Pinus bungeana (lacebark pine) is a rare pine species native to northeastern and central China. It grows in mixed open forests together with species such as Acer davidii, Betula albosinensis, Quercus variabilis and Rhus chinensis. In China it is also planted near Buddhist temples for its beautiful white bark. The Russian botanist Alexander von Bunge was one of the first to describe the species in 1831, and the tree was named in his honor. Pinus bungeana is a slow growing and irregularly shaped tree, often multi stemmed, reaching about fifteen to thirty meters in height and ten to fifteen meters in width, with an ovate to later rounded and semi open crown and a somewhat flattened top.
The lacebark pine is famous for its spectacular bark, which is light brown on young trees but soon begins to exfoliate in patches like Arbutus or Platanus, revealing bright green, light brown and reddish brown to metallic silver patterns. The colors are especially vivid on surfaces exposed to sunlight. The needles are about ten centimeters long, matte green, arranged in bundles of three, slightly curved and sharply pointed. They remain on the tree for four to five years and have a strong scent when crushed. The twigs are gray green, hairless and glossy. Pinus bungeana flowers around April and May with fragrant light-yellow flowers borne in clusters. The elongated cones are first light green and later light brown. The edible seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The rare Pinus bungeana is not only suitable for arboreta but is also an excellent addition to parks and gardens, especially in places where privacy is desired. It adds strong ornamental value as well. In the wild, lacebark pine grows at fairly high altitudes, but it has also been successfully introduced into many other environments. In mountain regions it grows on sunny, calcareous rocky soils, while in more northern parts of its range it is found on more acidic soils. Moderately fertile to fertile, well drained soils in lightly shaded to sunny locations provide the best conditions for Pinus bungeana.
