~ December 1, 2025

As winter settles in across the fields and the landscape goes quiet, the evergreens stand tall – constant, steady, and beautifully green. This month, we’re celebrating Pinus, a genus that brings structure, texture, and year-round presence to the landscape.

Pines have a quiet strength about them. While other trees rest through winter, Pines continue their work holding soil, providing habitat, and offering shelter from harsh winds. Their long needles and distinctive branching patterns create movement and softness even in the coldest months. Whether planted as a windbreak, a privacy screen, or a focal point, Pines anchor the landscape with resilience and grace.

At Spring Grove Nursery, we grow two distinctive Pines, each bringing its own character to the winter landscape:

Pinus strobus – Eastern White Pine

The classic native Pine, Eastern White Pine is beloved for its long, soft needles and graceful form. Fast-growing and adaptable, it starts with a pyramidal shape that opens and softens with age. Its fine texture and dark green foliage make it perfect for naturalizing, creating privacy screens, or adding year-round structure to the landscape. White Pine is adaptable and forgiving, thriving in a range of soils and conditions once established. It’s the kind of tree that feels at home in almost any setting.

Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’s Pyramid’ – Vanderwolf’s Pyramid Pine

This is the Pine that makes you do a double-take. Vanderwolf’s Pyramid stands out with its twisted, silvery blue-green needles that catch the light in unexpected ways. There’s a subtle silver stripe on each needle that creates an almost luminous quality. The upright pyramidal form stays tight and structured, making it an excellent accent tree or focal point in the landscape. Its flexible branches and shaggy bark add texture and interest even in winter. We’ve recently started growing this beauty, and we’re impressed every time we walk past it in the field.

Pines grow slowly, steadily adding rings year after year. They weather storms, provide shelter, and create habitat even in the harshest conditions. They’re trees that ask for little and give much in return.

As we move through December and the year draws to a close, we’re reminded of the value of constancy. The Pines don’t need to be showy to be essential. They simply do their work, season after season, holding space and offering stability in a changing world.

This month, we celebrate the Pines – trees that stand strong, hold their ground, and remind us that steadiness is its own kind of beauty.