I am trying a Pinus Canariensis outdoors here in zone 8. It is borderline but so far has resisted two winters with a low of -12.7°C last year. This picture, very seasonal, was taken today (-7°C). Gomero
Good luck! You've done well to get it through -12.7°, that's usually enough to kill them. Is it a high altitude origin?
Hi Michael, Thank you! we will see. I bought it at a nursery at La Orotava so my guess is that it probably comes from the mountains of Tenerife. Have you seen many Pinus canariensis in the UK?, having seen a Phoenix canariensis planted in the ground in a public parterre in London I do not see why the pinus, which is hardier, would not fare well over there. Gomero
Hi Gomero, I've never seen any other than seedlings in Britain, there are some in Ireland (not been to see them) and there used to be some on the Isles of Scilly, but they were killed in the 1986/97 winter (when they got -10°C on Scilly) I collected some seed at treeline on Tenerife a few years ago, but haven't heard if anyone has had any success with it (no space in my garden, unfortunately)
A few have been seen occasionally in this part of Zone 8, sometimes persisting long enough to get several yards high. Can't name a single spot where you can see one here today. Plenty of them in parts of California, if this species were adapted to Zone 8 nurseries would be shipping them up here and locals planting them routinely.
The native range of Pinus Canariensis can be summarized as being steep, exposed, volcanic mountainsides with little rainfall (pines get watered by the dripping of fog condensation by the needles). The soil is very fast draining and acidic. In their range they can be found from 1000m up to 2000-2200 m where they are exposed to temperatures down to -10°C and very strong winds. In my view the key for survival in zone 8 is to get as close as possible to their native environment. Heavy, wet soils are probably accelerating their demise at low temperatures. Daniel, here are some additional shots for you to choose. An interesting feature of the tree are the bluish juvenile needles. Gomero
I've read that on the cloudier north slope of Teide, fog drip in the pine forests increases precipitation from 50cm/year in the open to 200cm/year under the canopy. Another important difference between their natural climate and areas a lot further north is the relatively greater diurnal temperature variation: a night with -10° on the Tenerife treeline will be followed by a day at +5°, whereas a night with -10° in Britain is likely to remain below freezing through the day, putting extra stress on the tree. Maybe southern France is more like Tenerife in this respect. Some of my pics from Tenerife: http://www.pinetum.org/PhotoMPF4.htm
Nice pics Michael, thank you. Do you come often to the Arboretum de Villardebelle?, it's not far from where I live. Regards, Gomero