Conifer Database - Pygmaea

Conifer Trees Database

Welcome to the American Conifer Society Database

Established in 1983, our mission is centered on advocating for the integration of conifer trees in garden designs and landscapes. We are dedicated to educating enthusiasts and the general public about the proper care, cultivation, and conservation of these majestic and diverse evergreens.

    
Pinus cembra ‘Pygmaea’

Pinus cembra 'Pygmaea' is a slow growing dwarf selection of Swiss Stone pine with a beehive-shaped, broadly conical structure, dense short branches, and very thin, outspread to drooping Blue-green needles that grow to uneven lengths. After 10 years, a mature specimen may reach 16 inches (40 cm) in height, implying a growth rate of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 - 5 cm) per year.

This is a very old cultivar in the nursery trade, being first recorded by Élie-Abel Carrière in 1855 and has been widely planted in European gardens. Its origin has been completely confused with that of the similar Pinus pumila 'Pygmaea.' In his book, Manual of Cultivated Conifers, Gerd Krüsssmann suggests that the true cultivar may be lost to cultivation. The reader should note that the rather vigorous plant widely grown in North America may be a different cultivar entirely.

Pinus cembra

Aris Auders & Derek Spicer; RHS Encyclopedia of Conifers; ©2012 Kingsblue Press


Pinus cembra

Pinus cembra

Pinus cembra

Pinus cembra

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HORTICULTURAL STATUS:Established / Published
COLOR:Blue Gree
GROWTH SHAPE:Broad Upright or Oval
GROWTH SIZE:Dwarf: 1 to 6 inches (2.5 – 15 cm) per year / 1 to 5 feet (0.3 – 1.5 m) after 10 years
ORIGIN:Unknown


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