Scots Pine 'Fastigiata'

Scots Pine 'Fastigiata' (Pinus sylvestris 'Fastigiata') is a living blue column: the branches rise strictly upwards and press close to the trunk, so the tree occupies a strip of ground no wider than an armchair. The needles are stiff and slightly twisted, in pairs, with a distinct glaucous blue cast that holds all year round.

Use it as a vertical accent, a living column in a small garden, an avenue or a rhythmic row in a contemporary planting. It is the fastest plant in this selection: over 4 m tall at 10 years with a width of 1-1.5 m, so give it room from the start, and tie the crown in for winter against heavy snow.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: As the column ages its base opens up, revealing the flaking orange-red bark of the upper trunk - the signature mark of the Scots pine.
• Dimensions: At 10 years it is already over 4 m tall with a width of just 1-1.5 m - a true vertical.
• Hardiness: It winters with no trouble at all: hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3).
• Light: Full sun only: there the column stays dense, while in shade it stretches and thins.
• Soil: Best in moist, slightly acid, well-drained soil, though it will take a leaner one as long as drainage is there.
• Watering: Water moderately: it is heat and humidity that bother the plant rather than a shortage of water.
• Care: Tie the crown in for winter - snow, ice and strong wind can pull the narrow column apart.
• Landscape use: A vertical accent in a composition, avenue and row plantings, and gardens in a contemporary style.