I have one and love it! This will be it's 3rd summer in the yard and it's grown about 2 ft so far. It was a 6' speciman when we bought it so it spent the first summer getting established.

Compared to other conifers we have, along with some Leylands, it's a very slow grower!

I'm in the SW Portland area and have seen no signs of problems.

Anyone NOT growing this? Surely one of the most commonly planted conifers here, at the moment.

30' is too low, it is not a dwarf. You need something smaller. Pinus reflexa, by the way, and not P. flexilis. Search GW for additional discussion--there has been plenty.

So, what are your suggestions, Ron?

Not entirely as commonplace as Ron would have you believe - certainly not one of the top selling conifers at most local nurseries. And I would not necessarily be discouraged about its mature size. While it does have the potential for growing larger than 30', 20-25' is very common in garden settings and even this is not going to occur rapidly. ANY tree has the potential for exceeding listed mature sizes and in some cases they do but to discount any tree because it MAY exceed listed sizing is to eliminate many excellent plants for the landscape. Just take care to place it where growth will not interfer with access, views or overhead wires.

FWIW, pines tend to be less plagued by insect problems in this climate than with weather. Most pines are native to drier and more severe weather climates than ours so soggy winter soils and mild temperatures are not always to their liking. Good drainage and lots of sun should keep your pine happy.

Other possibilities to consider are slender Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Gracilis') or plume cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans'). Both grow slowy enough or remain small enough to suit most any garden situation and are very well-suited to our climate.

I frequent nurseries here, read wholesale listings and have spent hundreds of hours looking at trees both on foot and by car in this area. The 'Pyramid' clearly is one of the most common conifer cultivars at this time. Introduced in New Jersey during 1972, it was described thus: "Shorter branchlets closely spaced make a compact tall pyramid of silver and dark green." By 1996 Jacobson, NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPE TREES had noted that it was "Common" and "vigorous." An example in the Yakima Area Arboretum, possibly planted not long after the cultivar was introduced, may be over 40' high by now and nearly as wide (I have not measured it, only eyeballed it). In the wild Pinus reflexa is a tall tree, over 60' high. Prevailing sizes of local cultivated examples of any tree or shrub partly a function of how old they are, not necessarily an indication of how big they will get. Most of something being small can just mean they are new to the area--or the observer hasn't seen a big one yet.

Regarding the pine specifically it probably tends to grow about a foot per year here or somewhat less, so you are not going to be overwhelmed by it overnight. If you are not planning for 30 years down the road maybe it doesn't matter that it is not a small tree.

"Cv. 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' has been common here since the 1990s, and most of the following are likely it.

- Arboretum: #433-51 cv. 'Glenmore Silver' is 66' x 4' 91/2" in 23-1W

- SSCC Arboretum: one 33' tall in the Milton Sutton conifer garden

- Green Lake has 2 youngsters thriving south of the NW tennis courts; taller 29 1/2'

- 3513 W Howe St: one near the house is 32 1/2' tall

- 13536 Densmore Ave N: one in the yard's SW corner is 28 1/2' tall

- Rite Aid 8500 35th Ave NE: 11 on the E border"

--TREES OF SEATTLE - SECOND EDITION

Hi Folks. Can this tree be kept in a pot/planter? Any advice? Thanks.