Weeping White Pine Pinus strobus 'Pendula'

Weeping eastern white pine is a needled evergreen tree in the pine family (Pinaceae) and is native to North America. This variety has long, twisting, pendulous branches and an irregular form compared to the species. The branches spread horizontally, then become drooping.

It grows best in sun to light shade and in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Its mature form depends on the training and pruning done in the earlier years. It should be trained when young to develop a central leader; otherwise, it may become more of a sprawling shrub than a tree. Its long weeping branches can be allowed to spill along the ground to form a creeping ground cover. Its height can be 6 to 16 feet, depending on structure, with a width of 10 to 20 feet.  

Plant this pine as a specimen in a lawn, meadow, or naturalized area. It also makes an excellent hedge for screening or privacy. Alternately, use it as an accent in a native garden or beside a patio or walkway. 

Host plant for the larvae of the Zimmerman pine moth (Dioryctria zimmermani).

Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This tree is susceptible to wind damage. It may be susceptible to an adelgid (a form of aphids), bark beetles, sawfly, pine needle scale, pine spittlebug, spruce mites, Zimmerman pine moth, and pine beetles.

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

More information on Pinus strobus.