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bengz6westmd

Jeffrey pine again

bengz6westmd
17 years ago

I've posted this Jeffrey pine before, but it's bigger now. :) This yr's growth (~13") is much more than last, so it's prb'ly fully established now. Even at this small size, its shape, long needles & thick stems make it eye-catching. Right now it's almost finished lengthening its new needles & beginning to build the big terminal buds.

A 2.5' dia, open-grown Sugar maple fills the background.

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Comments (7)

  • wadet
    17 years ago

    Apparently, it doesn't mind your hot humid summers?:) Must be close to it's cold hardy threshold during the winter, however. Thanks for sharing.

  • bengz6westmd
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    *****
    Must be close to it's cold hardy threshold during the winter, however.
    *****

    wadet, I was just thinking about that -- and don't think so. I'll bet it has at least comparable cold-hardiness to the native veg -- -30 to -35F, considering its high-elevation native environs. It seems completely indifferent, at least visually, to the worst winter cold/winds so far.

    And from my observs & literature, I don't think it minds the hot/humidity per say, it's just that it can promote needlecast fungi. Mine already has some of the superficial first-stage needlecast infection, but none of the damaging, second-stage. I wishfully think I might keep that from occuring by removing any old needles. We'll see.

  • pineresin
    17 years ago

    Pinus jeffreyi is hardy down to about -40°C, I can't see it having any cold problems in MD

    Resin

  • wadet
    17 years ago

    That would be zone 3??

    I thought they were z6. Didn't know those areas around the Sierras got that cold.

  • pineresin
    17 years ago

    Hi Wadet - no, zone 5 or 6. Remember the zone number is set by the average minimum, not the absolute minimum, which is a lot lower (and is what generally kills plants). Zone 3 can get down to below -50°C in a severe winter.

    Resin

  • kman04
    17 years ago

    Hhmmm....this is kind of interesting. I don't think many zone 3's can get down to -50C in a severe winter. I'm in zone 5b(according to the older zone map) or in the middle of zone 6(according to the new map) and the coldest it's ever gotten here is -20F(-28.9C), which is only about 15F(8.3C) colder than our average winter low of about -5F(-20.6C)(although over the past 10 years our average winter low is about -2F(-18.9C)). I think this is close to what most other areas of the Eastern 1/2 of the USA are, with the exception of colder or more northern parts of each zone, which would probably have lower record lows. So, this would mean that most zone 3's have record lows of about -50F(-45.6C) and most zone 4's having record lows of about -40F(-40C). So, this would make Jeffrey Pine probably a zone 4 hardy plant, and probably able to grow in some of the warmest parts of zone 3. I'm not sure about the Western 1/2 of the US, but I think it might be similar, although the lower humidities and higher elevations often allow for much colder record lows than in the Eastern 1/2.

  • basic
    17 years ago

    FYI--I live on the northern edge of z4 and the record low temp (January) is -45F(-42.8C), which occurred back in 1951. Hayward, WI, which is about 100 miles north (solid z3), had a record -50F in 1996. I'm sure some ornamental trees were lost that winter, but the Jack Pines considered it a good days work.

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