Pinus strobus/Dwarf White Pine 'Blue Shag'

This is one of those plants that stops visitors in their tracks, evoking exclamations of appreciation and the question: Is that a Mugo pine?  Well, it looks like a Mugo at first but then gets much more interesting and natural in form.  And its intensely blue-green foliage is prettier than that of Mugo, anyway. 

'Blue Shag' is slow-growing, which is fine because you want it to stay compact.  Another great variety is 'Nana', which becomes wider than tall.

White pines are indigenous from Canada to Georgia.

Details

• "Blue Shag' is slow-growing to 2-4 feet tall and wide.

• Tolerates dry, rocky sites, but not pollution or alkaline soil.
  

• Has cool-looking cones.

• Requires full sun to part shade .

Care

• Requires a "medium" amount of moisture but won't tolerate waterlogged soil.

• In late summer/early fall its older needles will brown and shredding, and that's natural, nothing to worry about.

• May benefit from application of Hollytone (or similar organic fertilizer for acid-soil-loving plants) in late winter, since it's intolerant of alkaline soils.

More Great Info in Print

• Gardening with Conifers by Adrian and Richard Bloom
• Confers for Gardens: An Encyclopedia
• A Garden of Confers by Obrizok
• Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs by the best-known authority on the subject.

 

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