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Keteleeria davidiana

Common name:		Family:	Pinaceae
Author:	(Bertrand.)Beissner.	Botanical references:	11, 109, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - S.W. China.
Habitat:	Usually found in areas with hot dry climates, growing in woodlands and on mountain slopes, often solitary or in small clumps, occasionally forming pure stands, 300 - 1500 metres[109].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Keteleria davidiana[HORTIPLEX] Pseudotsuga davidiana[G]
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Pine family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 30m. It is hardy to zone 7 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in March, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - soft, light, resinous, close grained, easily worked. It is esteemed for building purposes, furniture and wood fibre[61, 109, 266].

Cultivation details

Requires a sheltered position in a moist but well-drained light loamy soil with added leafmold[1]. Plants require a hot dry site if they are to flourish[81], with at least 4 months of temperatures above 25°c[200]. They grow best in a Mediterranean climate[200]. A tree at Wakehurst Place, south of London, was 14 metres tall in 1980[11].
Trees are slow growing in Britain[185] and are rather tender when they are young[1]. The new growth can be damaged by late spring and early autumn frosts[81].
Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. Planting out larger trees also badly affects root development and wind resistance[200].
Trees can be coppiced[200].
Plants do not produce seed in Britain[185].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse in the spring[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from winter cold for their first two winters outdoors.
Cuttings of leading shoots from coppiced plants, summer in a frame[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Keteleria davidiana (a possible synonym).

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Pinaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Keteleeria+davidiana
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Keteleeria+davidiana

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.