Light yellow new growth matures to light green mature needles in early summer on this dwarf cultivar. Like other cultivars of Japanese umbrella pines, it prefers cool but not cold temperatures, full sun, and acidic, consistently moist, well-drained soils. In the Chicago region, the locations that can meet ideal conditions are nonexistent; however for those gardeners that love a challenge, it is possible to find microclimates where it will survive.