Pinus kesiya

Common Names

Khasi Pine, Benguet Pine, Khasya Pine, Khasia Pine, Luzon Pine, Three-Needled Pine

Summary

Khasi pine, Benguet pine, or Luzon pine is a tall evergreen conifer native to Southeast Asia, with a broad range from the Khasi Hills in India east through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China to the Philippines. It typically grows to about 30–35 m tall with a straight trunk up to about 1 m in diameter, a thick reddish-brown to grayish bark with plate-like ridges, an open, narrowly dome-shaped crown, and yellow-brown branchlets. Needles occur in bundles of three and are about 12–22 cm long; seed cones are 5–9 cm long, and seeds are winged (5–6 mm long with 12–16 mm wings).

It is shade-intolerant and acts as a pioneer, regenerating best on mineral soils and in disturbed, fire-prone habitats across an altitudinal range of roughly 300–2700 m with about 700–1800 mm of annual rainfall and a pronounced dry season. In cultivation, it prefers full sun and well-drained soils, with spacing of 4 m × 4 m for resin production or 3 m × 1–2 m for timber, and rotations typically range from roughly 7–15 years in fast-growing plantations to 30–80+ years for slower stands; uses include soft timber for construction, boxes, veneer/plywood, and pulp, with resin tapped for turpentine and rosin; it is also planted ornamentally and used as a Christmas tree in the Philippines, with protected-area presence and plantations worldwide.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

98-148 ft

Spread

31-115 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-12

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained, sandy-loam soil derived from sandstone or quartzite, pH 4.5–6.0.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils, preferably sandy-loam, avoid waterlogging.

Soil pH

4.5-6.5

Bloom Color

Yellow to yellowish brown

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color; evergreen.

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Fast growing

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Grafting, Tissue culture

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds