Pinus patula

16 Jan

Pinus patula (30/12/14, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun

Flowering period: Spring

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 40m

Eventual Spread: 20m

Hardiness: 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a

Family: Pinaceae

Pinus patula is a large evergreen coniferous tree with a conical crown. Its green/ blue leaves are needle like, up to 25cm long, up to 1mm across, drooping and appear in bundles of up to four (occasionally five). Its trunk may achieve a diameter of up to 1m. Its red/ brown bark is scaly, becoming rough with elongated plates on mature trees. Its male yellow/ brown flowers are pollen cones, up to 2cm long and 6mm across. Its fruit are ovoid cones with a slight curve, brown when mature, up to 10cm long and 6.5cm across.

Pinus patula Leaf (30/12/14, Kew Gardens, London)

Pinus patula, commonly known as the Mexican Weeping Pine, Patula Pine or Spreading Leaved Pine, is native to the Mexican highlands. In its native habitat it grows in mixed forests at an elevation of between 1,800m and 2,700m.

The etymological root of the binomial name Pinus is the old classical name for ‘Pine tree’. Patula is from the Latin meaning ‘wide open’ or ‘spreading’.

The landscape architect may find Pinus patula useful as an attractive parkland tree, suitable for poor soils. Once established this tree is drought tollerant.

Ecologically, Pinus patula seeds are attractive to some birds and mammals.