Jack pine (Pinus banksiana)

Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) is a conifer that can grow higher than 15m tall and wider than 8 metres wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Jack pine (Pinus banksiana).

This plant has several common names including: jack pine, Canadian jack pine, grey scrub pine, Hudson’s Bay pine, Labrador pine or northern scrub pine.

This is a evergreen plant that takes 20-50 years to reach full maturity.

Plant profile

Common name: jack pine, Canadian jack pine, grey scrub pine, Hudson’s Bay pine, Labrador pine, northern scrub pine
Scientific name: Pinus banksiana
Plant type: Conifers
Habit: Bushy
Height: Higher than 15m
Spread: Wider than 8 metres
Foliage: Evergreen
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Coastal
Planting type: Low Maintenance

Seasonal colors

How to plant Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) – Superior National Forest, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to plant

In this section we will learn how to plant Jack pine (Pinus banksiana), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.

Soil

Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) is a plant that prefers to grow in loam or sand.

• The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.

• Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.

As for pH, it is a plant that grows ideally in soils with pH acid or neutral.

Regarding drainage, Pinus banksiana likes to grow in well drained soil.

Sunlight

Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) should be grown in full sun places.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) – Nucatum amygdalarum, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons