Plenty of good people create amazing gardens but still manage to keep balance in their lives. I immerse myself in my passion for plants and gardens to the point where I struggle to imagine myself doing anything else.
I live life inspired by that wonderful line from Frances Burnett in The Secret Garden, “if you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden”. It’s a good existence I think, one of contentment and joy.
Sometimes I let myself become engrossed by a topic. I love rainy days because they give me the opportunity to lounge in my armchair and randomly dip into my books; depending on my mood I will pursue a topic thoroughly, or sometimes I just see where the words take me.
The Lacebark Pine
The noted botanist Aljos Farjon described the lacebark pine, Pinus bungeana, as “a plant to inherit or bequeath.”
It’s something that has stuck in my head for many years now, not only for its eloquence but its accuracy. The lacebark pine is a slow growing species, and in all honesty it spends a surprising number of years looking rather dull. There are pines with excellent decorative needles, and most have interesting bark. Some pines have enormous cones too.
The needles of Pinus hartwegii are fabulous, while those of Pinus bungeana… aren’t
As time passes the lacebark pine slowly and subtly starts to develop the most extraordinary bark. Rather than making thick and woody chunks, the sort of thing that sometimes ends up as decorative bark for gardens, the bark of the lacebark pine makes irregular scales or plates which slough off as the tree grows. The result is a patchwork of silver, cinnamon and green.
Rare
Being slow and taking time to develop your key features is not going to win favour with many gardeners.
It’s hard enough being a conifer in the 21st century, when you’re all largely out of favour, but for poor old Pinus bungeana there is little hope. There are plenty of slow growing pines around, some of which are coveted by collectors, but they’re generally far prettier and more charming than the lacebark pine.
Consequently you’re unlikely to see this species in gardens and nurseries.
Westonbirt
Westonbirt Arboretum is one of the gems of British tree collections. The place is vast and filled with hardy species from all around the world.
I visited back in January, keen to see what was looking good at such a difficult time of the year. Unsurprisingly the conifers were the stars of the show; great specimens towered above me, standing out against a backdrop of sleeping deciduous trees.
My, what boring needles you have…
To this day I have no idea why that quote about the lacebark pine being a tree to “inherit or bequeath” came to me, but I suddenly felt the urge to see if Westonbirt had one. The very helpful Arboretum Explorer interface told me they had a single specimen, and roughly where it was.
With fading energy levels, evening drawing near and a long drive home ahead of me, I crossed the entire arboretum to look for a single tree.
I learnt that day why Pinus bungeana is rare in cultivation. The tree was thin, unexciting and hemmed in by much larger trees. But here it was, at long last, my first encounter with a tree that I’d been aware of for so many years. Even though there was barely any trace of the beautiful bark I had been told about I was still excited to be in its company.
The Search Begins
This was the beginning of a new interest. I lack the time and resources to take myself off on grand expeditions to visit the species in collections, but if I’m going to a collection anyway I now have something specific to look out for.
Pinus bungeana at Port Elliott in winter
There’s a specimen at the Port Elliott Estate in Cornwall, about 50 minutes from my home. The positioning of this tree is much better than the Westonbirt one. It stands alone on a promontory near the house, and despite being multi-stemmed is a much nicer tree. The attractive bark was still undeveloped but was starting to show.
Wisley
I was at the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley, London, for a meeting anyway; what better opportunity to go and find their lacebark pine. I’d seen photographs of it on social media the week before, shared by the team from the International Conifer Conservation Programme; here was a larger specimen with the celebrated bark!
Armed with vague directions I went searching.
Finding a pine tree among pine trees at Wisley
I don’t mind telling you that the first glimpse of a promising tree was very exciting. I’d walked through collections of other pines but had failed to find the lacebark. Then, tucked behind another tree, was an unusually scruffy pine. I just knew this had to be it. My joy increased as I drew closer and saw the three colours of the bark.
Beautiful bark of Pinus bungeana
Other visitors just saw a grown man seemingly getting rather excited about random tree. I was enamoured, and determined to enjoy every second with it, and every detail too. The only thing other visitors seemed to care about was watching their children trying to break branches off the neighbouring cryptomeria.
These days it’s perfectly OK to vandalise trees; it’s people showing them appreciation that are odd.
Finding Happiness
This is a story about finding happiness.
It’s apparently not cool to be too enthusiastic about plants, even in gardening circles. It seems we’re supposed to be cold and indifferent, uncaring even, about plants. It’s the done thing to look at gardens with the same quiet reverence with which you might look at a painting in a gallery; becoming excited about a plant is as odd as being excited that an artist has used a certain colour of paint. We’re supposed to admire the person who created the garden for their genius, real or perceived, and not the garden itself.
I’ve always been a bit of an outsider, not one of the trendy people. It’s a liberating place to be; away from the constraints of expectation we are free to indulge our interests without caring about the judgements of others.
A rare selfie
Find your own ‘lacebark pine’. Find a species of tree or any other type of plant that makes you happy. Seek out information, go to gardens and collections to see examples of the thing that brings you joy. Take pictures and make notes of your chosen interest. Become a dullard at parties….
Gardening culture is becoming evermore dull and earnest; we need people who break away from convention and follow what makes them happy.
Read about the International Conifer Conservation Programme.
Great article. I am in CT, USA and I have a 20 year old lacebark. I love them too! And I agree, plants make ME happy. I squeel with delight, jump for joy, and all those other things that make life as a gardener so rewarding. We are of the same tribe!
This is what gardening should be about, open expressions of joy.
Last fall I found a forlorn looking tree in a corner of a big box store. It had been knocked over and looked like it just wanted to die. It was half price for $25. I felt that I had to rescue the poor thing. Turned out it was a heptacodium. Never heard of it. Planted it, hoped for the best. It survived . It’s a joy to see it starting to flower.
The bees are all over it. It’s not a lacebark pine, but it makes me ridiculously happy.
Oh I know heptacodiums well; they get better year after year.
What’s wrong with London Plane trees? They’ve got a better shape especially in old age, don’t look depressing in winter and have similar bark effects. OK I understand your stand. Someone has to stop them pining.
Absolutely; they’re also a lot more widely grown so are easier to find.
I’m fortunate to work at a place with quite a few Lacebark pines.
You are lucky indeed!
Thank you for this essay! It’s not an uncommon tree, but one of mine is old-fashioned, native North American dogwood trees. The creamy white ones that laced the understories of the springtime forests of my youth. Apparently they’re susceptible to some disease and are therefore rarely sold commercially in our region anymore. So they’ve become almost mythical in my gardening life; even though I can still see them around town I apparently can’t grow one in my own yard.
And of course there are the unusual trees and plants we read or hear about, that (hopefully) delight us when we actually come across them. I enjoy coming across hickory trees because of a favorite children’s book, featuring a simple doll carved from a hickory stick.
Dogwoods are great trees in all their species and forms, and what a fantastic tree to see around.
When I first moved to Northern Virginia they grew everywhere in wooded areas. I thought the woods had beautiful lace weaving through. All gone. I miss them to this day.
I’m in the NC Blue Ridge mountains south of Asheville and we still have a good many native dogwoods on our rural acreage. They do show signs of disease, probably anthracnose as well as leaf spot diseases and powdery mildew most years but they’ve survived that for many years now and still bring me much joy with their lacy flowers and scarlet autumn leaves in our woods.
Finally a post on pines — thank you! Very interesting and much appreciated. I once held P. bungeana in high esteem, just as I did Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple). While the bark on both is exquisite, I’ve yet to find a specimen in arboreta having a form I can fall in love with. I admit I’m a bit jaded since I’ve tried both in cold Wisconsin with no success. They’re just a bit out of my climatic reach.
“Other visitors just saw a grown man seemingly getting rather excited about random tree. I was enamoured, and determined to enjoy every second with it, and every detail too.”
This is why I prefer to visit botanical gardens and arboretums by myself. Most people find my tendency to lose myself in the beauty & interest of a tree somewhat peculiar. To each their own.
Well done, Ben Probert!
I too like to visit by myself. My dear spouse will go with me and not look too bored, but I know he’s bored so I don’t enjoy myself.
I tend to walk quickly between trees but then linger when I find something I really like.
Infuriating for most people.
Trees And Shrubs Online shows quite a few specimens, some multistemmed, others not. I suspect it’s probably just a variable tree.
Long live the plant enthusiasts! Long may we lurk in the quiet corners of gardens and arboreta giving our appreciation to the plants others barely see at all.
I still remember the first, and only time I saw a Lacebark Pine in all its glory. It took my breath away. Thanks for loving them and writing about them.
Once seen, never forgotten.
Thank you for this article. I had the privilege of knowing JC Raulston who started what is now the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh NC USA. Privileged because JC as professor at NC State University was always on the cutting edge of introducing to North Carolina by sharing plants with anyone in the horticultural community and general public. One could not leave his compelling lectures without a desire to find a plant he spoke about! Therefore he was able to amass not only an arboretum full of potential landscape introductions but also of a world wide horticultural (dare I say) family of plant enthusiasts such as yourself. I am happy to say after 50 years of the JCRA’s inception his legacy still inspires. I live in a typical piedmont NC woodland. The dominant trees are Pinus taeda known here as Loblolly Pine and I stay amazed every day at their majesty.
In the UK we have Roy Lancaster, a man who can hold audiences of any ability in rapture as he enthuses about trees. He leaves a room with a palpable need to find out more.
Jim Dronenburg in MD, USA here. I got lacebark pines maybe ten years ago, tiny little things, and they are showing beautiful bark already. Could it be a function of mid-East-Coast hotter climate? J
I know this is crazy off-topic but when I saw the picture of the 3 colored bark, I envisioned a handknit sweater. I’m a spinner so many of the things I see morph into the possibility of spinning the yarn and making something. Plants are incredibly inspiring. Don’t ever stop being enthusiastic over something as beautiful as that lacebark pine no matter who thinks you’re crazy. They’re missing so much by NOT engaging on any level. AND they should be chastised for letting their children break ANYTHING. I have told kids to stop that activity whenever I see it, I don’t care if they’re not my kids. I suppose that’s blasphemy at this time but it hasn’t stopped me yet. Thanks for a good rant.
Love this piece — the way pines hold their shape and stand through seasons is inspiring. Your storytelling draws me into their hidden world along the roadways.