Pinus koraiensis
An extremely cold-hardy evergreen conifer native to northeast Asia with five-needle leaves, large cones and edible pine nuts, valued for timber, resin, wildlife habitat, and traditional medicine, and playing a key role in reforestation and windbreaks.
Common Names
Korean Pine, Chinese Pinenut, Korean Nut Pine, Korean Pinenut, Korean White Pine, Channamu, Hong Song
Summary
Korean pine is an evergreen conifer native to northeast Asia, including Korea, northeastern China, the Russian Far East, and northern Japan. It has a broadly conical to pyramidal crown and long blue-green needles in bundles of five, up to about 4.5 inches long, with gray-brown bark. Cones measure 3–6 inches, and large edible seeds (pine nuts) are produced. The tree grows slowly to moderately and reaches about 30–50 feet tall and 20–30 feet wide in cultivation.
It prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7 and drought-tolerant once established. Spacing of about 15–25 feet apart supports nut production. Propagation is by seed or grafting. Uses include ornamental landscapes, pine-nut production, and timber, with wildlife habitat value and potential for cold-climate forestry.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
30-100 feet
Spread
20-30 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained loamy or sandy soil, pH 5.5–7.0.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
6.0-7.0, slightly acidic to neutral
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Blue-green foliage
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color change; evergreen; stays green year-round.
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen needle
Growth Rate
Slow-growing
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Grafting
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Siebold & Zucc.
- Publication
- Fl. Jap. 2 (3): 28. (1842)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Pinophyta
- Class
- Pinopsida
- Subclass
- Pinidae
- Order
- Pinales
- Family
- Pinaceae
- Genus
- Pinus
Synonyms
Pinus mandschurica Pinus prokoraiensis Strobus koraiensis Apinus koraiensis Pinus cembra var. mandschurica Pinus cembra var. excelsa Pinus koraiensis subsp. prokoraiensis Pinus strobus