The Khasi Pine (Pinus kesiya)

The Khasi Pine (Pinus kesiya) is a fast growing species from Asia, which is not often found in cultivation outside of its homeland. Trees are about 30–35 meters tall and the trunks may reach up to 1 m in the diameter. Each branch has three spines – each of them being around 15 to 20 cm long. The fruit of these trees (cones) are around 5 to 9 cm long and the seeds around 1,5 to 2,5 cm long.

The origin of the Khasi Pine (Pinus kesiya) is in the Himalaya region: from North-East India (nowadays due to wood mining only in the Khasi Mt. and Naga Mt. in the state Meghalay and Manipur), China (the Yunnan province), Burma (Myanmar), Northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam (Lai Chau, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh) and the Philippines (Luzon). Pines from the Philippines are occasionally identified as a separate species namely Benguet Pine (Pinus insularis). In China one finds a similar species called the Yunnan Pine (Pinus yunnanensis)

This species is found on slopes with a range of mixed trees growing in poor red and yellow acidic soil (with a pH of 4,5) and an altitude of 800–2000 meters but mostly between 1200–1400 m. The area has a subtropical climate with a change in a wet and dry period during the year. The rainfall is heavy and the the climate in the area is subtropical and there is a change of wet and dry periods during the year with heavy rainfall and a humidity of more than 70%.

This plant is light frost tolerant, but it is very sensitive to late frosting during the vegetation period. In the cultivation period, it however requires a frost-free area.

Other names of the plant: Pinus khasya, Pinus khasyanus

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Thursday 7th May 2009 16:55 | print | Coniferous