Pinus bungeana TREE SEED Lacebark Pine
LATIN NAME: Pinus bungeana
COMMON NAME: Lacebark Pine, White-barked Pine, Bunge’s Pine
The lacebark pine is one of the most beautiful pines in the world, and its mottled, patchwork bark is its great glory. It grows as a slow-growing tree, reaching fifteen to twenty-five metres, with a broad, often multi-stemmed crown of dark green, paired needles, and, as it matures, its smooth bark peels away in irregular plates to reveal a striking patchwork of white, grey, green and cream, a pattern that gives it the name lacebark and makes it a living sculpture. It is a tree of great ornamental value, prized in the gardens of China for centuries, and it is also remarkably hardy, tolerating frost down to well below freezing.
The lacebark pine belongs to the pine family, Pinaceae, and it is native to northeastern and central China. It is a slow-growing tree that is frost hardy down to below minus twenty-six degrees, and it has been cultivated in China for centuries, valued for its beautiful bark.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The lacebark pine has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and horticultural research. It has been studied in botany for its place among the pines, and researchers have examined its classification and its relationships with the other pines of the region, which is of interest in the study of the pine family. The tree has also been studied in horticulture, since it is one of the most beautiful ornamental pines in the world, prized for its remarkable, patchwork bark, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in gardens, where it has been treasured in China for centuries and is now grown in gardens around the world. The tree has also been studied in ecology and conservation, since it is native to a limited region of China, and its wild populations have been studied. For a tree of such beauty and such ornamental value, the lacebark pine has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the lacebark pine is a generous tree of the Chinese landscape. Its seeds feed birds and small mammals, its evergreen crown gives shelter, and it has stood in the gardens and landscapes of China for centuries, a living piece of the country’s natural and garden heritage.
Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is one of the most beautiful ornamental pines in the world, prized for its remarkable, patchwork bark, and it has been cultivated in China for centuries and is now grown in gardens and parks around the world, while it is also used in bonsai, where its bark is especially admired. For a grower, the lacebark pine is a precious and rewarding tree, and for a gardener it brings a living sculpture that grows more beautiful with every year. The seeds are easy — sow them in a pot of free-draining compost in spring, keep them lightly covered in a sunny spot and water them gently, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, the little pines growing on steadily into trees whose bark will one day be their greatest glory.
This is a beautiful tree, with green needles and fantastic exfoliating bark that flakes away to show shades of grey to tan to even reds. It is a pyramidal upright grower, and this is evergreen.
It is used as an ornamental plant in East Asian classical garden where it symbolizes longevity.
This is a beautiful tree, with green needles and fantastic exfoliating bark that flakes away to show shades of grey to tan to even reds. It is a pyramidal upright grower,
