Ayacahuite pine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ayacahuite pine |
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Pinus
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ayacahuite
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The Ayacahuite pine (scientific name: Pinus ayacahuite) is also known as the Mexican white pine. It belongs to the Pinaceae family, which includes all pines. This tall tree grows naturally in the mountains of southern Mexico and western Central America.
You can find it in places like the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. It also grows at the eastern end of the Eje Volcánico Transversal in Mexico. Its natural home stretches from 14° to 21°N latitude. This includes Mexican states such as Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Chiapas. It also grows in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Ayacahuite pines like places with lots of summer rain. They need full sun and soil that drains water well. The best temperature for them is usually between 10 and 19 degrees Celsius (50-66 degrees Fahrenheit) on average each year. These trees can grow in climates from warm subtropical to cooler areas.
What Does the Ayacahuite Pine Look Like?
The Ayacahuite pine is a very large tree. It often grows to be 30–45 meters (about 100-150 feet) tall. Some can even reach an amazing 50 meters (over 160 feet)! It is part of the white pine group.
Like other white pines, its leaves are called 'needles'. These needles grow in bundles of five. Each bundle has a sheath that falls off. The needles are 9–16 cm (about 3.5-6 inches) long. They have tiny saw-like edges.
The cones of this pine are long and thin. They are 15–40 cm (about 6-16 inches) long and 4–6 cm (about 1.5-2.5 inches) wide when closed. When they open, they can be 6–10 cm (about 2.5-4 inches) wide. The scales on the cones are thin and bendy. The seeds are small, only 6–8 mm long. They have a long, thin wing, 18–25 mm long, which helps them fly in the wind.
This tree can get a disease called white pine blister rust. However, when grown by people, it seems to be less affected than many other American white pines.
Where is the Ayacahuite Pine Used?
People plant the Ayacahuite pine for two main reasons. They use it for its beauty (as an ornamental tree) and for business (like making paper). It is grown in many different parts of the world.
- In warm, tropical areas: It is grown for paper production in high places in Kenya, Tanzania, and Angola.
- In mild, subtropical areas: It is planted on the highlands of South Africa. It also grows in the highest parts of Southern Brazil and Northern India.
- In mild regions at middle and lower heights: You can find it in Argentina, in the provinces of Salta, Tucumán, and Córdoba. Here it grows 500 to 1500 meters (about 1,600-4,900 feet) above sea level.
- Near sea level: It is grown for business in Australia (in Queensland and New South Wales) and New Zealand. It is also planted as an ornamental tree in the British Isles. The tallest Ayacahuite pine in Germany is 20.5 meters (about 67 feet) tall. It grows at the Sequoiafarm Kaldenkirchen arboretum.
Even though it comes from warm, tropical places, this pine can handle cold weather surprisingly well. It has survived temperatures close to -30°C (about -22°F) in places like Scotland and Pennsylvania, USA. People love to plant it in parks because of its pretty leaves and very long cones. These cones are some of the longest that can be grown in many mild climates.
The wood from this tree is very useful. It is often used for building things inside homes and other buildings.
See also
In Spanish: Pinus ayacahuite para niños
