Pinus strobus ‘Stowe Pillar’Eastern White Pine

The ‘Stowe Pillar’ Eastern White Pine is a remarkably low-maintenance addition to any landscape. Its parent, the white pine (Pinus strobus), is widespread in eastern North America, where it is native. Greg Williams of the Kate Brook Nursery discovered the’ Stowe Pillar’ selection growing near Stowe Mountain in Vermont. He was so impressed that he named it after the ski resort there and introduced it to the nursery trade.
This tree is dense and more slender than ‘Fastigiata’ and is considered the narrowest white pine available today. It grows at an average rate of 9″ to 12″ annually and reaches 8′ × 2′ in 10 years. The dense branches point upward, and the lower two-thirds of the tree are tightly compressed, so they can easily handle a heavy snow load. Long needles, five per bundle, give the tree a soft-textured look. They emerge creamy-white in the spring and darken to a beautiful silvery blue-green that lasts year-round. This tree is an excellent choice for a small property as a vertical accent plant, in containers, as a patio plant, a conifer grouping, on either side of an entrance, or as a privacy screen.
The ‘Stowe Pillar’ Eastern White Pine is a resilient tree that thrives in full sun and various soil types, even compacted silt or clay, as long as they are acidic and well-draining. Alkaline soil will cause the needles to develop chlorosis (yellowing), so keeping the soil at an acidic pH is essential. It needs to be watered well at planting and regularly while still young. After it is established, though, it can tolerate dry conditions, but it is recommended that it be watered 1″ per week. It also needs a sheltered location out of the city since it does not fare well in strong winds or urban pollution. ‘Stowe Pillar’ does not need pruning, however, and is drought, deer, and rabbit-resistant. Its dense branching provides a cover for birds, insects, and other animals, and it is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.
Companion plants for ‘Stowe Pillar’ have looser branching and textures that will complement the narrow, blue-green spire. Rhododendrons, azaleas, Japanese maples, Japanese andromedas, daphnes, spireas, peonies, hydrangeas, redbuds, hollies, and crape myrtle are attractive planted nearby. Other conifers, such as low-growing or mounding junipers, pines, firs, and false cypress, provide additional shapes and colors in a conifer grouping. Small flowering perennials, such as astilbes, lilyturf, lithodoras, coral bells, lavenders, amsonias, and hellebores, add a pop of color around the blue-green of the ‘Stowe Pillar.’