Pine Identification Help !

[Dadayama]

This tree was purchased a number of years ago from a Lowes in Louisiana with a Japanese Black Pine label. It is not a Japanese black pine. It was recently given to me and I'm trying to get it to a healthy spot in life, but I can't figure out what type of pine it is. I have been going to nurseries trying to find something similar but with no luck. Any thoughts?

Thanks for any ideas!

Pedro

 

[River's Edge]

Why do you state it is not a Japanese black pine? Can you get a picture of buds when they are swelling or extending? The bark is not definitive, The needles appear to be in pairs and of the length for a JBP. Color and growth pattern is off likely due to the trees condition and variable care conditions.

 

[Dadayama]

The needle are pairs, two needles per bunch

 

[Dadayama]

Why do you state it is not a Japanese black pine? Can you get a picture of buds when they are swelling or extending? The bark is not definitive, The needles appear to be in pairs and of the length for a JBP. Color and growth pattern is off likely due to the trees condition and variable care conditions.

The pictures are current, what you see is what is coming out, no candle or bud extension... I have over a hundred JBP on my property from 50 to 1 year old... not a black pine.

 

[River's Edge]

The pictures are current, what you see is what is coming out, no candle or bud extension... I have over a hundred JBP on my property from 50 to 1 year old... not a black pine.

Fair enough, I have several hundred JBP in my nursery. The pictures do not show enough characteristics in my opinion to identify so I asked the question. There is a twist to the needles and the lighter color that could relate closer to Japanese Red Pine. The smaller scaled bark patches could also be JRP. However they can vary a lot as well. Might be a lot easier to identify when the health of the tree improves. If The tree was grown from seed then a lot of variation and hybridization is possible. Wish you the best! The needle length, color and bark characteristics vary considerably within the batches I have grown from seed.
Chance for clearer identification would improve with healthier buds, perhaps down the road.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

JRP stays greener in my yard, similar behavior and similar look to JBP but more lime colored, especially young growth.

 

[Shibui]

Pictures initially look like JBP to me too but looking closer there are some similarities to JRP IMHO.
What are you seeing to make you sure this is not JBP? Needles? Buds? Bark?

JRP needles are much softer than JBP and bark is softer and more flaky. Candles are the biggest difference between the 2 species. JBP has white buds and candles, JRP has brown buds.

Some years ago we had some seed that appeared to be JBP/JRP hybrid with seedlings exhibiting varying degrees of intermediate needle, bud and bark characteristics. Your tree may be a similar hybrid?

 

[Dadayama]

I wonder if it could be Turkish pine or Pinus brutia

Does Turkish pine have candles or does it push new needles up?

​

 

[Shibui]

Pinus brutia still produces candles for new growth. I'm not aware of any species that routinely don't grow candles.
The growth on your pine does not look normal. We sometimes see growth like that after stress of some sort - summer decandling, lack of water, nutrient deficiency, root problems, poor light levels, etc.
You mention it was recently given to you. Any idea what past care has been?
I would certainly be growing any pine out for a year to see if non-standard growth pattern was permanent or temporary.

 

[TacomaBonsai95]

Looks like an unhealthy JBP or JRP to me... could even be a hybrid of the two. I have an unhealthy JBP that looks just like this, grown from seed that I collected from a tree at a Japanese garden. There was a JRP right next to the tree I collected from, so it could have pollinated the JBP... that's why I suggest that a hybrid is possible for your tree.