Hi Scott,

Your in luck, I just so happen to have both at 5 years of age. Here are a few photos from late June 2015

Pinus densiflora 'Golden Ghost'

Pinus sylvestris 'Gold Coin'

Is your Gold Coin gold right now in the winter?

From my observation in my garden so far I'd say they have similar growth rates. I have seen older Golden Ghost's with leaders that were well over 12" so they can get big fast when happy and well established.

I love them both. It's hard to pick one over the other as their attributes are different and both are awesome in my opinion.

Golden Ghost has very fine long needles with bright yellow banding that looks like a mass of firework sparklers. The thin needles, once fully splayed out later into summer, give it a softer delicate look. For me the needles get quite a bit of winter burn every year, resulting in brown needles, and a tree that looks mostly dead all spring. The tree doesn't really look good until summer when the new needles fully open up, but WOW is it worth it.

Gold Coin has shorter, thicker, twisted needles and a unique pale green summer color (shown in picture above) that is quite nice. When temperatures drop for winter, Gold Coin's color transforms into a school bus yellow beacon of ooh wee! When young, this plant had some slight winter burn but this has completely gone away now that it is older. I'll have to take a winter photo when I return home from my business trip next week.

Here is a pic of my Pinus sylvestris "Gold Coin" taken Nov. 2015; colors is just starting to come on, it's about 5-7 years old --- only 4-5 feet tall and two and half feet wide. I currently have it in a very large and tall pot; until I find and create a spot in the garden to full show it off as focal point, that will give it the amount of sun and part shade it would need from the summer heat that we have been getting in PNW in recent 5 - 10 years. I have not notice the growth rate of my "Gold Coin" which I have read about it 8-12 inches per year; I have only notice half the growth rate of 3-6 inches per year, also "Gold Coin" is a dwarf (based on this growth rate that I have observed and that it will only reach 15-20 feet at maturity) -- compared to semi-dwarf (intermediate) of Pinus densiflora "Golden Ghost". Also; just based on the growth rate I have observed of my "Gold Coin", I don't believe it will be any larger than 6-8 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide in 10 years -- more like 6-8 feet tall and maybe 3 feet wide in 15 - 20 years.

Pinus sylvestris "Gold Coin"

dwarf conifers & japanese maples · More Info

Scott; also if you dig up an old posting from Aug. 2009, has some really informative information on Pinus densiflora "Golden Ghost" -- by some really knowledge member of this forum (Ken, Coniferjoy, etc.). I learned allot from it; in regards to "Golden Ghost", really helpful issues brought up about it too.

I would also like to suggest that you might look up and read about Pinus sylvestris "Chief Joseph"; if you are concern about space you wish to plant in this area in your garden (for height and width), but want something similar to "Gold Coin" characteristics. I think it's the most vibrant of the yellow for fall thru spring; then it will revert to summer color of green, similar to "Gold Coin" in these characteristic (even more suitable for the smaller garden --- without outgrowing it's space). My first choice before I acquired my Pinus sylvestris "Gold Coin". Cheers,

Here's Gold Coin from Dec. 2013

Great pic and nice color change that year Garen; I'll have to take a Jan. 2016 pic, I know that my "Gold Coin" has yellowed up even more --- since my Nov. 2015 pic. One of my neighbors bought (pop for) a specimen size of "Gold Coin"; I'll try to get a pic of theirs to share, mine is only half the size to theirs.

Scott; my house faces south and west, so I get all day sun --- which generate allot of heat during the summer. I notice that even with a heavy mulch of bark to keep feet cooler during the summer months or some 3 hours of shades on these cultivars that morph or change color with colder temperature and sun requirements for coloration to keep from burn or scorching of needles helps them allot. I don't know where you are; helps more to give suggestions and advice, great choices --- and always tough decision to make on one or another. If I had the space like Garen; I would probably get a "Golden Ghost", so many choices (lol -- hahah), so little space here in Seattle.

Cheers,

where are you scot?

Western Kansas. I have several hundred dwarf and miniature conifers. I just don't have either of these two. I have grown both sylvestris and densiflora with great success.

Just for clarification, 'Chief Joseph' is a selection of shore pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia, not the Scots pine.

winter golds are extremely variable.. year to year ... and micro climate ... etc ...

if you have that big a collection ... then you need them both ... lol ...

some would suggest placement of any white tissued plants.. so that they might get heat of day shade ... which can affect growth rate and size ... if too much shade ... its all about the potential for the white to burn off ... i am talking about the dragon eye, of course ...

as to GC types... some years they are brilliant.. some years dull ... and that can even be across my 5 acres...

you need both ... period ... ken

let me rephrase ... you need one of each type ... whatever name you can find ... ken

Thanks gardengal48; it was late last night and I was trying to do too many things, mainly slipping into the GW forum between working -- I have to watch that, because I'm switching from working in Japanese, Chinese, and French thru the Asia market to the European market (global market) -- LOL. Hahaha.

Ken; great suggestions and advice as always, wish I had your five acres. Working on that thou (LOL); I know my collection has gotten too big, that I have to control myself as a conifer addict. During the winter I make my wish list to add more (hahha); this years list has another 50, can't help myself. So revamping the backyard to accommodate this addiction; do you have any suggestions and advice for that?! (LOL). Cheers,

If I had 5 acres I would be conifer broke for sure.

this years list has another 50, can't help myself

dream , you make me laugh

ken makes me laugh too 'you need both'

ron,ha

Thanks Ron (plantkiller_il_5); I'm glad I can make you laugh, the forums knowledgeable people (with warnings) helps to curb that conifer addiction for my Seattle home garden. I even told glaciers_end that I appreciate his help on it; but, I do have the 498 acres in Oregon (so it's far enough away) to keep that being selective too. Good to hear from you; and I would like to see more pics from your garden, it reminds me of home.

Cheers,

p.s.: I'm having trouble uploading pics to the forum; wanted to start a new thread on cryptomeria japonicum to share and get help, it's not allowing me to click photo to upload from my hard drive. Only new pics that I take and post off my tablet. I know that firefighter (Will) was having problems a couple of weeks ago; and someone else just did a paste, I tried that too --- it didn't work. Also; haven't heard from Will since that last posting, so "Hi Will, hope you haven't given up or found a solution ---please share solution to post". Thank you

Scott; would love to see pics of your collection, your last comments reminded me of the list you posted. I remember that Will (firefighter) posted his list on that thread following your posting; that made me feel good to join the forum too, I wasn't alone in this addiction (hahha) --- LOL. Cheers, p.s.: you have a great collection; would love to see pics of them.

I gotta find the time to take some. They are all small at this point but I will be taking some in the near future and will post then.

Thanks Scott; look forward to the pics, my collection is fairly new too --- but hundreds of them like yours and Will's. Maybe not yet to the extent of Will's. Cheers,

BTW Scott; forgot to mention, I saw my neighbors (Patrick and Chelsea) "Gold Coin" specimen size today --- I have their permission to take pic and post on the forum for you to see and compare (WOW, can't wait to get mine to that size --- we have had a mild winter this year in Seattle, but the color is just spectacular). Cheers,

Here are our two 'Gold Coins' for a comparison. We are in Atlanta, they are five years old and they were purchased this year (from Cincinnati)...

November 16, 2015:

December 28, 2015:

January 23, 2016:

Both came from the same nursery and are placed in the same conditions - but one has more intense yellow than the other. We will get these in the ground soon I promise! Oh, and that little guy in the top right corner is Pinus Virginiana 'Wates Golden'.

Here are macro shots comparing the same (brighter) 'Gold Coin' from November 20th:

& January 23rd:

Anna Atlanta thank you for sharing; it helps me to see that the one I acquired is closer to 7 - 8 year old, from the pot size of yours. Both are nice and healthy from the nursery you acquired from in Cincinnati; and thank you for sharing the name of the one to the right (above - Pinus Virginia "Wates Golden" - in Monrovia pot grown). One that I'll have to do some research more on; like it's trailing/cascading nature, congrats on your nubbies. Cheers,

Has anyone seen the Pinus sylvestris 'Nisbet's Gold' compared to Gold Coin?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but actually, midnightsummerdream, our little 'Wates Golden' is a bit deceptive. Here's our larger one - today (over 6 ft. tall) that hasn't really turned very yellow (new to us this year):

The little one cascading in the Monrovia pot was an anomaly... but it turned brighter yellow than the larger specimen. We are going to leave it cascading and see what happens as it grows as an experiment.

Here's a comparison from December (the little one is on the right):

I should mention that it looks like some branches have been removed from the larger 'Wate's Golden'.

Thanks Anna Atlanta; good luck on your anomaly, I love those weird ones too. Cheers,

Scott; finally a sunny day in Seattle, since I got permission to take my neighbor's "gold coin" to share with you. Just want to remind that its been extremely mild in temperature in PNW; and they only got this last spring, was planted in for about nine months.

Hope this helps you to make your decision. I actually looked up your other pinus sylvestris "nisbet's gold" aka "nisbet's aurorea"; another nice choice to think and compare, everything I read says 10 year to be 5' x 3' --- so this would make slower growing than "gold coin" (3 feet less in height), but has denser/thicker branching and more pyramid habit. Also it wouldn't have twisted needles of "gold coin". Haven't ever seen "nisbet's gold" in person.

The yellow is more vibrant and bright -- I think than "gold coin" and has that twisted needle effect?

Cheers,

Here is my 'Gold Coin' planted in 2011 from 1 gal stock: (The small one in front is 'Gold Coin'. The one behind is Pinus sylvestris 'Wolting's Gold'. Picture taken Mar 2015.)

Here is my 'Golden Ghost' planted in 2011 from 3 gal stock: (Picture taken Aug 2015)

I believe Ken's comments about colour intensity variations and sun exposure etcc. are all very true. My one 'Gold Coin' was more often a disappointment in my garden.

garcanad; thank you for sharing, I love the contrast between "gold coin" and your "wolting's gold" -- nice placement to admire the different characteristics between the two. Love your "golden ghost", makes me want to have one -- sparkler effect of branching and needles. Cheers,

Heres one you might consider. Works good for my smaller gardens. Pinus sylvestris ' Burghfield " This photo is a few years old, the

Thanks midnightsummerdream. I should add that 'Golden Ghost' showed brown (burnt) needles every winter but recovered by summer. This may not be a problem in your area. My variegated Pinus parviflora ('Fukai' and 'Ogon Janome') surprisingly survived last two brutal winters with little browning); probably better choice.

Yes garcanad regarding the needles; I had run across comments on an old thread from Aug. 2009 (great information form Ken and Coniferjoy, which kept me from acquiring one --- I did acquire your pinus parviflora "Fukai", Ogon Janome", and another "Fukazumi" to add to my collection in the last two years (the blues of needles gives me that cooling effect and soothing effect -- like your second pic planting bed). I felt my "Go Jin" was too lonely of this cultivar (LOL). Limited space also is curbing my acquisition (but it helps allot from yours and others experiences ---HELP allot more). From what I see of your two pics; I love your garden, striking contrast and a soothing combinations of beds. Actually; because our house face south and west, summer sun (excessive unusual past 10 years of temps.) --- I would suffer the same with "Golden Ghost". If I can find one in a one gallon (#1); I might get to experiment in protected and sheltered (high winds), sun and high winds are other factors that I haven't gotten one. Really appreciate you sharing your pic of it. Cheers, p.s.: Thank you

Beautiful specimen (especially with the background settings)! I would love to have a conifer of this colour to increase the spectrum of conifer colours in my garden. (The only one I have close to this is Picea pungens Winsconsin Cream; not quite the same.)

WOW Clement; another beauty in your garden, after that beautiful and incredible specimen of abies nordmanniana "Golden Spreader" on another thread -- both Pinus S. "Gold Coin" and your abies n. "Golden Spreader" are so healthy and lush.

But I have to ask once again; how old is this "Gold Coin", and how tall and wide. It makes my neighbor's and mine so small; and look forward to mine to reach that dramatic size for effect, will definitely get mine into the ground in the next two months. Cheers,

arround 15 years old, for 3- 3.5 meters.

Thank you (Merci beaucoup) Clement; I acquired mine as a #7 or #10 as a gift for my this neighbor (Patrick & Chelsea), but another neighbor shared some coupons that I shared with of our local nursery --- they went and bought this specimen size with one of the 20% off coupon. That's how I ended up with mine; 15 years old, what size did you start with? That is why I put it into an extremely large and tall pot for now. Your helpful advice would be appreciate; before I select ground placement in my garden. Cheers,