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December 25, 2007 : Pinus wallichiana
Keywords: Pinaceae | Pinus wallichiana Jackson | 022754-0240-1983
Today's photographs and entry are courtesy of Douglas Justice, the garden's Curator of Collections. – Daniel
This pine is a favourite of mine, being both exuberant in growth and delicate in overall effect. Himalayan pine produces long, relatively soft needles in fascicles of five on long, shoots that retain their smooth silvery sheen for many years. See the Wikipedia entry and the page at conifers.org for more information. The blue-green of its needles, the shape of its cones and the regular, whorled branching is somewhat typical of white-pines (compare with Pinus strobus, Pinus monticola and Pinus flexilis), but its crown is broad, at least in the cultivated material I’ve seen. According to Keith Rushforth (Conifers, Christopher Helm, London, 1987), nearly all of the soft pines (Section Strobus) “do not like exposure.” In the David C. Lam Asian Garden, the Pinus wallichiana pictured is sheltered on a southeast-facing hillside with a variety of other exotics under mature Abies grandis (grand fir).
VanDusen Botanical Garden (Vancouver’s other botanical garden) also has a collection of Pinus wallichiana in its Sino-Himalayan Garden, and like ours, the trees are of unknown provenance. Sometime in 1981, I was working at Massot Nurseries, a large wholesaler in Richmond, BC (just south of Vancouver). One of my duties as a shipper was alternate truck driver, and one day I had occasion to deliver a load of these Himalayan pines (now in #5 pots) to the still developing VanDusen Garden. The plants had originally been grown at Hybrid Nurseries, a forest seedling grower, whose owner at the time, Bruce Morton, was interested in disseminating exotic conifers around the Vancouver area. At VanDusen, I met a kindred spirit in Gerald Gibbens, the gardener for the Sino-Himalayan Garden at VanDusen. Gerry had recently returned from an internship at Windsor Great Park and was still high on the experience, which he explained in some detail as we unloaded the pines. Ten years later, Gerry made it possible for me to intern at Windsor—a seminal experience for me. Windsor was not only a way to ease myself out of the nursery industry, but it was my starting point on the road to a career in public horticulture. What a great tree!
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at December 25, 2007 1:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Hollis at December 25, 2007 7:38 AM
A specimen in Wright Park, Tacoma, WA was 99' (30.1 m) tall with an average crown spread of 35' (10.6 m) in 1990. (Van Pelt, CHAMPION TREES OF WASHINGTON STATE). I have seen this tree and thought its tall, comparatively narrow outline must be due to shading from other trees around it.
Posted by: Ron B at December 25, 2007 10:32 AM
Pinus wallichiana - Z8 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Pinus wallichiana - Z6-9 - A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Brickell, Cole, Zuk
Pinus py-nus; ancient classical name for a pine tree. wallichiana wo-lik-ee-ah-na. After Nathaniel Wallich (1785-1854]. Danish surgeon and botanist with the East India Co. Plant Names Simplified, Johnson and Smith & Dictionary of Plant Names, Coombes
Posted by: Beverley at December 25, 2007 10:45 AM
For anyone that is wondering, some white pines will tolerate exposure (and do so very well), generally the shorter-needled species, notably Pp. albicaulis, cembra, flexilis, parviflora, peuce, pumila, sibirica.
Posted by: Michael F at December 25, 2007 1:39 PM
Indeed such species may be native to just about the most extreme high altitude sites in the region. For instance, in the North Cascades of Washington P. albicaulis can be seen silhouetted against the sky on otherwise mostly treeless subalpine ridges where winter conditions must be quite severe - clearly enjoying a lack of competition by being able to grow on sites too harsh for other species occurring in stands close by.
Posted by: Ron B at December 25, 2007 2:58 PM
merry christmas
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at December 25, 2007 3:22 PM
I first spotted a Himalayan pine in a yard in Philadelphia, and was determined to have one. Finally, in the eighties, I was able to obtain two very small ones from a nursery. They are now quite tall, and have survived some really tough winters here in Southeastern Bucks County Pennsylvania. Their beautiful soft texture makes them my favorite conifer.
Carol
Posted by: Carol Ross at December 25, 2007 8:31 PM
This is wonderful to read and see such great Photographs. Especially on Christmas Day. I thank you for all the wonderful things I have been able to learn about and see.
Happy New Year,
Thank you,
Margaret-Rae
Posted by: Margaret-Rae Davis at December 27, 2007 4:18 PM
i am an bsc student .....by looking at this picture i got a brief idea about pinus that will definitly help me in future ...it is gr8
Posted by: kafil ahmad at January 21, 2008 2:34 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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wow! that's a beautiful pine!! Thanks for sharing your love of plants and of course for providing this website.
holiday cheers