Scots Pine

The Scots pine is our pick for gardens where you want greenery you do not have to think about. It tolerates drought, poorer soil and wind, it mainly needs plenty of sun; in shade it gets leggy and thin. It grows more slowly than spruce or arborvitae, so it keeps a compact shape for a long time without outgrowing a bed. We plant it from a container, so the planting window is not limited to spring or fall, it works nearly year round, just not into frozen ground. In the first year after planting, water it during dry spells; after that it manages on its own.