Araucaria cunninghamii seed
LATIN NAME: ARAUCARIA CUNNINGHAMII
COMMON NAME: Hoop Pine
In the rainforest margins of the north-east and the islands beyond, the hoop pine grows as a tall, straight, evergreen tree with the sharp-pointed, scale-like leaves on the young trees and the blunt, overlapping leaves on the old, the trunk ringed with the fine scars of the fallen leaves. The herb steadily grows into a rounded crown, with a mature height of 5-10 metres. Full sun suits it best, with deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The hoop pine occupies a place in the studies of the southern conifers, its ringed trunk and its two leaf forms keeping it in view in the work on the rainforest conifers of the region and the timber plantations of the warm south. The research looks at the way the leaves change form with age, the round cones ripen and fall, and the seed biology of the large, short-lived seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the large garden and the park of the mild south, the hoop pine lifts the tall, narrow, columnar crown and rings the trunk with the fine leaf scars that give it its name. The pale, straight-grained timber has served the builders and the cabinet makers for generations, and the tree makes the fine avenue tree, the timber tree and the conifer of the warm, sheltered garden. It is a tree for the open, sunny, deep and fertile place.
To grow the Hoop Pine from seed, sow the fresh seeds singly in deep pots of sandy, gritty compost.
Sow the fresh seeds singly in deep pots of sandy, gritty compost, and keep the young hoop pines in the open, sunny spot. The columnar crown builds with the years.
LATIN NAME: Araucaria cunninghamii
COMMON NAME: Hoop Pine, Colonial Pine, Queensland Pine, Moreton Bay Pine
The hoop pine is one of the noblest conifers of Australia, and its neat, layered form has a calm, geometric beauty. It builds up into a low, spreading mat, staying under a metre. The bark is rough and corky, and on old trees it breaks into the distinctive horizontal bands, or hoops, that give the tree its name. It is a tree of the coastal rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales, one of the finest timber trees of Australia.
The hoop pine belongs to the ancient Araucaria family, Araucariaceae, and it is native to the coastal rainforests of eastern Australia, from New South Wales to Queensland. It is the earliest-diverging living lineage within its genus, and it was first collected by the botanist Allan Cunningham in the 1820s, after whom it is named.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a hoop pine from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit inside the large, woody cones, which break up when ripe to release them, and they are best sown fresh, since they lose vigour quickly. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination usually begins within three to six weeks. Pot the seedlings on as they grow, giving them bright light and good drainage, and plant them out in a sunny, sheltered, well-drained spot once they are strong. A seed-raised hoop pine will grow into a fine, stately conifer.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The hoop pine has a genuine and practical record in forestry and botanical research. As one of the most important timber trees of Australia, it has been studied extensively in forestry for its growth, its wood quality and its management, and its timber is valued for building, joinery, plywood and other uses. The tree has also been studied in plant science because of its ancient lineage, since it is the earliest-diverging living member of its genus, and researchers have examined its evolution and its place among the ancient conifers. It has also been studied in ecology for its role in the coastal rainforests where it grows, and in horticulture as an ornamental conifer planted around the world. For a tree of such timber value and such ancient lineage, the hoop pine has a rich and interesting record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the hoop pine is a keystone of the Australian rainforest. Its cones and seeds feed birds and small mammals, its dense canopy gives shelter and nesting sites for wildlife, and it grows as part of the rich coastal rainforest of eastern Australia.
Its economic value is considerable. The timber is one of the finest softwoods of Australia, used for building, joinery, furniture, plywood and veneer, and the tree is also widely planted as an ornamental conifer in parks and gardens around the world for its stately, layered form. For a grower, the hoop pine is a valuable timber and ornamental tree, and for a gardener it brings a noble, evergreen presence.
Araucaria cunninghamii, llamada comúnmente araucaria de Australia, es una especie del género Araucaria que se encuentra en las costas de bosques lluviosos del este de Australia y de Nueva Guinea. Esta especie puede llegar a vivir 450 años y crecer 60 m de altura. El tronco posee una corteza rugosa y se parte de manera natural, sin descascararse. Las hojas de los ejemplares jóvenes tienen forma de lezna, de 1-2 cm de longitud, y 2 mm de espesor en la base, e incurvadas, de 1-2 cm de longitud y 4 mm de ancho en los fustes maduros. Los estróbilos (conos) son ovoides, de 8-10 cm de largo. y 6-8 cm de diámetro, y tarda 18 meses en madurar. Al madurar se desintegran liberando semillas parecidas a nueces, que son comestibles