Pinus pumila Glauca

Pinus pumila 'Glauca' is a superb slow-growing miniature conifer with a clearly spreading habit. It is decorative all year round with its beautiful blue-green foliage, adorned in spring with small violet flowers that develop into purplish-brown cones. Extremely cold-resistant, this conifer is also very adaptable in terms of soil type, whether it be acidic, neutral, or limestone. It likes humidity, but not heavy soils that become waterlogged in winter. A well-drained, light soil and a sunny exposure will provide it with the best living conditions.

Pinus pumila is a member of the Pinaceae family, which includes several important genera of conifers, such as Firs, Cedars, Larches, and Spruces. This species of pine, widespread in the Japanese mountains, is native to northeastern Asia, where it is distributed from the polar circle to Lake Baikal. Adapted to difficult environments, this species is, as its natural habitat suggests, very cold-resistant.

The variety 'Glauca' is characterized, as its name indicates, by its glaucous foliage, meaning blue-green and highly decorative. It is a horticultural selection of unknown exact origin, but relatively old, as it was first mentioned in a Dutch catalogue dating back to 1943. This small conifer grows slowly, about 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) per year, spreading over time. It eventually forms a bush about 1.50m (5ft) tall and 2.5 to 3m (8 to 10ft) wide. Its very characteristic habit is interesting, resembling a widely spread cushion with irregularly long branches rising almost vertically. Its evergreen leaves measure 4 to 7cm (2 to 3in) long. In spring, it produces small violet flowers that later develop into purple-violet cones upon emergence, then turn reddish-brown. These cones, about 4cm (2in) long and 2.5cm (1in) wide, are quite decorative and are well highlighted by the blue-green foliage.

Inherited from the species, this variety is highly cold-resistant, down to -30°C, which allows it to be cultivated even in the most mountainous.

This Pinus pumila 'Glauca' is a very good subject for small gardens, where its beautiful blue-green appearance will be decorative all year round. Excellent on slopes or in fresh rockeries, it will also be useful in flower beds where its blue-green mass of foliage will enhance clear flowering plants, perennials, or low-growing bushes. Combine it with Bergenias with their wide-spreading leaves and abundant white or pinkish blooms, which will create superb contrasts with the blue-green foliage of our pine. Also try Campanulas with delicate white or blue flowers, they will form beautiful carpets at the base of this dwarf pine. And to add some dimension to your flower bed, plant the lovely Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Alumigold' with its upright golden and then yellow-green habit as a backdrop, which will create a nice contrast in form and color with the Pinus pumila 'Glauca'.