Lace-bark pine, Bai pi song
Pinus bungeana
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
A tree. It grows to 30 m tall. The trunk is usually single but it can be forked near the base. The trunk is 3 m across. The bark flakes off irregularly. The bark can flake off in thin scaly patches. The crown can be like a pyramid or like an umbrella. The first year branches are grey-green. There are 3 needles in a bundle. They are triangle shaped in cross section. They are 5-10 cm long by 0.5-2 mm wide. They are stiff. The seed cones occur singly. They have short stalks. They are usually pale green or yellowish brown at maturity. The are oval and 5-7 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. The seeds are grey-brown and 10 mm long by 5- mm wide. The wing is loosely attached.
There are over 100 species of Pinus.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in China in the mountains between 500-1800 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. Arboretum Tasmania. Sydney Botanical gardens.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Britain, China (country/location of origin), Europe, Korea, Tasmania, USA
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds
How it is grown
The cones take about 18 months to mature.