Limber pine (Pinus flexilis), native to the Rocky Mountain region, has proven to be a reliable landscape evergreen tree in the Midwest and is gaining new fans in mid-South gardens (USDA hardiness zone 7-a). ‘Vanderwolf Pyramid’(VP) is a beautiful dwarf pine being planted by conifer collectors. It is hardy in USDA zone 5, and displays poor heat tolerance in 7-b and further south.

Vanderwolf Pyramid was introduced by New Jersey nurseryman Peter Vermeulen in 1967 and is a real eye catcher. Bluish-green needles are 4-6 inches long, bundled in fives, and are distinctively twisted. VP has an unusually long needle life of 5-7 years. Spring candle growths flaunt electric bluish-green needles which gradually turn a silvery green during winter.

VP has a fastigiate (upright) branching tree form, which tends to open up as the tree ages. VP is a medium-sized pine which matures 30 to 35 feet in height and 15 to 20 feet in width. Young trees transplant reliably, but older trees are less dependable because of a deep tap root system.

In general, limber pine thrives in a moist, well-drained soil in full sun and is tolerant of high pH soils. It has few serious diseases and pests problems, and deer don’t seem to bother it.

VP typically grows slowly at the start and eventually 1 to 2 feet per year. Its common name refers to its flexible (“limber”) branches which bend (give way) under heavy snow loads. The cultivar is commonly grafted onto P. flexilis understock. Utilize as a single landscape specimen or as a privacy or wind screen.