The nodding top is normal for seedlings of this species (and for related species like Pinus pinceana and P. rzedowskii), don't worry about it!

Resin

One out of ten seeds is not good.
I got mine from the same source I think, but I got 5 out of 11 seeds (as I recall) to germinate. Lost one of the 5 soon after.
I had the four remaining ones outdoors this summer, which was not too good, because it was a wet summer -- probably lost one out of the remaining four.
They're back under growlights for the winter.
Hoping for an improvement next summer....

Good luck with yours !

This is a photo of mine taken in August (5 months old at that time). I had to place it in a sheltered place two weeks ago, just on time to save it from -7C.

osprey

This one was used for display at a BCS AGM meeting a couple of years ago, sorry for the poor quality pic.

Shows the nodding tips perfectly, though!

Resin

That plant... wow! Beautiful!

bluespruce - I have seen that photo before, a few years ago, but didn't know it was from the UK.

I would be very interested to know about the growing conditions (including soil) of that specimen -- an obviously happy plant ! (Thnx)

My Pinus pinceana seedling looked fairly similar at a similar age (not too surprising, as the two are each other's closest relatives). Growing conditions: I kept it frost-free, and as well lit as I could manage with a southwest-facing window (i.e., as full sun as I could get indoors), with a well-drained cactus type compost. Don't over-water. Here it is a few years later, just before I took it up to RBG Edinburgh (sorry, no pics of it at a younger age, that was before I got a digital camera). Note that it only developed a straight trunk after getting adult foliage.

As an aside, I'd strongly recommend Pinus pinceana for Flattie & Osprey, it should be much hardier than P. maximartinezii, with a decent chance it'll be hardy in zone 7 high desert (seed source for mine, at 2120m altitude southeast of Saltillo). And for an even weirder pine, get Pinus nelsonii.

Resin

wow, thanks for sharing!!. I haven't been able to find seeds of P. pinceana, it's in my wish list.
This is a photo of one of my P. nelsonii, same age as the maximartinezii. It's a lot bigger now!

do you think it will be hardy to -20C?

osprey

Hope so! That might be just a little more than it can take, though; I'd guess -15 to -18 might be a better estimate, but it's hard to know for sure. Also it'll likely be less hardy while still in juvenile foliage (same goes for Pp. maximartinezii and pinceana).

Resin

Thank you everyone; I feel better now.

Jaro, all 10 germinated. I was dumb and gave them too much water, so I lost most to damping off and the rest to too much summer heat. The combo did them in.

As opsrey has said, if I could find pinceana, I would grow it.

Any more info is welcome - thanks!

What does a plant of Pinus nelsonii look like? I know what its cones are like, but are there any good specimens of this species in cultivation?

Try www.pinetum.org, most of Mexican conifers photos are in Jeff Bisbee gallery. There are also some in Michael Frankis gallery.

osprey

Michael Frankis..who's he!

"if I could find pinceana, I would grow it. .. Any more info is welcome - thanks! "

From Saltillo, take the #54 road south for about 20km, then the minor road east to Cuauhtémoc, about 30km or so in total from Saltillo. Look for them growing on dry slopes with Pinus cembroides and assorted agaves and cacti. Unfortunately probably a little late to get seeds now this year, late October would be the best time to collect. There is I guess the option of buying piñones in local markets there and hoping they're not all P. cembroides, but that's not too reliable!

"Pinus nelsonii ... are there any good specimens of this species in cultivation?"

Yep, good pics from Mexico on Jeff Bisbee's gallery. My Mexico photo isn't too good, a bit blurred. The only Pinus nelsonii I know of in cultivation is this young one at RBG Edinburgh from seed I collected on the west side of Cerro Peña Nevada, which is old enough now to be producing cones (photo Nov 2006):
{{gwi:637717}}
There should be other trees elsewhere from the same collection, but I've not heard of any details.

Resin

If I'm remembering rightly, the trees visible on Google Earth at 25°15'28"N 101°01'05"W are the P. pinceana I visited.

Resin

Flattie and Osprey...where'd you guys get the seeds for those saplings? That pine is beautiful, never seen a picture of it like that one resin posted before. Pretty Amazing. What's the lowest temps it can handle?

Pinus maximartinezii, only about -5 to -8°C.

Pinus pinceana, at least -15 to -18, with luck -20, and probably about the same for P. nelsonii (occurs a little further south, but also higher, up to 2800m).

Pinus rzedowskii is probably even tenderer, unlikely to survive even -5 (much further south, but not at any higher altitude).

Resin

And how about Pinus greggii? I have a 6" seedling,but I'm not sure if it is the Northern or Southern form. T.

The northern variety is hardy down to around -20°C; it can be grown in most of Britain. The southern variety (var. australis Donahue & Lopez-Upton) hasn't been tested but is probably much less hardy, likely fairly similar to P. patula (i.e., around -10 to -12).

Resin

Thanks.I got it from a guy in the Pyrenees who sells all sorts of unusual plants and seeds,including Pines etc.
Check him out on www Florama.fr T.

Hmmm....maybe this Frankis character could reveal himself to those of us not in the loop.

It would be nice to know how many species he has planted in the Arboretum, how far he has traveled collecting plants, seeds, and photos, and how his obsession with conifers began.

Thanks!
Barbara

Here is a link that might be useful: Michael Frankis Gallery

A few photos I took of Pinus maximartinezii two weeks a ago....

Curious how these little saplings sprout from a near-horizontal trunk...

Not sure what's wrong with this one... probably lacking adequate sunlight....

Jaro, what climate are those growing in? Where were those pictures taken? Thanks.

Interesting that despite its age, it still has substantially juvenile foliage, at least on the visible low branches. Any pics of the upper crown? Any cones?

I'd guess at Berkeley?

Resin

The ones I saw at Berkeley were in full sun and had entirely adult foliage..Maybe I missed these ones though.

FWIW, I have quite a few seedlings coming along well in Florida. It will be interesting to see if they can handle the humidity without any diseases....

These were east of San Diego - see link below.

{{gwi:638674}}

No cones on any of them.

But in another area I found this cone -- by far the largest I've ever seen.
At about 9 inches long (23 cm), there is no way I could bring it home.
Moreover, when I took it apart partially (difficult!) I couldn't find any seeds in it.
What pine is it from ? (Thnx)

Here is a link that might be useful: Conifer Forest in Wild Animal Park

Pinus coulteri

Resin

As to why no seeds - the cone has already been open while it was on the tree, and shed the seeds. Then later (maybe 2-3 years later) the base rotted enough for the cone to fall off the tree; while lying on the ground it has got damp enough for the scales to close up again.

Resin

That describes the situation perfectly ! ....thanks Resin !