Pinus parviflora or Japanese White Pine is one of the most popular
outdoor, evergreen conifers for bonsai and has been used for centuries in both China and Japan. It is an elegant, upright tree with deeply fissured, greyish bark. Soft needles, none in tufts of five, are tree-blue on the outer surface and blue-white on the inner.
Location
Kept outdoors all year, they are perfectly hardy if they have been acclimatised to our growing conditions. In the Autumn, they shed a lot of the old (2 and 3 yr old needles) this is natural and nothing to worry about.
Temperature
If the temperature falls below -3°C protect in an unheated greenhouse. Place in full sun during the growing season.
Watering
White pines do not like being kept too wet and do not like waterlogged soil.
Pruning
Prune back the longest branches in mid autumn, cutting above a cluster of needles. Pinch out the new candles in late spring.
Repotting
They do not need repotting very often. Once every three or four years is more than sufficient. Do not remove more than a quarter of the old root ball when repotting.
Feeding
Be careful not to overfeed. Apply small quantities of rapeseed during the growing season.
For more advice please visit our
FAQ page and
YouTube channel.
Please Note: The appearance of the tree may vary depending on the season. Measurements given are approximate not exact and are from the bottom of the pot to the top of the tree (approximately). Due to their nature trees grow and whilst in our care may need pruning, this means the tree that you receive may differ in size to that given in the description. The appearance of the tree may vary depending on the season.