Great Design Plant: Louie Eastern White Pine
Seattle is renowned for its gray skies and seemingly endless rain, so those of us who live here seek out plants that add a Midas touch, especially to the winter garden. Trees, shrubs and perennials that offer bright foliage are a great way to bring sunshine into the dreariest garden, and Louie eastern white pine is one of the best candidates.
Louie is the golden teddy bear of the conifer world. Where some plants can look rather sickly in the yellow form, Louie stands out as a perfect example of bold, no-apologies color. In fact I can guarantee that if you glance through the conifer section of your nursery, your eye will quickly be arrested by this beacon.
Many golden-leaved plants will scorch in full sun yet after just two years in my garden Louie copes with 80- to 90-degree summers and full sun without a problem. It is also now drought tolerant in my well-drained but moisture retentive soil.
From late spring through early fall, Louie is a handsome light green or chartreuse specimen. But as soon as winter chill sets in, Louie really begins to shine. How can you resist?
Botanical name: Pinus strobus ‘Louie’
Common name: Louie eastern white pine
Origin: Introduced by Kate Brook Nursery, Vermont
Where it will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate; drought tolerant once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in 10 years; 10 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide at maturity
Benefits and tolerances: Attracts bees; deer resistant; drought tolerant once established; resists sun scorch
Seasonal interest: Year-round
When to plant: Whenever the ground is not frozen
Distinguishing traits. Those long, soft, fluffy needles just beg to be stroked.
Louie starts life as a gentle mound but grows into a compact pyramidal shape as it matures.
This is truly a year-round star but its peak season is winter. As temperatures drop, the light green foliage intensifies to brilliant gold.
Design Ideas
In the garden. Site this where the glowing foliage will be seen against a dark backdrop and with only low-growing plants in front. I also try to place this pine where the sun can shine through so the effects of backlighting are dramatic as can be seen here.
This photo shows the variegated Ascot Rainbow spurge (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’) as a companion plant, the yellow tones within the colorful leaves echoing those of the conifer.
In containers. Its compact shape and modest size makes this pine ideal for container culture where it is best as a solo star. Accent plants such as the autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and Tiramisu coral bells (Heuchera) shown here can be added to secondary containers.
Deep reds would also be a striking contrast to Louie, e.g. Blaze of Fulda sedum, which would carpet the ground in tiny rosettes from spring to fall.
Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) would offer a different look and, being evergreen, would create a year-round combination.
Planting notes. Plant in well-drained, fertile soil and top dress with compost, being careful not to bury the trunk.
More: See more plants that sport gold foliage
