Blue Swiss Stone Pine – 3 Gallon Pot

Other Names:  Arolla Pine, Swiss Pine, Austrian Stone Pine

Pinus cembra ‘Glauca’ is a blue version of the Swiss Stone Pine, characterized by attractive, soft-textured, long, silvery blue to blue-green needles providing a soothing color for the landscape. A slow grower adding 9 to 12 inches in height per year, it forms an upright pyramid 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide or so at its base when all grown up, which makes it a fine specimen or outdoor Christmas tree in medium-sized landscape spaces and large containers, groupings where space allows, or to frame the corners of homes and other buildings. Being that Swiss Stone Pines are native to central Europe, from the Alps to the Carpathians, they are cold-hardy to USDA Zone 3, where temperatures can drop to -40°F, and heat-hardy to Zone 7b. Some sources say Zone 8, but we’d rather be safe than sorry. If you’re in Zone 8, where summers are hot, and would like to try this pine, we suggest providing some filtered sun or shade during the mid-afternoon hours. A very hardy and attractive coniferous evergreen, the Golden Swiss Stone Pine is easy to grow and exceptionally low maintenance, and we’ve seen no problems with insects or disease. No pruning is necessary to keep its dense form.

Growing 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide at maturity, the Blue Swiss Stone Pine is an ideal specimen for medium-sized landscape spaces or for use in pots, planters, and other containers. It makes for a fine outdoor Christmas tree and can be grouped where space allows, and can also be used to frame the corners of tall homes and other buildings It grows tall enough to be considered a candidate for a privacy screen, but will take some patience as the tree only adds 8 to 12 inches in height per year. It is a fine addition to rock gardens, conifer gardens, blue-themed gardens, and Asian theme gardens.

Suggested Spacing:  Best as a specimen or in spaced groupings at 16 or more feet apart