The Sugar Pine
(Pinus lambertiana) was introduced to Britain in the 1840s by plant collectors like William Lobb and David Douglas, following Douglas's 1826 discovery in North America, with seedlings appearing in nurseries by the 1840s for Victorian ornamental planting, though its susceptibility to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) limited the longevity of British specimens, leading to the demise of many historic trees.
Discovery & Naming
David Douglas first identified Pinus lambertiana in Oregon in 1826.
He named it in honor of his friend, British botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert, a founder of the Linnean Society of London.
Introduction to Britain
Seed was brought back to Britain by collectors, with William Lobb(working for Veitch & Sons) being a key figure, introducing it in the 1840s.
John Matthew, a Scot, also brought seeds to Scotland around the same time.
By the mid-1840s, nurseries like Veitch's were selling seedlings.
Victorian Popularity
The tree quickly became popular in Victorian gardens as a specimen tree, similar to the Giant Sequoia (Wellingtonia).
Notable plantings included avenues at estates like Biddulph Grange, notes Wikipedia.
Decline in Britain
The Sugar Pine proved vulnerable to white pine blister rust, a disease absent in its native range.
This fungal rust decimated many of the mature trees planted in Britain.
An impressive specimen at Dropmore, planted in 1843, lived until 1950, demonstrating the species' potential but also its ultimate susceptibility to the disease in the UK climate, notes Trees and Shrubs Online.
The Sugar Pine
(Pinus lambertiana) was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1827 by the Scottish botanist and plant hunter David Douglas.
Discovery and Naming
Scientific Discovery: Douglas first encountered the species on October 26, 1826, near the headwaters of the Umpqua River in Oregon. He described it as "the largest and most immense and tallest conifer in the world".
Etymology: Douglas named the tree in honor of his friend Aylmer Bourke Lambert, a prominent British botanist and author of A Description of the Genus Pinus.
Common Name: The name "Sugar Pine" refers to its sweet, resinous sap, which was used as a sweetener by Native Americans.
Introduction to the UK
Initial Seed Shipment: Douglas sent the first seeds to the Royal Horticultural Society in London in 1827 following his second North American expedition.
Commercial Distribution: By the mid-19th century, nurseries such as Veitch & Sonwere actively collecting and selling Sugar Pine seeds. William Lobb, a collector for Veitch, sent back large quantities of seed in 1851.
Notable Early Specimens: One of the most famous early plantings was at Dropmore Park in Buckinghamshire in 1843. This tree grew to a height of 95 feet before dying in 1950.
Historical Challenges
While initially popular as an ornamental specimen, the Sugar Pine's long-term survival in the UK was severely hampered by White Pine Blister Rust (Cronartium ribicola). This fungal disease killed many of the original 19th-century specimens, making mature Sugar Pines a rarity in the British landscape today.