Woody > Pinus > Pinus patula > Pinus patula
Pinus patula
Patula Pine, Mexican Weeping Pine
Origin: Highlands of Mexico.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Pinus patula is a large evergreen tree with a wide crown. It has very dense foliage with thin weeping needles. The sagging needles are a very distinct feature which makes it a point of focus in the landscape. Pinus patula grows in a fairly warm climate and a high altitude, but can withstand frost.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Pinaceae |
| Genus |
| Pinus |
| Species |
| patula |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 7-10 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7-8 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -10-(30) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 15-(86) |
| Height |
| 45 m |
| Spread |
| 15 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Pinus patula is a single stemmed tree with light green, large, sagging, thin needles |
| Landscape |
| A large tree that is performs best in the open by itself. Its wide spread and its attractive shape, make it useful as an accent tree. |
| Cultivation |
| Pinus patula prefers a very warm climate, high altitude, and well drained but moist, fertile, acidic soils. |
| Shape |
| Pinus patula is usually narrowly crowned, especially if it is grown with limited space, but can have a wider crown in open areas. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| Pests include leaf-eating beetles, adult bark beetles, and pine woolly aphid. Pinus patula suffers from a few diseases such as foliage leaf cast, tip die-back and armillaria root rot. |
| Habitat |
| Pinus patula prefers grasslands and shrublands, as well as high altitudes and warm climates. Found in the highlands of Mexico. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The older bark is thick and rough and has a dark grey-brown colour and the younger bark is a red-brown colour which is very finely textured. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The terminal buds are cylindrical and are approximately 15–20 mm long while the lateral buds are a little shorter. The buds have scales and are not resinous. |
| Leaf Description |
| The needles on the Patula pine are 15–25 cm long, in bundles of 3-5 and are light green. They are very thin and they all droop downwards. |
| Flower Description |
| The female flowers are 5 cm, curvy, resembling a cob of corn. The male flowers are longer, scaly, and covered in pollen. |
| Fruit Description |
| Pinus patula has shiny scaled cones that can grow up to 10 cm long. They are a pale brown colour, strong, and can be in clusters of up to 10. The female flowers can appear when the tree is as young as 2 years old and male flowers can appear when it is 4 years old. |
| Colour Description |
| The needles are a light green colour. |
| Texture Description |
| Pinus patula is a very dense textured tree with needles year round to provide plenty of shade |
| Notable Specimens |
| Trebah Garden Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. National Trust Trelissick Garden, Feock, near Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| To scarify the seeds, soak them in water for 24 hrs; stratify them in cold for 60 days. Sow the seeds 5 mm deep at 4°C, tamp the media, and finally mulch. |
References
Wright, J. A.. Utilization of Pinus patula: an annotated bibliography. Oxford, Eng.: Oxford Forestry Institute, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, 1994. Print.
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