Pinus Roxburghii, Chir Pine - 0.5 kg Seeds

The Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) is the dominant pine of the lower Himalaya, a tall evergreen conifer with long, slender needles in bundles of three and large, woody cones. It is one of India's most important resin trees: tapping the trunk yields oleoresin processed into turpentine and rosin, while the strong, resinous wood is used for construction, poles, railway sleepers and fuel.

It forms extensive forests on the dry, sunny outer Himalayan slopes from about 500 to 2,000 m, from Jammu and Kashmir through Himachal and Uttarakhand to the north-east. Fire-adapted and drought-hardy, it readily colonises eroded hillsides and is widely used in afforestation of degraded hill land.

• Family: Pinaceae
• Native region: Himalayan foothills of northern India and adjoining regions
• Mature height: 30-50 m
• Growth rate: Moderate to fast

Soak the winged seeds in water for 24-48 hours before sowing to hasten germination. Sow about 1-1.5 cm deep in a sandy, well-drained nursery mix in full sun, keeping it moist; germination usually occurs within 2-3 weeks. Raise the seedlings in bags for one season and transplant to hill sites at the onset of the monsoon.