Japanese Red Pine 'Golden Ghost'
Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost'
A variegated Japanese red pine whose soft needles are banded in yellow and creamy white, forming a bright, broadly upright accent — considered one of the best of the variegated pines.
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Pinus densiflora ‘Golden Ghost’ is a variegated form of the Japanese red pine, grown for the striking effect of its soft, two-needle bundles brightly banded in yellow and creamy white. From a distance the whole plant seems to glow — a luminous, almost ghostly presence among darker evergreens — which is exactly the role it plays best in the garden.
A bright, well-behaved evergreen
Unlike the towering 40–60 foot species, ‘Golden Ghost’ is a slow, restrained grower, reaching only about 6 feet tall in its first decade in a broadly upright, oval form. That measured pace and modest size make it a manageable specimen or accent for a mixed border, a conifer bed, or a Japanese-style garden, where its variegation reads especially well against blue spruces and dark green foliage.
Giving it what it needs
Plant it in full sun for the most vivid color and densest growth, in soil that drains freely — it is unfussy about fertility and tolerates poor, sandy ground once established. Little pruning is required; if you want to slow or shape it, pinch the soft spring candles rather than cutting into old wood.
Fun Fact
The straight species is famous for its flaking orange-red bark — the 'red' in Japanese red pine — and is one of the classic bonsai and garden pines of Japan. 'Golden Ghost' is a modern variegated selection of unknown origin, first recorded in a 2003 nursery catalog and now rated among the finest variegated pines in cultivation.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Japan, Korea, and northeastern China (the species)
- Plant type
- Tree
- Mature size
- About 6 ft tall and 4–5 ft wide in ten years (6–8 in. a year); a broadly upright to oval evergreen.
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 5–8.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Full sun — needed for the brightest yellow-and-cream variegation and dense growth.
- Water
- Average; water regularly while establishing, then quite drought tolerant. Needs good drainage and dislikes soggy soil.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; adaptable to poor, sandy, and rocky ground. Tolerates a range of pH and low fertility.
- Pruning
- Minimal. Shape or slow growth by pinching the soft new 'candles' by half in late spring; avoid cutting back into bare old wood, which won't resprout.