Eastern Red Cedar is really tough, but looks like arbor vitae.

Pitch pine is supposed to be tough, but prefers clay.

Eastern Red Cedar is really tough, but looks like arbor vitae.

Pitch pine is supposed to be tough, but prefers clay.

A pine to thwart the snow & ice damage would be a reflexa. Vanderwolf, Extra Blue or Joe Burke. Those three have incurred no damage this winter here. We have had more ice this year than any prior year that I can remember so it has been a valid test for the Limber pines.

with that big green lawn.. one might think you might look for something other than green ... i am going to slaughter the spelling.. but what about a Picea mariana 'Aurea Variegata'????

remind us where you are ... a little more specifically ...

with a name such as yours.. one would presume you are not using the word pine.. generically .... but i have to ask ...

any reason picea abies or p. glauca might not work .... or even an abies?? .. perhaps a location issue????

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I'm in south central PA. I like the picea abies but they seem to get raggety when they get older and sometimes I see them and the base is really wide. I know I could limb it up though. I thought, and perhaps incorrectly, that the p. glauca would be too slow growing. That p. mariana is nice but it says that it grows 10' in 15 years and that is quite slow for my tastes.

I have a few questions for you.
What's the problem with a wide base in your situation?
Why is a 'raggaty' silhouette not wanted?
What do you want the tree to do?
Is privacy from your neighbors a concern?
Are you going to plant other trees around it and make a planted composition, or have it as a lone specimen?
Mike

probably going to slaughter the name ... but how about :

Picea abies 'Virgata' ... leader growth is easily 2 to 3 feet ...

but i dont know if its zone appropriate for you ...

but if you insist on a pine.. how about a winter yellow .. like Louie ... again.. if it will work in your area ....

or if you want to stick with green... at least a sublime pine.. like ... carp.. i just blanked.. lol.... Pinus koraiensis ... or even wallichiana in your zone ....

or: Picea omorika 'Pendula' -- Weeping Serbian Spruce ... with its white undersides.. and slightly blue tinge ....

or one of the spring yellow blush pungens .... like early gold or colonial gold ... mine went from one foot to about 15 in 10 years ...

and just to set you straight.. just about anything FAST GROWING .... is weak wooded ... and subject to the same storm and ice damage you have already noted ..... i would not look for pines.. like strobus.. that do 3 to 5 feet per year.. find something in the 1.5 to 3 foot growth range .. MAX!!!!!

you asked for ideas.. and it is for you or others to determine if my ideas would work in your area ....

ken

ps: joy says it should be Picea abies 'Cranstonii' ... rather than virigata ... lets see if he did a reply.. before he got to my ps... lol ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I second Ken's recommendation of Pinus koraiensis. The trees grown from seed are often just as nice as the grafted cultivars. This tree is vastly underutilized.

Picea orientalis will solve the problem you have with Picea abies as it ages. Orientalis will stay full to the ground and not develop the sparse lower branching that you see in older Picea abies. The trade off is the growth rate is much slower.

I'll agree w/baxz5oh -- P flexilis (and P reflexa) have very flexible branches & resist breakage better than E white pine.