Winter Tree Dreaming: Columnar Eastern White Pine - Winter 2019

Another day, another 'tree dreaming' post here on the blog.  And guess what? It features another columnar form tree, of course.  But this one is a conifer.  If you've followed along on the blog, you'll know that I'm pretty far behind when it comes to conifers in the landscape.  I included this note in my 2019 "to do list" that called for 'adding more conifers".  I added eight in 2019 (see results here), but six of them were TINY.  I mean...TINY.  Those six Canadian Hemlocks (now five) aren't going to be meaningful in our garden for many years.  Still have quite a bit more work to do, I think - and especially as I think about replacing the (LOST) Weeping Cedar.

This post is about a variety of tree that we haven't planted yet: a pine.  This is called a Columnar Eastern White Pine tree that Monrovia lists as being hardy all the way down to Zone 3.

Here's a photo from Gertens:

Note: This is not my photo.  Found it via Gertens.com here.  See source.

Gertens calls this tree 'attractive', but cautions that it can windburn and needs full sun.  From Gertens listing:

A highly attractive narrowly columnar tree with silky smooth long needles which give a fuzzy appearance from a distance; can windburn in exposed locations, best grown in some shelter, but needs full sun; one of the best pine trees for smaller landscapes

Pine trees are something that I've never been drawn to, but I *do* love me some columnar form of trees and wonder if this could be used to add some layering and screening.

I've posted about Firs for our yard before, but not pines (aside from this Norfolk Island Pine that I lusted after this Christmas and this Island Pine from Sea Island) on the blog.   We have a few pines in the neighborhood that have suffered some damage over the past few years.  Not sure if it is a pest or a disease, but there's clearly Pine Tree decline.  Perhaps it is pinewood nematodes (Pine wilt)?  

This piece from the good folks at the Morton Arboretum lay out all the different pine tree-related diseases.   From MortonArb.org:

Besides Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) tip blight, common pine diseases found in the Chicago area are pine wilt, Dothistroma needlecast, and Lophodermium needlecast.

Good food for thought as I consider adding a pine tree or two.

I shared this view of the south fence line - between the Espalier'd Lindens and where the Weeping Cedar was planted (and died).  Perhaps a columnar conifer like this Columnar Eastern White Pine could work here?

As I post more of these 'tree dreaming posts' this Winter,  I've decided to do a property inventory of my columnar tree dreams.  These are trees that if I come across, I'd be hard-pressed to not add to our yard:

•  The Amanogawa Japanese Flowering Cherry tree - a columnar variety that's hardy to Zone 5b. 
• This post that references a compilation from Pretty Purple Door that includes the columnar Goldspire Ginko. 
• A columnar Norway Spruce - an evergreen that can (I think) be sourced locally (not online).
• A Slender Hinoki Cypress (technically a shrub) that is home in a Japanese garden.
• Now this Columnar Eastern White Pine - that I hope would be disease resistant.