Scientific Name
Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera'
Unique and beautiful specimens, the two Tanyosho pines are focal points on the west side of Claver Hall. Japanese red pine is native to East Asia and is very cold hardy, often growing to 50 feet tall and wide, with trees up to 100 feet known. However, the Tanyosho cultivar is considered a dwarf form and is unlikely to exceed 30 feet in height at maturity. The current Colorado champion is 27 feet tall, and one of the Regis specimens has reached third place on the list at 20 feet.
This pine has soft, twisted needles in bundles of two, three to five inches long. The foliage is dense and typically develops a layered form with age. The name 'Umbraculifera' means umbrella bearing. Seed cones are one and a half to two inches long and may remain on the tree for several years. The bark has an orange cast when young and becomes scaly and peeling with age. Trees are sometimes multi-stemmed and are often grafted onto non-cultivar rootstock, with the graft union sometimes visible on the trunk. In addition to the two specimens at Claver Hall, three more grow on the hill north of the Jesuit House.