Pinus densiflora Oculus-draconis - Dragon-eye Pine

Pinus densiflora 'Oculus-draconis' is a Japanese Red Pine with soft and variegated foliage. Its shiny green needles are plumes striped with cream-yellow, which turns yellow-greenish brown in winter. It has an open pyramidal habit when young and over time forms a small, airy and graceful, irregular and leaning tree. Beautiful scaly and fissured bark, ranging in colour from grey to rusty orange. It appreciates sun and well-drained, ordinary soil.

Pinus densiflora, also known as Japanese Red Pine or Japanese Umbrella Pine, is a plant of the pinaceae family, native to forests in northeastern China, Korea, and Japan. In its natural environment, this species exceeds 30 m in height and has a variable habit, a naturally coiled shape, and often several trunks covered with red bark. Valued for its wood in Japan, this species also shelters the cultivation of matsutake, a highly fragrant mushroom, under its foliage.

The 'Oculus-draconis' variety has variegated foliage, with striking stripes. Viewed from the end of the bush, the shoots reveal rings of light colour on the green background, which gave the variety its name of dragon's eye. The overall effect is that of an airy bush composed of green and white plumes. It reaches 1.5 m in height at 10 years old, then 2 to 3 m in all directions after 20 years. While young, it has a rather pyramidal habit, with an umbrella-like crown. With age, it develops a twisted trunk and a flat crown, a spreading habit, with an irregular shape. Its often twisted trunk bears almost horizontal branches, from which orange twigs emerge, which turn grey and peel off in plates with age. The trunk itself cracks to reveal an orange bark. It is covered with fine, 10 cm long needles grouped in pairs and arranged in flat crowns. The shiny green needle is double-striped with cream-yellow, making the plumes highly ornamental. The shoots located in the centre of the branches are the largest and occupy the upper space, while the more modest lateral shoots, fill the peripheral space.

The Japanese Red Pine 'Oculus-draconis' works well in a Japanese or contemporary garden. Relatively easy to grow, it adapts to many climates, as long as the soil is well-drained. It has an endearing silhouette, a reassuring and structuring presence. Its compact size allows it to be grown in gardens of all sizes. In smaller gardens, it can serve as a tree in a small bed or rock garden scene. Pair it with other dwarf conifers with different coloured foliage, steel blue, yellow, and other silhouettes, with a prostrate, round or columnar shape. Against a backdrop of dark green conifers, it takes on its full luminous appearance. Evergreen conifers are very aesthetic and have interesting architectural qualities for all gardens, especially contemporary gardens, which are bolder in their choice of silhouette and foliage.