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Lacebark Pine -
Pinus bungeana
Family:
Pinaceae.
Lacebark Pine is a relatively slow-growing tree known for its ornamental
bark. Needles remain on the tree for several years, making older trees
especially dense. It often develops with many trunks in youth. Becomes
more open and broad-spreading with age; bark becomes most interesting
when at least 10 years old.
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17-year-old Lacebark Pine - Morton Arboretum Specimen started
from seed |
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You can see an
aerial view of these
trees by
selecting "Live
Maps" from the above
toolbar, then
selecting "birds eye
view."
(You may have to
install Microsoft's
Virtual Earth, a
free program with
amazing bird's eye
views Google Maps
does not have).
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Range:
China: south Gansu,
south Hebei, west
Henan, Hubei (Badong
Xian), Shaanxi, west
Shandong, Shanxi,
north Sichuan.
Distribution is
based on the mapping
of herbarium
specimens, mostly in
Beijing, which we
believe have been
collected from trees
growing in the wild.
This map is roughly
in agreement with
that given by Ying
et al.
(2003). Other
sources mention a
wider distribution
but seem to include
planted specimens as
well. This species
is highly ornamental
(bark is attractive)
and has been planted
in temple grounds
etc. for many
centuries. This
species forms
populations of
scattered
individuals.
Habitat and
Ecology: In
mountains, often on
limestone rocks and
on south-facing
slopes, scattered
and mixed with
Pinus tabuliformis
and angiosperms. Its
titleitudinal range is
probably between 500
and 2,150 m; records
from lower
elevations are
probably not from
natural occurrences
but from planted
trees. Highly valued
as an ornamental and
therefore widely
planted in China.
Fairly common in
arboreta and parks
in Europe and North
America.
Threats:
No specific threats
are known to affect
this species.
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Lacebark pine is
native to
northeastern and
central China. It is
a slow-growing tree
to 15-25 m tall. Its
smooth, grey-green
bark gradually sheds
in round scales to
reveal patches of
pale yellow, which
turn olive-brown,
red and purple on
exposure to light.
This broad, somewhat
bushy tree produces
branches that are
long and sweep
sharply upwards. The
needle-like leaves
are produced in
threes with a
deciduous sheath,
spread widely apart
on the shoots and
face forward, glossy
green, 6-9 cm long
and 2 mm broad. The
cones are ovoid, 4-7
cm long and 3-5 cm
across, dark brown
with relatively few
scales. The seeds
are 6-8 mm long,
with a rudimentary
wing, and are
dispersed by the
Spotted Nutcracker.
Lacebark Pine is a
valuable ornamental
tree, grown mainly
for its decorative
bark. It is said by
many to be the most
beautiful of all
pines. In China, it
is widely planted
beside temples, with
some specimens
reported to be over
1,000 years old. It
was introduced to
Europe and North
America in 1846, and
specimens are grown
in many botanical
gardens and
occasionally in
parks.
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Lacebark Pine Foliage
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Lacebark pine is
a slow-growing
conifer which
typically grows
30-50' tall in
about the same
number of years.
Most ornamental
feature is its
exfoliating bark
which peels,
somewhat like a
sycamore, to
reveal an
underlying
patchwork of
white, olive,
light purple and
silver,
eventually
becoming milky
white at
maturity... but,
patience is
required because
it usually takes
at least 10
years before the
bark begins to
exfoliate and
longer before
the signature
milky white bark
fully develops.
Younger trees
may exhibit some
mottling,
however.
It is most often
seen as a
spreading
multi-trunked
tree, sometimes
almost shrubby,
however it can
also be trained
as a single
trunk tree.
Medium to dark
green needles
(2-4" long) are
in bundles of
three. Small,
yellowish-brown
cones to 2"
long. |
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Lacebark Pine Bark (lower trunk)
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