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Weeping Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus (PY-nus STROH-bus PEND-yoo-luh)

Family: Pinaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

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 developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Pinus strobus .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 43 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 16 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Weeping
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Acicular
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
2 to 4 in. slender light green to bluish-green needles in bundles of 5 with white lines on the lower side.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Pink
Flower detail
Insignificant flower.
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
The elongated fruit can cause litter in the surrounding area.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Attracts birds
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Walkways; Woodland
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Border; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #deer resistant #conifer #weeping #winter interest #rabbit resistant #fragrant leaves #wind damage prone #moth caterpillar host #larval host plant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
White Pine Aphid; Introduced Pine Sawfly; Twospotted Spider Mites on Landscape Plants; Pine Pest Management Calendar; Powdery Pine Needle Aphid; Pests of Conifers; Pine Bark Adelgid; Pine Engraver Beetles; Pine Spittlebug; Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil; Southern Pine Sawyer; Pine Bark Beetles
Problems
Weak Wood
Resistant to
Deer
Fire risk
high flammability

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.