Blue pine

Appearance

The leaves are in fascicles of five and are 12–18 cm long. They are noted for being flexible along their length, and often droop gracefully. The cones are long and slender, 16–32 cm, yellow-buff when mature, with thin scales; the seeds are 5–6 mm long with a 20–30 mm wing.

Naming

This tree is often known as 'Bhutan pine', . Other names include 'blue pine', 'Himalayan white pine' and 'Himalayan blue pine'. In the past, it was also known by the invalid botanic names ''Pinus griffithii'' McClelland or "''Pinus excelsa''" Wall., ''Pinus chylla'' Lodd. when the tree became available through the European nursery trade in 1836, nine years after Dr Wallich first introduced seeds to England.

Habitat

Typical habitats are mountain screes and glacier forelands, but it will also form old growth forests as the primary species or in mixed forests with deodar, birch, spruce, and fir. In some places it reaches the tree line.

Uses

The wood is moderately hard, durable and highly resinous. It is a good firewood but gives off a pungent resinous smoke. It is a commercial source of turpentine which is superior quality than that of ''P. roxburghii'' but is not produced so freely.

It is also a popular tree for planting in parks and large gardens, grown for its attractive foliage and large, decorative cones. It is also valued for its relatively high resistance to air pollution, tolerating this better than some other conifers.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.