Pinus strobus Niagara Falls - Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus 'Niagara Falls' is a dwarf form of the Weymouth pine, with a spreading habit and slightly weeping branches. It was elected conifer of the year 2009 by the American Conifer Society.  Adorned with long acute needles, soft and blue-green in colour, it grows in a prostrate, dense and very compact manner. Its abundant secondary buds give it a luxuriant appearance.  Of great ornamental value, this slow-growing and reduced-size Weymouth pine is appreciated by connoisseurs. It can be planted in any garden, even the smallest ones, where it thrives quietly in a rather sunny position, whether in a rockery or a flower bed. Very hardy, not very demanding in well-drained and not too chalky soil, it is resistant to drought once established.

Pinus strobus, also known as Eastern White Pine, Weymouth Pine or Lord's Pine, is a conifer of the Pine family, native to eastern North America, up to Newfoundland Island in Canada. Its majesty has made it the official emblem tree of the state of Ontario. This forest king is indeed a monumental tree, a gigantic pyramidal Christmas tree reaching 90m (295ft) in height in its natural environment, but currently barely exceeding 45m (148ft) in height due to the destruction of its habitat and extensive exploitation. It is a very hardy species, often planted for reforestation in forests, or as an ornamental tree in large parks. The bark of this bush is smooth, greenish-grey on young subjects, becoming greyish-brown and fissured over time. The lower part of the tree, when mature, shows whitened bark, hence the vernacular name 'white pine'.

The 'Niagara Falls' variety is a sport of the Pinus strobus 'Pendula' of which it represents a beautiful improvement. It is characterized by a reduced size, a spreading and dense habit, prostrate, with slightly weeping branches. Its growth is quite slow, so that at 10 years old, it does not exceed 1m (3ft) to 1.25m (4ft) in height and 1 to 2m (3 to 7ft) in width. It grows 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) per year. Its branches are densely covered with shiny, fine, soft and flexible needles. Their lower surface has two bands of stomata (plant breathing cells) that give them a bluish to silvery reflection. An evergreen bush, it is decorative all year round with its very interesting habit and the luxuriant green-blue mass it eventually forms over time.

The 'Niagara Falls' Weymouth Pine is at home in a contemporary garden with graphic plants as well as in a Japanese garden, but it should not be limited to this use, as pines, which are not demanding in terms of cultivation, are interesting in all gardens of any size, providing a permanent structure of quality, with shimmering reflections and captivating textures. In small spaces, it stands out when isolated, and elegantly animates a rockery or a flower bed. It can be paired with other conifers with colourful foliage and an upright form to create double contrasts, such as the Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Elwood's Gold' or the charming Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold' with foliage changing colour throughout the year. It also pairs very well with Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa' with unreal blue young foliage turning silvery afterwards, or Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana', a golden Oriental Arborvitae with a highly structured habit that contrasts both in colour and foliage appearance. The amazing Abies koreana 'Kohout's Icebreaker'® with short and curly dense foliage is also a very good companion.