Above: bristle cone pine, Methuselah. (Internet).
Right: evergreeens in California. Below: Windswept coastal Torrey pines.
Above: Ponderosa pine.
California coast near Santa Barbara. There are about 1,000 surviving Torrey pine trees on this island. This pine thrives on the coastal salty air and sand dunes
that characterize its habitat. Off shore winds have shaped these pines over many years. The native understory is popu- lated by highly diverse woody shrubs which have been a source of traditional medicine and food in these areas for indigenous people. Walking among these rare pines is both a joy and a privi-
lege for me. The dwindling Ponderosa pine Giant sequoia. One of the most common pines indigenous to the drier
Below: Turkish pines in Pergamon, Turkey and Pinyon pines in the Grand Canyon.
regions of Canada and United States is the Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). This species is threatened with virtual elim- ination by the voracious feeding habits of the mountain pine beetle and so could be rarer than the Torrey pine perhaps in 30 years. Countless millions of these pines including Lodge- pole pine (Pinus contorta) have been killed by this introduced pest. Scientists believe that vast populations of the beetle will seriously reduce or eliminate pine trees growing in the boreal forests across Canada in the not too distant future unless a workable method of control can be found. The orange-red-brownish-black bark of the Ponderosa pine
seems to mirror the colours of the environment where it has been thriving. When I first saw these pines in central British Columbia in the 1960s, I instantly believed they were the most wonderful of all Canadian conifers. I still do.
Living on the edge I am a seeker of trees that grow at the margins of livable
habitats. At times it seems impossible for these trees to grow; this is especially true of the Pinyon pines (Pinus edulis). This desert pine can grow perched on a barren rock seemingly with no source of water or nutrition. The Grand Canyon is a great place to see these coniferous wonders.
Methuselah One of the oldest single trees in the world is the Bristle
and experience the champion of all of the conifers. V Michael Allen is the owner of Viburnum Tree Experts and a former city Forester. He writes a weekly column for a daily newspaper.
www.localgardener.net WINTER 2013
Cone pine. Some of these pines are about 5,000 years and are found in the White Mountains of California. The oldest has been named ‘Methuselah’. The image shown is not mine but comes from the internet. One day I hope to see these pines
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