Korean pine boasts extreme cold tolerance, long, soft needles and an elegant shape that changes over time, from pyramidal to rounded. Its evergreen branches line its trunk all the way to the ground, creating a dense form that's great as a year-round windbreak or privacy screen. In 2023, this evergreen was named GreatPlants Conifer of the Year by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. There are a number of Korean pine cultivars on the market, representing different shapes, sizes and even foliage colors.
Common name: Korean pine
Botanical name: Pinus koraiensis
Exposure: Full sun
Foliage: Korean pine has long, slim evergreen needles that create a feathery visual texture. Flexible and soft to the touch, the needles are green with a bluish cast. The cultivar ‘Morris Blue’ is more pronouncedly silver blue. ‘Oculus Draconis' has golden variegation on its foliage.
Habit: The species grows 30 to 50 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide. Size and shape varies among cultivars. For example, ‘Blue Ball’, a dwarf selection, slowly grows to a three-foot-round irregular globe.
Origin: A member of the white pine group, Pinus koraiensis is native to eastern Asia.
How to grow it: Site Korean pine in full sun. It adapts to various soil textures but requires good drainage. It prefers even moisture but can tolerate some drought once established. It does not cope well in hot and humid climates. USDA Zones 3–8.
Image credit: Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr.com
