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The tree species
Pinus koraiensis
is commonly called
Korean Pine. It is
native to eastern
Asia,
Manchuria, far
eastern
Russia,
Korea and
central
Japan. In the
north of its range,
it grows at moderate
altitudes, typically
600-900 m, whereas
further south, it is
a
mountain tree,
growing at
2,000-2,600 m
altitude in Japan.
It is a large tree,
reaching a mature
size of 40-50 m
height, and 1.5-2 m
trunk diameter. It
is a member of the
white pine
group,
Pinus
subgenus
Strobus, and
like all members of
that group, the
leaves ('needles')
are in fascicles
(bundles) of five,
with a deciduous
sheath. They are
7-13 cm long. Korean
Pine
cones are 8-17
cm long, green or
purple before
maturity, ripening
brown about 18
months after
pollination. The
14-18 mm long
seeds have only
a vestigial wing and
are dispersed by
Spotted Nutcrackers.
Korean Pine
differs from the
closely related
Siberian Pine in
having larger cones
with reflexed scale
tips, and longer
needles. The seeds
are extensively
harvested and sold
as
pine nuts,
particularly in
northeastern China;
it is the most
widely traded pine
nut in international
commerce.
Korean Pine is a
popular ornamental
tree in
parks and large
gardens where
the
climate is cold,
such as eastern
Canada and the
northeastern states
of the
USA, giving
steady though not
fast growth on a
wide range of sites.
It is tolerant of
severe winter cold,
hardy down to at
about -50°C.
--From Wikipedia
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