Common Name:

General Information

Keteleeria davidiana is an evergreen tree with an oblate crown; it can grow up to 50 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 250cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its valuable wood, which is traded. It is commonly planted in China as an amenity tree in parks, near temples and sometimes as a street tree[]..
Keteleeria davidiana has a wide distribution and no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - central and southern China (Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan), Taiwan, Vietnam

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; at elevations from 300 - 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Keteleeria davidiana grows best in a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and a cool, moist winter. The plant is moderately cold-hardy, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant. It requires at least 4 months with temperatures above 25°c to fully ripen its new growth and make it more cold toleran, otherwise winter damage is more likely to occurt[]. The new growth in spring is very susceptible to damage by late frosts[]. The plant is found in the wild in a humid, continental warm temperate to subtropical climate, with a mean annual precipitation in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm[].
Requires a sheltered position in a moist but well-drained light loamy soil with added leafmold[]. Plants are found on rich forest soils, but are also found in China on red and yellow earth, which are acid, podzolic soils poor in nutrients[]. Plants require a hot dry site if they are to flourish[], with. They []. A tree at Wakehurst Place, south of London, was 14 metres tall in 1980[].
Trees are slow growing in Britain[] and are rather tender when they are young[].
Trees are not very tolerant of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, preferably 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[].
Trees usually regrow if they have been coppiced[, ].
Plants do not produce seed in Britain[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Keteleeria davidiana, like many species in the Pinaceae, appears to act as a pionee treer in secondary vegetation[].

Other Uses

The wood is soft, light, resinous, close grained, easily worked. It is esteemed for building purposes, carpentry, furniture and wood fibre[, , ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse in the spring[]. 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[]. Easy[].