Bosnian pine
* Common name: Bosnian pine
Closeup of Bosnian pine needles.
* Botanical name: Pinus heldreichii
* What it is: A sleek, pyramidal, slow-growing needled evergreen with stiff, green and somewhat glossy needles. Cones start out bluish-purple and mature brown. This species is one of the most disease-resistant types of pines, which otherwise are susceptible to a host of bug and disease threats.
* Size: 30 to 40 feet tall, 15 to 20 feet wide.
* Where to use: The fairly tight, neat habit makes Bosnian pine a good stand-alone specimen, but it’s also useful as a sunny screen planting (12 to 15 feet apart). Best planted in full sun. Avoid wet spots.
* Care: Improve soil with compost before planting and keep soil consistently damp (never soggy) for the first full year. An annual spring scattering of an acidifying, granular, organic fertilizer is often helpful but not necessary. Pruning not needed if you give it proper space. Hand-prune or lightly shear overly long branches in June or July, but only if necessary for size control.
* Great partner: Ring with bright gold or red perennials, such as black-eyed susans, gaillardia, coreopsis, mums and/or daylilies.