‘Kyokko Nishiki’ Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii ‘Kyokko Nishiki’)

Kyokko Nishiki Japanese Black Pine, known as Pinus thunbergii ‘Kyokko Nishiki’, also known as the cultivar ‘Kyotto Nishiki’ and ‘Kyoto Nishiki’, is a moderately fast-growing, narrow upright selection of Japanese black pine with longer, more uniform branching and long and glossy, light green to green needles. After ten years of growth, an unpruned mature specimen will reach 2.5 m tall and approximately 1 m wide, with an annual growth rate of 15 to 20 cm. This cultivar is easily maintained by employing candle pruning and aesthetic pruning techniques. To candle prune, snap off new shoots in half with sterilised and sharp secateurs while the needles are still small. Several buds will form on this shortened stem, and more shoots will come the following year. This method creates a denser, more compact form and accentuates this tree’s character and irregular, upright form.