Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.Pinus strobus / 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.
Location Matters
My test garden is in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. If you have comments about this plant you'd like to see included here, send them along.