Re: Monterey Pine

It's not just in the North Island that Pinus Radiata is grown. My grandfather lived just north of Christchurch and was instrumental in the early 1930's in having quite a lot of pine trees planted, and I remember plantations on the outskirts of Dunedin well. In Marlborough where I live there is a lot planted around the more coastal hill regions. Our houses are predominately framed with Pinus Radiata.
I remember a few years ago that a plantation inland on the Canterbury plains at Peel Forest suffered enormous damage from strong winds. Coastal plants planted in sand are not nearly so vulnerable, and it can be a useful tree to stabilise coastal sandy regions. It's not a plant I would choose for a garden plant, but that's a local bias that it is a boring tree. Macrocarpa is often used for hedges, especially for farm hedges where it may be very high. I inherited a macrocarpa hedge, and neglect, mainly on our part has meant that is is well and truly out of control.
On high country farms wilding pine (radiata) is considered to be somewhat of a pest plant, and is having to be removed when it is young. 


Pamela Steele wrote:

Dear Alison
You will have seen the huge plantations of Pinus radiata in the New Zealand North Island grown in place of native endemic trees for timber export and pulp and paper industry. Also, most trees grown on sheep farms throughout New Zealand (initially put there for wind protection) are Pinus radiata or macrocarpa. Both of these when individually grown can break limbs and fall over in high winds. The New Zealand countryside is littered with them. In my observation in NZ and here in the Costa Blanca, pines need to be in stands or groups for their own protection (as in the plantations). Immediately cutting down some pines from a stand makes the others very vulnerable. It is a sad thing here people cutting down these beautiful trees (Pinus halepensis) for spurious reasons and then suffering the consequences...just a thought. Best 
Pamela
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