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March 23, 2009 : Pinus bungeana
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Plant Family / Families: Pinaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl.
Institution: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Name Location: Surrey, England
It's a Monday, and Jackie's shared another photograph and write-up with us. Thanks again! Jackie writes:
Young specimens of Pinus bungeana have smooth bark that peels off in round patches resulting in a beautiful mosaic of colours, giving rise to the common name of lacebark pine. The patches can range in colour from creamy white and grey-green, to brighter shades of red, yellow and brown. With age, the bark takes on a more uniform, chalky-white colour (here's an excellent photograph of the bark).
The tree is slow growing and can reach about 20m in height. It is multi-stemmed and can grow almost as wide as it is tall, an unusual shape for a pine tree.
Its green needles are stiffer than many other members of the Pinaceae. Needles are held in sparse clusters of three, each tipped with a sharp point. When crushed, the foliage gives off a distinctive scent sometimes compared to turpentine. The cone of Pinus bungeana is slightly egg-shaped, yellow-brown in color, and approximately 7cm long. Each scale of the cone is tipped with a sharp spine. Virginia Tech's factsheet on Pinus bungeana contains pictures of the needles, cones and bark, while Kew has a good description of the species and a larger photograph of the tree: Pinus bungeana.
Pinus bungeana is native to northern China, where it is found growing on steep mountain slopes in the shade. It has been cultivated for centuries in China, often planted near temples. Lacebark pine was introduced into cultivation in Europe by Robert Fortune in the 1840s. Fortune was a Scottish plant hunter who spent several years collecting plants in China.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at March 23, 2009 2:23 PM
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Comments
Posted by: SoapySophia at March 23, 2009 3:21 PM
There is a stunning specimen at the National Arboretum in Washington DC. It's in a very formal shade garden. Thank you for the wonderful bark picture, Jackie, and for reminding me of this lovely tree whose name I couldn't remember.
Posted by: Connie at March 23, 2009 3:54 PM
This is a completely new pine to me. Thanks for the info.
Posted by: Meg Bernstein at March 23, 2009 5:02 PM
"With age, the bark takes on a more uniform, chalky-white colour"
Sorry, this (despite being stated frequently) isn't true. Photos of very old trees (several hundred years old) planted in Beijing show bark that hardly differs from that of much younger trees in cultivation in Europe. The bark colour probably depends more on climate; the really white bark is described from trees in the wild, where the species is native on very dry sites - ecologically, Pinus bungeana is very similar to the pinyons of the interior western USA. The white may be a substance that is washed off by the heavier rainfall in most areas where the species is grown in cultivation.
Can anyone comment on bark colour of specimens planted in dry areas like Arizona, Nevada or Utah?
Posted by: Michael F at March 24, 2009 3:59 AM
a lovely tree
some of our pines in my part
of florida are blooming in
what i call candle sticks
the plant explorers web site
is just fine -dr nathaniel bayshaw ward
is a fine read wonder if the books
are in print - some of our trees
have air plants and green on the bark
thank you
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at March 24, 2009 7:07 AM
One of my favorites! Dawes Arboretum in Newark Ohio has a named selection called 'Silver Ghost', which was named by Dawes Arb. for the earlier silver sheen to the bark than the species. I worked there and know this plant personally and it still has the beautiful exfoiliating bark but with much more of the silver color. A search for it will turn up vendors (I am not sure if I can mention vendors on this site). There is also a small cultivar called 'Temple Gem' which will get to about 10' in 10 years (small not dwarf). All Lacebark pines are worth having though!
Posted by: Adriana at March 24, 2009 9:22 AM
The bark of the oldest specimen at the New York Botanical Garden is as white as I have seen any lacebark pine. The white colour seems to be mainly on the sun exposed side (south) of the trunk. Possibly sun exposure is contributing to the whitish bark (sun bleached).
Posted by: Jon at March 24, 2009 11:21 AM
Neat tree. I agree with what SoapySophia said.
Posted by: Sue in Bremerton at March 24, 2009 11:47 AM
We have had a P. bungeana in place for 11-12 years now (No. Virginia) after 'auditioning' the plant up at the US National Arboretum. It has been a joy with the anticipated slow rate of growth and gorgeous bark - but earlier this year two of the main trunks and associated tertiary branches started showing a change in color towards olive rather than its typical blue-green. Since spring the color has steadily deteriorated, with frass appearing. Having just removed nearly all of the affected trunks/branches (more to do), the damage is obviously the result of a (probably) beetle, just don't know which one yet. Have several of the larvae which I'll take by VA Extension Service and/or USNA. Have not found any reference to this being common - just sharing the info.
Posted by: Sue H. at September 27, 2009 10:29 AM
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Oh my word! That is gorgeous! I want one :*)