller landscapes; needles 1-3 inches long in bundles
of 2; needles persist 5+ years; hardy to Zone 2.
Tree Form Pines
Austrian Pinus nigra 50-60' tall x 30-40'
wide; dark green foliage; rapid growing evergreen with stiff, shiny
needles; tolerant of clay or sand soils; tolerant of air pollution;
withstands exposed sites; needles 3-5 inches long in bundles of 2;
needles persist 4-8 years; hardy to Zone 4. Austrian Pyramidal Pinus nigra 20-25'
tall x 6-8' wide; dark green foliage; narrow, pyramidal form of Austrian;
stiff, shiny needles; branches closely spaced; tolerant of clay or
sandy soils; tolerant of air pollution; withstands exposed sites;
needles 4-5 inches long in bundles of 2; needles persist 4-8 years;
hardy to Zone 4. Norway Compact Pinus resinosa 'Norway Compact'
30-40' tall x 15-20' wide; compact version of the native Norway pine;
also known as Red pine; needles 5-6 inches long in bundles of 2; needles
persist 4-5 years; hardy to Zone 2. Ponderosa Pinus ponderosa 60'+ tall x 30'+ wide; dark
green foliage; large pine with coarse, irregular habit; because of
its size and habit, not often used in the landscape; needles 5-10
inches long in bundles of 3 (sometimes 2); needles persist 3-4 years;
hardy to Zone 3. Scotch Pinus sylvestris 40-60' tall x 30-40'
wide; blue-green foliage; irregular habit; tree become more open as
it ages; unique orange-brown bark on upper branches and trunk; needles
about an inch long in bundles of 2; needles persist 5+ years; hardy
to Zone 2. Swiss StonePinus cembra 30-40' tall x 15-20' wide;
dark green foliage; slow growing; dense habit when young, more open
as it ages; needles lighter color on bottom than on top; needles 3-5
inches long in bundles of 5; needles persist 4-5 years; hardy to Zone
2. White Pinus strobus 50-80' tall x 30-40' wide; blue-green
foliage; fast growing; needles are soft and branches are limber; needs
moist, well-drained soil; intolerant of salt or air pollution; needles
3-6 inches long in bundles of 5; needles persist 2-3 years; hardy
to Zone 2. White Columnar Pinus strobus'Fastigata' 40'
tall x 15' wide; blue-green foliage; narrow, upright form of white
pine; fast growing; needles are soft and branches are limber; needs
moist, well-drained soil; intolerant of salt or air pollution; needles
3-6 inches long in bundles of 5; needles persist 2-3 years; hardy
to Zone 2.
Additional Bachman's Information Sheets Pruning Evergreens
Evergreen Trees -- Evergreen Shrubs
Evergreen Problems
Evergreen Problems: Insects
Evergreen Problems: Diseases
Evergreen Problems: Cultural and Environmental
Care of Newly Planted Plants
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