Patula pine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Patula pine |
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Pinus
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patula
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| Natural range of Pinus patula | |
The Patula Pine (Pinus patula) is a special type of pine tree. It is also known as the Spreading-leaved Pine or Mexican Weeping Pine. In Spanish, people call it pino patula or pino llorón. The name patula comes from Latin and means "spreading," which describes its branches.
This tree originally comes from the high mountains of Mexico. It grows in areas that are about 1,800 to 2,700 meters (5,900 to 8,900 feet) above sea level.
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What the Patula Pine Looks Like
The Patula Pine can grow very tall, up to 30 meters (98 feet) high. It can handle short periods of cold weather, but not extremely low temperatures. It does not like temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). However, it is quite good at surviving dry spells.
Where Patula Pines Grow
In its natural home, the Patula Pine usually gets 750 to 2,000 millimeters (30 to 79 inches) of rain each year. Most of this rain falls during the summer. In a small part of Mexico, near the Sierra Madre Oriental, it rains all year round.
Patula Pine Around the World
People have planted Patula Pines in many other countries. These include Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, and Hawaii. In Hawaii, it grows at high altitudes, up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Sometimes, it even replaces native plants there.
At lower altitudes, you can find it in Southern Brazil, South Africa, and India. It is also planted in parts of Argentina. Here, it helps to grow new forests in areas that used to be covered by bushes.
It has also been brought to New South Wales, Australia, near the sea. It spreads easily there because it rains a lot in summer. In New Zealand, it was planted for business reasons and now grows naturally. In the United Kingdom, it is grown in parks and gardens because it is a beautiful tree. It even won an award called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Patula Pine Wood
The wood from the Patula Pine is light pink to salmon in color. It is quite soft and can break easily. When the wood is freshly cut, it has a strong smell, a bit like aniseed.
See also
In Spanish: Pino mexicano amarillo para niños
