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Key characteristics

Family: Pinaceae
Height: 2 to 3 ft
Width: 2 to 3 ft
Flower color: Inconspicuous cones
Foliage color: Bright blue to blue-green needles, with a sprinkled creamy-white variegation
Bloom time: Spring; cones may develop
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; a dwarf, compact globose form that grows slowly with little need for pruning
Growing zone: USDA zones 3 to 8
Wildlife: Evergreen structure offers year-round shelter for small birds; seed cones may provide occasional food for seed-eating birds or small mammals

Shrubs

Pinus sylvestris 'Bleu Cheese'

Bleu Cheese Scots Pine

Pinus sylvestris 'Bleu Cheese' is a dwarf Scots pine with a rounded habit and dense branching. Short needles in tight clusters show a cool blue tone with creamy variegation, giving the plant a speckled effect. As an evergreen conifer, it offers year-round color and fits well into rock gardens, mixed borders, or containers.

Scots pine is native to northern Europe and northern Asia and has long been valued for its wood.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Spring; cones may develop

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Rock Gardens
Containers
Bird Gardens

Companion plants

Tulips · Beautyberry · Coreopsis · Maiden grass · Sea thrift · California lilac

Design tip

Draw attention to ‘Bleu Cheese’s’ unusual foliage by giving its blue needles and creamy-white variegation enough visual space to read clearly rather than blending into a busy planting. The rounded silhouette provides a simple, cohesive form that keeps the foliage from appearing visually restless.