Monterey pine

Etching of Monterey Pines; MFA # 2013.1520

Monterey pine Pinus radiata

Description

A pine tree, Pinus radiata, native to the southern and central coast of California. The Monterey pine is a fast growing tree, but its cones only open with the heat of a forest fire. The fast growing tree is an important species for reforestation.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Pinus radiata; radiata pine; insignis pine; Monterey-Kiefer (Deut.); Montereyden (Ned.); Sosna kalifornijska (Pol.); pin de Monterrey (Fr.); pino de Monterrey (Esp.); pinho-insigne (Port.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Fast growing to heights of 15-30 m.
• Bark= dark gray to brown with deep fissures.
• Leaves=needles (8-15 cm) in clusters of three with blunt tips.
• Cones are long (7-17cm).

Resources and Citations

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Judith H. Hofenk de Graaff, The Colourful Past: Origins, Chemistry, and Identification of Natural Dyestuffs, Archetype, London, 2004

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_pine (Accessed Jan. 25, 2006)