Priya

Mini Christmas tree

Pinus pinea

• 
  Easy care
• 
  Bright light

• Priya likes...
  • 
    Regular watering

    Keep her soil moist but not soggy. Give her a drink whenever the top two inches of soil feel dry.

  • 
    Bright light

    She loves lots of light and will be happy in sunny spots. She’ll be fine in lower light but will grow slower.

  • 
    Feeding

    A monthly dose of liquid fertiliser in spring and summer will help her grow big and strong.

• Quick facts

  BOTANICAL NAME

  Pinus pinea ‘Silver Crest’

  NICKNAME

  Umbrella tree, parasol tree

  PLANT TYPE

  Evergreen; outdoor

  AIR PURIFYING?

  Yes

  PLANT HEIGHT (INCLUDING POT)

  20-30cm, 40-50cm

  PET/BABY SAFE?

  Yes

  NURSERY POT SIZE

  12cm, 17cm

• About Pinus pinea

  This cute little tree is perfect for those spots where you want a bit of festive cheer but don’t have space for a full-sized tree. It comes rooted in a pot, so if you look after it well you’ll have a larger tree every year. It will happily live outside year round, so you can keep it in a pot on your balcony or patio most of the year then bring it inside just before Christmas. Make sure you acclimatise it in a cool environment 1-2 weeks before bringing indoors.

  In the wild, this plant is definitely not small. Usually found in Southern Europe, wild trees will grow over 12 metres tall. As they grow larger they gradually become dome shaped, which is why they’re sometimes known as the umbrella tree or parasol tree.

  It would take an incredibly long time for yours to reach such lofty heights, but if you’d prefer to keep it compact you can just prune off the top each spring. It’s incredibly easy to look after, just needing a bit of water whenever the top two inches of soil feel dry. Other than that it will basically take care of itself.

  Did you know?

  The needles of a fully grown Pinus pinea can be up to 15cm long.