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Pinaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Keteleeria davidiana

Keteleeria davidiana

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

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[1]. The new growth in spring is very susceptible to damage by late frosts[2]. 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[3]. Requires a sheltered position in a moist but well-drained light loamy soil with added leafmold[4]. 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[3]. Plants require a hot dry site if they are to flourish[2], with. They [1]. A tree at Wakehurst Place, south of London, was 14 metres tall in 1980[5]. Trees are slow growing in Britain[6] and are rather tender when they are young[4]. 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[1]. Trees usually regrow if they have been coppiced[1, 3]. Plants do not produce seed in Britain[6].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse in the spring[4]. 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[1]. Easy[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Keteleeria+davidiana>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]Conifers. — Rushforth. K. · Christopher Helm · 1987 · ISBN 0-7470-2801-X ↩︎Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.
  3. [3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  6. [6]Conifers in the British Isles. — Mitchell. A. F. · HMSO · 1975 · ISBN 0-11-710012-9 ↩︎A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
  7. [7]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  8. [8]Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3 — Wilson. E. H. · University Press; Cambridge. · 1911 - 1917 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  9. [9]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.