Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora)

Below Music Plaza Map

Two of these beautiful little trees are tucked away beneath the Music Building. Their twisted, blue-gray needles suggest that they are not the Japanese original, but rather one of its many cultivated varieties, probably 'Glauca'. If so, these particular trees will never overwhelm their surroundings; the largest in the state was only 33 ft. tall in 1989.

Pinus parviflora is native to Japan and neighboring islands, but has been in cultivation throughout Europe since the mid-1800s and North America a half-century later. It is highly prized by gardeners for its soft, bluish foliage, modest ultimate size, and "architectural" shape. Although a high-altitude tree in its native range, the Japanese white pine has uncommon tolerance for salt, hence does well in a coastal setting. Another of its common habitats is in a pot, on a table; cultivars of the Japanese white pine are a mainstay of many Bonzai gardens.