David's keteleeria is a large, flowering, evergreen tree in the pine family native to China and Taiwan where it is found along mountain slopes or in woodlands growing in small groups or solitary. The tree has medium green needles, large branches, an upright or oval habit and, at maturity, can reach 100 feet high. The bark is rough and fissured. When it is young, the branches are covered with stiff hairs. Plant in full sun in sandy or loamy soils with good drainage. It will do best in a sheltered site away from cold winds for its first few years. This tree suffers in the shade and prefers heat and dry or slightly moist soils. Use David's keteleeria as a landscape or shade tree. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant diseases or insect pests
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Oval
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark shiny green leaves, 2 1/2 inches long, ending keeled on both sides, entire, rounded at the apex. Leaves usually arranged like the teeth of a comb.
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower detail
Flowers appear in March and are wind pollinated.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit detail
Seeds ripen in fall. Seed cones cylindrical. Heart-shaped seed scales at middle of cones.
Bark color
Black; Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Dull brown to gray-black. Rough and longitudinally fissured, flaking.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Buds are scaly and red in the spring. Stems are slender covered in stiff brown hairs, initially yellowish gray, yellow, or light gray, but turning gray or light brown in 2nd or 3rd year.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central and Southern China and Taiwan.
Distribution
Northern Viet Nam.
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Uses (ethnobotany)
The wood is close grained and easily worked for building purposes, furniture and wood fiber.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Slope/Bank; Woodland
Landscape theme
Asian Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#conifer #large tree #evergreen tree #needled evergreen #evergreen #heat tolerant #wind pollinated #dry soils tolerant #slow growing #woodland