Keteleeria fortunei seed
LATIN NAME: Keteleeria fortunei
COMMON NAME: Fortune’s Keteleeria, Chinese Coffin Tree
The Fortune’s keteleeria is a tree that has outlived empires. It is a tall, evergreen conifer that can reach forty metres or more, with a straight, sturdy trunk and dense, spreading branches clothed in narrow, stiff needles that are dark green above and paler beneath. The cones are fat, woody and upright, and they sit like ornaments on the upper branches, ripening to a rich brown. It is an ancient tree, a relict of a time when its family covered far more of the earth, and individual trees have been known to live for more than a thousand years, reaching enormous size.
The Fortune’s keteleeria belongs to the pine family, Pinaceae, and it is native to southern China, from Fujian and Guangdong across to Yunnan and Zhejiang, where it grows in hills, mountains and broadleaf forests between 200 and 1,400 metres. It is a protected species in China, treasured for its antiquity and its elegant form.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Fortune’s keteleeria from seed is a project for the patient, and it is deeply rewarding. The seeds sit inside the woody cones, and they germinate best after a period of cool, moist conditions, so sow them in pots of free-draining compost in autumn and leave them outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for a couple of months first. Germination can be slow and uneven, with seedlings appearing over several weeks, so don’t be discouraged. Grow the young trees on in pots, giving them bright light, cool conditions and good drainage, and plant them out in a sheltered, moist, well-drained spot once they are strong. A keteleeria you have raised from seed is a tree for centuries.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Fortune’s keteleeria has a genuine place in conservation and forestry research. Because it is an ancient relict species and a protected tree in China, it has been studied for its regeneration, its ecology and its conservation, and researchers have examined how it reproduces, how its seeds germinate and how it can be protected in the wild. As a timber tree, it has also been studied in forestry research for its growth and its wood, which has been valued in China for fine work, and its great age makes it interesting to researchers studying tree longevity. For a tree of such antiquity and value, Fortune’s keteleeria has a steady and important record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, Fortune’s keteleeria is a noble tree of the Chinese forest. Its dense evergreen canopy gives shelter for birds and wildlife, its seeds feed squirrels and birds, and it is a cornerstone of the ancient forests where it grows.
Its economic value is real and historic. The timber is valued in China for construction and fine work, and the tree has been used for coffins, which is how one of its common names arose, and it is now grown in gardens and arboreta around the world for its handsome evergreen form. For a grower, Fortune’s keteleeria is a tree of prestige and great age, and for a gardener it brings a living link to the deep past.