Eastern white pine vs Scots pine

Its most serious disease is white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), which attacks the bark and usually kills the infected tree. The fungus needs currants and gooseberries (Ribes) as alternate hosts, so do not plant it near blackcurrants, redcurrants or gooseberries. On limy, alkaline soil the needles turn yellow (chlorosis), and in the hot, dry lowland summers of Central Europe it suffers from water stress and spider mites, while weakened trees are attacked by bark beetles and aphids. The branches are brittle and can break in wind and under heavy snow. In Central Europe it escapes from gardens and forestry plantings: on acidic sandstone areas it regenerates in large numbers and displaces Scots pine, so do not plant it near protected areas or forests.

In the hot, drought-prone lowlands of Central Europe Scots pine lives at the edge of its tolerance: in Hungarian forests only about a quarter of the stands are still healthy. That is far better than black pine, of which hardly any healthy stands remain, but the trend is the same. Drought-weakened trees are attacked by Diplodia tip blight (Diplodia sapinea): needles at the shoot tips turn brown and hang on for a long time, repeatedly infected branches go bare and the tree can die. The fungus does more damage as summers get warmer and drier and is hitting Scots pine more and more often. Sawflies and scale insects also occur, and it copes badly with heavily polluted air. In a cooler, wetter, hilly location on well-drained soil, and watered in droughts, it is still a reasonable choice; in a hot, dry lowland garden it is a long-term risk.