Pinus sylvestris Watereri - Scots Pine

Pinus sylvestris 'Watereri' is a dwarf form of Scots pine with a resemblance to a small parasol pine that will find its place in all gardens, including small ones. Clad in beautiful green-blue foliage and a decorative reddish-brown and scaly bark, more bushy than shrubby during its early years, it reveals itself over time, displaying a dense, wide and flattened crown carried by a branched trunk from the base or even several twisted trunks. It is an easy-to-grow variety, perfectly hardy, not demanding in well-drained soil, and drought-resistant once established. It requires sunlight to thrive harmoniously.

Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as Scots pine, is a conifer of the pine family, widely distributed throughout northern Europe and Asia Minor. It is a light-loving species, adapted to drought and extreme cold, tolerant of poor soils, but dreading limestone. This tree reaches 30m (98ft 5in) in height in its natural habitat, and generally has a rounded crown on a trunk with reddish-brown or vermilion bark. However, depending on its habitat, this pine takes on a very diverse habit.

The 'Watereri' variety, named after its breeder Anthony Waterer, is an English horticultural creation dating back to 1865 derived from this species. It is distinguished by its small size and irregular parasol habit. Its growth is slow, around 10cm (3.9in) per year, so that at maturity,  it will reach an average of 2.50m (8ft 2in) in all directions, although it is sometimes wider than it is tall. During its youth, this small tree has a wide conical habit. As it ages, its habit widens considerably. It can be trained as a branched stem or shaped as a vine-plant by selecting several trunks on a young tree. It can also be easily shaped into clouds. Its branches, brown-grey in colour, are covered with needles of a green-blue colour, 4 to 7cm (1.6 - 2.8in) long. They are grouped in pairs, sheathed at the base and arranged in dense spirals around the branches. The young bark is finely scaly, brown-red in colour. It later takes on a salmon pink or reddish-orange colour on the branches and the top of the trunk of mature specimens. The lower part of the trunk is covered with a cracked bark of grey-brown colour. Its powerful taproot makes the transplantation of mature specimens somewhat delicate. The flowering takes place in May-June, in the form of male flowers in small yellow catkins grouped at the base of the shoots and small female flowers purple located on the terminal part of the branches. The fruits are ovoid cones, 3 to 5cm (1.2 - 2in) long, brown when ripe. They ripen after 2 years.

The 'Watereri' Scots pine is an easy-to-shape plant, which can easily be given a more or less cloudy, twisted or sheep-like appearance, a charming and easy-to-grow conifer that should be highlighted in isolation, at the edge of groves and in very large rockeries. It will find its place in all gardens, even the smallest ones, as its size is naturally reduced and its growth is slow. It does not require maintenance and adapts to a wide variety of soils, with the exception of highly calcareous or heavy and compact soils. It goes well with large stones, the geometric lines of swimming pools and masonry works. It can be associated with complementary grasses, sacred bamboos, or prostrate (Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Chip'), globose (Picea abies 'Little Gem'), or columnar (Juniperus communis 'Sentinel') dwarf conifers. The real graphic qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes and textures to the waltz of blooms. These plants, with their reassuring permanence, structurally and durably shape a bed, mark the pathways, and border the terrace. The key is to play with volumes and colours.