Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article will illustrate a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources. Click here to view the tree archive

Tree of the Month, February 2010

Bhutan pine

Pinus wallichiana

Jon Pilcher

This is one of the 5-needle pines, a large group that are quite difficult to tell apart. There are about 15 species commonly seen in cultivation and more species and sub-species in the wild. This species has distinctive very fine pendulous needles with a bluish colour and three distinct lines of stomata running the length of the needle. The needle is finely toothed and the needle sheath is large, papery (see photo below) and is deciduous - ie is shed during the first year after needle formation. The winter buds have scales that are tightly pressed to the bud. The cone is large, cylindrical and rather lax. This is a very handsome tree. The example in the Belfast Botanic gardens is beside the path from the Kelvin statue to the Ulster Museum.

Bhutan pinee in Belfast Botanic Gardens	Distinctive pendulous needles of Bhutan pine
Mature cone of Bhutan pine	Slice through the five needles of Bhutan pine
Papery leaf sheaths of Bhutan pine. These are shed as the needles mature	Winter bud of Bhutan pine

Photos taken in 2010 in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Copyright Jon Pilcher