An uncommon plant with massive cones and long lush blue-green needles. The cones' size weighs down the branches. The crown of the Chinese White Pine is conical (cone-shaped) in young trees with whorled branches. As the tree ages, the crown becomes rounded and the branches irregular. Chinese White Pine has both pollen and seed cones. The greenish-white pollen cones can be found at the base of new shoots. The conical-cylindric-shaped seed cones are green when young, and mature to brown after dispersing the seeds. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This tree is susceptible to wind damage. Few insects or diseases problems exist; it is more likely to be affected by heavy (clay) soils. More information on Pinus .
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 sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Pyramidal; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Glossy green needles in bundles of 5
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
4 to 8 in. broad cones
Bark color
Black; Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is smooth. It will become platy and fissured, turning brown to gray-red-brown. Develops scale with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Wildlife value
This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Attracts
Moths; Pollinators
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Border; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen