A courtyard pine is the ultimate luxury upgrade; whether a home is truly grand all depends on it
Because of You
Wonders
The Piano Guys
00:00/04:04
Whether a home is grand or not isn't judged by the villa itself, but more by the garden!
Look at the stone used for the fish pond in the garden. If it is the Gansu bluestone found in the Prince Gong Mansion in Beijing, add twenty points; after the stone, look at the fish in the pond. If they are authentic purebred Japanese koi, add another twenty points;
After the koi, take a look at that pine tree, with its thick trunk and branches leaning over the water surface like a dragon drinking. If it happens to be a Buddhist pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus), then you can add fifty points.
The Buddhist pine is China's traditional "wealth-bestowing tree." Anything associated with it is always tied to the word "wealth," so it is no wonder it has always topped the list of the most popular high-end ornamental tree species.
Recently, a netizen secretly photographed a luxury villa, surrounded by more than 10 imported "pines" of various sizes, tall Buddhist pines and short Japanese white pines, which look very eye-catching. People commented one after another: "This is what a true wealthy owner looks like!"
It is said that the pines around this family's home cost over ten million, more expensive than the villa itself, with outsiders coming every year to manage them. A single pruning and maintenance session costs hundreds of thousands, truly something not just anyone can afford to keep.When "pines" are well matched, it is probably the ultimate luxury upgrade for a mansion!
Generally speaking, the older the tree species and tree age, the larger the trunk diameter, and the higher the value.One of the most important reasons Buddhist pines are so valuable is tree age.Large Buddhist pine trees generally have tree ages of several hundred years, with thick, large trunk bases and an ancient, vigorous form. However, if some branches of the tree are damaged, then its value will be affected.
Besides tree age,shaping is also an important factor determining the price of Buddhist pines.A beautifully shaped Buddhist pine bonsai sells for more than a large tree with ordinary shaping. From this it can be seen thatwhether it is a large field-planted Buddhist pine or a bonsai Buddhist pine, both have extremely high collectible significance.
The Symbolism of the Buddhist Pine
The Buddhist pine can bring people good omens,and its presence can be seen in many scenic spots, villas, temples and other places.
Many people like to plant a few Buddhist pines in front of or behind their homes. They not only bring prosperity to the owner and attract wealth, but can also bless the family with health and peace.
Longevity and Auspiciousness
In traditional Chinese culture,the Buddhist pine symbolizes longevity and safeguarding wealth, carrying an auspicious meaning,and there has long been a folk saying:"With a Buddhist pine at home, generation after generation will never suffer poverty."In ancient China, officials also regarded the Buddhist pine as a guardian of official position, and it was never absent from courtyard plantings.
Bringing Treasure and Attracting Wealth
In the horticultural world, the Buddhist pine has the effect ofbringing treasure and attracting wealth,and because of its profound cultural heritage, in South China it is known as the"wealth-attracting tree."" title.
In recent years, China has also seen a Buddhist pine craze. Many people love planting Buddhist pines, especiallyvilla owners.At present, the Buddhist pine is still a novel tree species, scarce in number and expensive, yet there is no lack of buyers, and it has extremely high collectible value.
The Charm of an Immortal
The Buddhist pine's spirit is upright and elegant, and its unique spirit of simplicity, steadiness, grandeur and vigor inspires solemn respect.
The Buddhist pine's tree form spreads out expansively, much like a tolerant and magnanimous host, stretching both arms to welcome guests with a smile and see friends off modestly, with an endless immortal charm that resonates with people's moods.
Caring for the Buddhist Pine
The Buddhist pine is an evergreen tree, with leaves spirally alternate, linear-lanceolate, pointed at the tip, narrowed at the base into a petiole-like form, with raised midribs on both sides, dark green on the surface and yellow-green on the back. The flowers are bisexual; male cones are spicate, often in clusters of 3 to 5 in the leaf axils; female cones are generally solitary in the leaf axils and stalked.
The Buddhist pine blooms in May. The receptacle is enlarged and fleshy, and the seeds are broadly ovate, borne on the receptacle. It is native to China and widely cultivated in the Yangtze River basin and the southeastern coastal areas. It prefers a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment. It likes fertile, well-drained sandy loam and can also adapt to the environmental climate of coastal plains, but its cold tolerance is relatively weak.
01
Soil
RequirementsA slightly acidic growing medium rich in humus, loose and fertile, and well-drained. In alkaline soil, the leaves turn yellow and growth is slow. It has a long lifespan, reaching several hundred years, or even over a thousand years.
02
Fertilizing
The Buddhist pinelikes fertilizerand should be given light fertilizer frequently, mainlynitrogen fertilizer, with an appropriate amount ofblack vitrioladded and fermented into alum fertilizer water.
During the growing season, fertilize once every 1 to 2 months. Fertilizing can be done together with watering (water-to-fertilizer ratio of 9:1).
03
Watering
The Buddhist pine is not a plant of the pine family. It is not drought-tolerant, but it is tolerant of shade and moisture.During the growing season, pay attention to regular watering, but do not allow waterlogging.
On sunny summer days, pay attention to regular watering, generally once in the morning and once in the evening. In addition, frequently spray water on the leaves so the foliage stays bright green and grows well. When there is relatively more rain, the Buddhist pine is not tolerant of waterlogging, so be careful to prevent prolonged standing water.
04
Light
The Buddhist pine is a neutral-to-shade-tolerant tree species. It can accept relatively strong light and can also grow in a shadier environment.
Although summer temperatures are high and sunlight is intense, because large Buddhist pine trees under high temperature and strong light conditions are helped in maintaining their tree form and leaf shape, there is no need to shade large Buddhist pine trees in summer. However, Buddhist pine seedlings, because their tissues are tender, should not be exposed to strong light for long periods. It is recommended to place them under tree shade for care.
05
Temperature
Forpotted Buddhist pines in northern regions, when the temperature stabilizes at around 10°C, they should be placed outdoors in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot for care, and moved to a semi-shaded place after summer begins; in winter, when the temperature does not drop to 5°C, they should be moved indoors, after which watering should be controlled. As long as conditions are non-freezing, they can overwinter safely.
06
Pests and Diseases
The Buddhist pine is mainly harmed by leaf spot disease and anthracnose,which can be sprayed with a 500-fold dilution of 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder.
When encounteringscale insects, red spiders and bagwormsas pests, they can be killed by spraying a 1500-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.
As a courtyard ornamental tree,
wild Buddhist pines are extremely rare,
and those with good qualities are even fewer.
In recent years,
the Buddhist pine has been highly sought after,
and it is often the case that "a single tree is hard to find."
To meet everyone's expectations,
Shanghai [Micuiyuan],
crossing the sea from Japan,
has introduced a large number of high-quality Buddhist pines,
with an ancient, vigorous appearance and excellent qualities,
very suitable for use in luxury villa courtyards.
[Micuiyuan] Buddhist Pine Planting Cases
Micuiyuan
Introduction: Micuiyuan was completed in 2010 and is located in Qingpu District, Shanghai. It is an imported nursery stock exhibition center covering 180,000 sq m.
Transportation: 20 minutes by car from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
Varieties: The garden's azaleas, sasanqua camellias, camellias, red maples, feather maples, Japanese maples, five-needle pines, etc., as well as century-old Buddhist pines and Kato Saburo bonsai, are all imported from Japan.
Opening: It is now open to VIP guests such as developers, hotels, clubs, manors and private villas.