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Pinus Thunbergii-life span?

jwsmt.washington

14 years ago

I read that this species grows fast & is relatively short lived.-a Kurt Cobain of the conifer world...-does anyone have any experience with mature thunbergii?

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Comments (12)

pineresin
14 years ago
Fairly long-lived, except where it gets hit by pine wilt disease, to which it is very susceptible. Some in Japan are several hundred years old.

Resin
jasoncoco
14 years ago
What regions is it most likely to get that disease? I live in NC.
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Embothrium
14 years ago
Washington State or Washington, DC?
pineresin
14 years ago
Not too good in NC, unfortunately. Might be a good idea to select one of the pines listed as resistant at the link below.

Resin

Here is a link that might be useful: North Carolina CES on pine wilt
jasoncoco
14 years ago
Thanks resin. That is very interesting. Would the same apply to potted plants, such as bonsai? Thanks, Jason.
pineresin
14 years ago
No, shouldn't do. The beetles that spread the disease are only attracted to larger trees, so bonsai (at least usually!) escape infection.

Resin
jasoncoco
14 years ago
Alright thanks. If i did decide to let a susceptible tree reach heights of 10 ft or so, could the beetles and their larva be controlled with pesticides?
pineresin
14 years ago
Not sure on the last! I suspect the infection would get going before the beetle died from the pesticide. The websites I've seen basically say there's no cure, other than strict sanitation, removing all infected trees before the beetles reach them to pass it on.

Resin
jasoncoco
14 years ago
I guess i will just have to keep the trees small to find out for myself. Thanks for the great info. I had no idea about the disease. Jason.
edlincoln
10 years ago
Very wind and salt resistant tree that is being wiped out by turpentine beetles in my area. My parents had a lot of black pines. They had them sprayed every year which kept them alive. When they decided spraying them wasn't cost effective and stopped, all the black pines were dead in a few years.
fairfield8619
10 years ago
I can't figure out if it is just the size or just the age of the tree or both, just what is it? If just the size then the dwarf cultivars would theoretically work I'm thinking. I have wanted to try some of the dwarfs, maybe let them grow and then cut them down when they get ratty/infested. Are the mexican pines afflicted too?
bengz6westmd
10 years ago
Pinus Thunbergii doesn't survive long here in the US mid-Atlantic states. Pine-wilt is devastating it.

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