Pinus strobus 'Nana' - Dwarf Eastern White Pine

I love five needle pines, especially dwarf ones. I was really surprised to see this one the other day. I think I drove past it several times without seeing it as I am always looking up. Anyway, the name 'Nana' is a common name for almost any slower growing Eastern White Pine. Older plants like this have been replaced by other named dwarfs that really are dwarf, but this one really only grows to 15' after many years so comparing it to the species its a dwarf.

This is an example I found at the Morton Arboretum….

And this is in Santa Cruz.

Leaves are in clusters of 5's, they are 3" long, bluish colored, soft textured, holding on to the stems for years creating a dense stem. Looking closely at the base of the fascicle, you will see they have a deciduous sheath.

Even the cones are dwarf, reaching only 3-4" long rather that 4-8".


Misidentification?
Other 5 needle pines.

Location:
Santa Cruz
705 Hanover

Pinus flexilis 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' - Vanderwolf's Pyramidal Limber Pine

The most commonly planted "variety" of the CA native limber pine is the cultivar 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid'. The cultivar is far superior to the species for landscape plantings. Growing narrowly to 30 feet by 15 wide it has upright lateral branches and a bluish cast to the tree. Not commonly seen planted in our county but available through the local nurseries.

Needles are in fascicles of 5, usually 2-3" long, stiffish, bluish green in color, twisted, distinct white stomatal bands on both leaf surfaces but much more on the inner face of the leaf.  Remaining on the tree 5-6 years making the tree reasonably full in appearance. Needles are pointing forward on the newer growth. Fascicle sheath is deciduous, like most white pines.

Needles pointing forward on young stems.

Stems are slightly pubescent when young, and you can see the fascicle sheath has already fallen off. Older trunks on white pines tend to be smooth for many years (unlike yellow pines) but will eventually develop some shallow scaly plates. The name limber comes from the fact that the stems are so flexible you can tie them in a knot. (You might not do this to someone else's tree or one at a nursery, or when its 20 below zero, but we used to tie our tree in knots for fun).

Male cones on lower branches, yellow.

Female cones 3-8" long, yellowish green when mature, developing into a light brown color when open. White pine cones are quite different than yellow pine cones. White pines tend to be narrow, elongated, with scales that don't have a real distinct umbo, just a short darker area at the tip where a yellow pine has some sort of prickle usually.

I planted this tree in Spokane as a 4 foot specimen and it grew to 15 feet in 8 years. Very nice specimen.

Misidentification:
Other 5 needle pines we can see in our area:
This tree is small, short but thick blue foliage very distinct white bands of stomates

P. strobus - thin needles, usually bright green. The only one I have seen is the contorted one.
P. torrreyana - Long thick, sharp pointed needles, round cone.
P. wallichiana - long, thin needles, weeping on the stems, longer cone, larger tree.

Location:
Capitola:
4525 Crystal in the Jewell Box

507 Sunset Dr is a very nice specimen along with a purple redbud

Pinus wallichiana - Himalayan Pine

I love weeping pine trees, especially large ones. I first saw a few of these in Spokane and then encountered lots in the UK. And, lucky for me I see this one everyday driving home. Its not really as weepy as you might think but the leaves are very droopy on the stems. Works for me. You might actually find the cultivar 'Zebrina' which is variegated and more popular though I have not seen one planted as of yet.

"If any tree could be described as pettable, it would have to be the Himalayan pine" Nancy Rose (arnold arboretum)

The Himalayan (white or blue) pine is medium sized pine growing to about 35-40' with a spread of about 25' (much larger in its native habitat). This one is growing next to a larger acacia.

Leaves are needle like, in clusters of 5, each about 8" long. Thin, and eventually pendulous on the stems. Sheath is deciduous as is true of most white pines.

Male reproductive structures on lower stems.

Cones are typical of white pines, 6-8"  long however they may get to 12" long. Light tan when mature. While they are growing they are long and slender and green.

In the picture above you can see open mature cones and to the left you can see next years cone.

Misidentification
Other 5 needle pines, especially white pines. But we dont have many white pines here, lucky you. Can't say I have seen any western white pines and only a few eastern white pines.

Pinus patula maybe. Cones are much smaller, the leaves are in 3's and even more pettable (weeping).

Location
Aptos
311 Clubhouse Drive

Pinus strobus 'Tortuosa' - Contorted Eastern White Pine

And now for something completely different. You don't see many white pines in our latitude and elevation, there are a few (P. flexilis) here and there but this one is very different.

Eastern White Pines are quite narrow when young eventually developing into a flat-topped tree with great age. Pinus strobus has lots of cultivars, many are dwarfs, some weeping ones and an occasional variegated one but 'Torulosa' adds lots of  interest with it's twisted leaves. Gotta love it. The only real difference is the leaves but it also does not grow as tall, maxing out at about 40'.  This is the one located on Avalon St in SC.

The evergreen needle-like leaves are in clusters of 5's, each about 3-4" long, twisted, slender and very soft to the touch. They are held on the tree only 2 years so they will only be found at the ends of the stems.

Stems are light olive green and mostly glabrous. May find some hairs behind the bundles but not very noticeable. Interestingly they are normal, not contorted like the leaves. Below is a picture from the species and not 'Tortuosa'.

Male cones are yellow when opening (as the pollen is yellow) and the females are red, but they are almost always way too high up the tree to see.

The mature cones are medium brown, 3 - 6" long and slender. These are not 'Torulosa' but they are P. strobus. These you can see are not mature and such are still green. For the most part, white pines have narrow cones without a large prickle on the ends of the scales.

Misidentification: Always look at the needle number first. These are in 5's and they are twisted.

Location:
Capitola: 105 Oakland Ave, on Depot Hill. Not real obvious, but close to the house and driveway. Nice specimen. So bummed, removed winter 2013.

Santa Cruz: 115 Avalon. There is a nice Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' right in front of this pine. And if you are there be sure to look kitty corner 204 Avalon, there is a Parrotia persica.

Pinus torryeana - Torrey Pine

The Torrey Pine is a large native evergreen conifer, growing slowly up to 60 tall and almost as wide. The trees have a nice broad conical habit with strong stout upright primary lateral branches. They have a distinctly  bluish cast to the canopy. The Torrey pine is extremely variable in its native habit. Being so close to the coast it might take on a "picturesque" habit.

This native conifer is also very restricted tree in the "wild" and only found natively growing in a very small area in San Diego County and a few islands off the coast. But like others trees from somewhere else, it grows and reseeds nicely here and grows fast in cultivation. There are lots of seedlings in and around Sea Cliff State Park. This image is at the park over looking the ocean.

The evergreen leaves are in 5's, gray-green color, 5-12" long, stout and prickly at the tips. Generally clustered at the tips of stout branches. Persisting 3-4 years.

Cones are oval, dark reddish brown, 4-5" long and almost as wide. They can be very heavy. Takes 3 years to mature. Scales are strongly 4 sided with a prominent recurving spine. Seeds are edible. Cone falls leaving some of the scales behind. This image shows young cones that will be developing later in the season.

These are recently maturing and have not turned brown yet.

Male cones are 1 - 2" long when open, yellow and in clusters at the tips of lower branches

Stout, rough twigs and often sort of a light gray color looking like they have a waxy coating on them.  Short but persistent leaf sheaths.

Bark is gray scaly ridges showing red-brown between the furrows.  It forms rectangular plates.

Misidentification: Count the needles, this is an "odd" 5 needle pine. Most have long skinny cones and soft leaves with non-persistent bundle sheaths. Most five needle pines have smooth bark as well, at least till they are very old.

Locations:
Aptos
Seacliff: At Seacliff State park upper parking lot overlooking the ocean
608 Seacliff Drive has a nice one. (GONE)

Capitola Area
Along Highway 1 in several places. Two on the N bound lanes heading North, just south of the Drive In/Flea market.

Santa Cruz
225 Marnell Ave - Awesome
Heading South from the River St intersection on the right just by the Ocean St exit.
head.
On the golf course in DeLeveaga