Pinus wallichiana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Bhutan Pine

Pinus wallichiana

£45.99
Very hardySun-lovingEvergreenRHS award winner
Pot size
23cm / 5L £45.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Pinus wallichiana, the Bhutan pine, is the most graceful of the large pines. Its needles hang in soft, drooping bundles of five, up to 20cm long and blue-green with a silvery underside, so the whole tree shimmers and moves in wind where other pines stand stiff. Mature trees carry long, curved, banana-shaped cones that drip white resin. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Hardiness and seasons. Rated H6 by the RHS, hardy to around -20C, it grows happily throughout the UK. It is evergreen, keeping its relaxed, silvery-blue presence through every season, and it keeps its lower branches when grown in the open, so even a young tree looks complete.

In the garden. This is a tree for space and patience: a specimen for a lawn, a boundary or the back of a large exotic planting, where the soft needles read as something far more tropical than a pine. Young trees also serve handsomely in a group for screening. Among hardy exotics it earns its place on texture alone.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Bhutan Pine

Plant me in full sun and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Bhutan Pine

Pinus wallichiana needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Screening & Privacy

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H6 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −20°C

RHS H6 (-20 to -15C), very hardy throughout the UK. See what to expect from outdoor plants.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingSheltered

Full sun, with shelter from strong winds while young; stake in windy sites.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Any well-drained soil, clay, loam or sand, acid to alkaline; avoid shallow chalk, where five-needled pines can be short-lived.

Watering

Water through dry spells in the first two growing seasons; once established it tolerates dry conditions well. Read moreShow less

Water through dry spells in the first two growing seasons; once established it tolerates dry conditions well.

Mature size

HeightHigher than 12m (20 to 35m possible in time)
SpreadWider than 8m

Reaches full size in More than 50 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No pruning required. Remove a competing leader on young trees if one forms; otherwise leave it to build its natural broad cone.

Toxicity

No toxicity is listed on the RHS plant page; not known to be harmful to people or pets.

Native range

Himalaya, from Afghanistan to south-west China

Family

Pinaceae

Also known as

Pinus wallichiana

Genus

Pinus
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another name for Pinus wallichiana?

It is sold as Bhutan pine, Himalayan pine, Himalayan white pine and blue pine, and older books list it as Pinus excelsa or Pinus griffithii. All are the same graceful five-needled Himalayan species.

How fast does it grow?

Moderately fast for a pine: expect roughly 4 to 8m in the first ten years in good conditions, slowing with age as it builds a broad crown.

How big does it get?

Large. In time it exceeds 12m with a spread beyond 8m, and old specimens in parks are much bigger. It needs room; this is not a tree for a small front garden.

Where is the best place to plant it?

An open, sunny position with free-draining soil and space on all sides, so it keeps its elegant lower branches. Avoid shallow chalk and give young trees shelter and a stake in windy gardens. It makes a stately backdrop to exotic border planting.

Does it hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Yes. Pinus wallichiana holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit as a specimen conifer.

Is it normal for needles to drop?

Yes. Like all pines it sheds its oldest inner needles naturally, most noticeably in autumn, while the fresh growth stays full. Heavy browning at the shoot tips is a different matter and usually points to drought or wind scorch.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Pinus wallichiana
£45.99