Pinus radiata

A very fast conifer to 70 ft.. It has dark green foliage and is native along the coast of Monterey, Ca.. It likes full sun. It is garden tolerant. It is fast growing. It's smog sensitive and wind tolerant. It will grow in the coastal fog belt only. In the interior it grows great! But then dies after 5-10 years. The tree does not have a root system (the interior mycorrhizal assoc. are not stable and may be completely incompatable (Giovannetti & Lioi)) actually or leaf structure capable of tolerating drought stress along with heat stress. I've seen it live for 30+ years in the interior but only where there is high summer humidity. As next to a permanent pasture. We do not grow this sub-species unless it is requested as a site-specific mitigation. It is too readily available in nurseries and does poorly everywhere but the coast. [Will grow in pH as high as 8+ but very short lived]