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Pinus radiata
Also called Radiata Pine, Cedros Island Pine, Guadalupe Island Pine, Insignis Pine, Insignis, Radiate Pine
Monterey pine is a fast-growing conifer native only to a few small areas of California and two Mexican islands, grown widely as a timber plantation tree in temperate regions. It is a large tree, not a typical garden or houseplant, and needs space and full sun.
Pinus radiata (syn. Pinus insignis), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae, a pine native to the Central Coast of California, and the Guadalupe and Cedros islands of Mexico.
Pinus radiata is a versatile, fast-growing, medium-density softwood, suitable for a wide range of uses and valued for rapid growth (up to two meters (6.5 feet) in one year), as well as desirable lumber and pulp qualities. Its silviculture reflects a century of research, observation and practice. It is often considered a model for growers of other plantation species.
In the United States, it is native to three very limited areas located in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo Counties of California.
As timber P. radiata is suitable for a wide variety of uses, and has a resinous fragrance while being worked. It holds screws and nails well and takes paint and stain without difficulty, and modern kiln dried timber is very easy to work. It is about 1/3 heavier than dried western red cedar. It is brittle when bent, so does not have the same load-bearing features as Oregon pine (Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga).
Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine · Arizona Pine · Chinese White Pine · Mexican White Pine · Jack pine · Turkish Pine · Lacebark Pine · Canary Islands Pine · Caribbean pine · Swiss Pine · Mexican Pinyon · Sand Pine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pinus radiata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
