Agathis dammara seed

LATIN NAME: Agathis dammara

COMMON NAME: Dammar Pine

The dammar pine towers the tall, straight trunk with the smooth, grey bark, the broad, leathery, paddle-shaped leaves, and the large, rounded cones that break up on the tree. The foliage hangs in the flat, handsome sprays, the crown keeps the rounded, cloud-like outline, and the whole tree carries the ancient, southern look of the true kauri family. The resin oozes from the bark and the old wounds, clear and fragrant, and the timber stays strong and even-grained. It is a tree of the warm, moist, sheltered ground, grown for the ages across the islands where the kauri family belongs.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The paleobotanists trace the kauri family deep into the fossil record, and the dammar pine carries that ancient lineage into the present. The researchers study the resin chemistry, the wood properties and the performance on the plantation sites, while the seed banks hold the collections and the nurseries raise the seedlings for the timber and the reforestation work. The clear resin that oozes from the bark has been traded for the ages, and it still keeps the tree in the commercial picture.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The dammar pine anchors the landscape with the broad, leathery foliage and the cloud-like crown, and it has paid its way for the centuries. The strong, even-grained timber serves the construction, the boat building and the fine joinery, and the resin, the classic dammar of the varnishes, the lacquers and the traditional medicines, still comes from the tree today. The dense canopy shelters the forest birds, and in the large, mild garden it makes a striking specimen.

The dammar pine seeds grow well in a coarse, sandy compost kept warm and moist. The big, fleshy seedlings rise slowly, and they grow on with the broad, leathery leaves. Keep them in the warm, bright spot and the deep pots, and give them the shelter from the cold wind. They transplant well into the sheltered, moist ground of the mild garden. The young trees hold the neat, rounded crown, and they grow into the handsome specimens with the years.

To grow the dammar pine from seed, sow the large, round seeds singly into the deep tray of coarse, sandy compost, keep the tray in the warm, bright spot and water gently. The seedlings break ground within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Stand the young trees in the warm, sheltered ground, and the cloud-like crown will tower over the years.