Radiata pine (Pinus radiata, known as Monterey pine in its place of origin, California), makes up nearly 90% of New Zealand’s plantation forest (1.6 million hectares). The pine grows much faster here than its homeland – about 7 times faster than in the US and 20 times faster than in Canada. No wonder then that New Zealand, along with Chile and Australia, are the top growers of this species worldwide. New Zealand also boasts the most extensive plantation forest, dominated by radiata pine, in the southern hemisphere (Kaingaroa Forest [click here for map]). So, how did this pine species become so integral to our landscape and economy? Radiata pine was first introduced in the late 1850s as a trial for more widespread planting. Encouraged by its excellent growth rate, seeds were imported from California in the 1870s, mainly for shelter belts and woodlots. It proved to be versatile and grew well throughout New Zealand on a variety of soil types, including coastal sands, heavy clays, gravels and volcanic ash deposits, and by the first forestry planting boom in the 1920s and 1930s, it had been adopted as the species of choice.
The first New Zealand radiata pine plantations were grown 
from seed collected from farm shelter belts. In its natural state it was a coarse and highly variable tree and also tended to grow many branches and a forked trunk. To improve its quality as a timber species, a genetic research programme was started in the 1950s. Trees of superior growth and form were selected and propagated by grafting. The first improved radiata pines were planted in forests in 1970 and scientists continue to work on ways to improve the quality, disease-resistance and robustness of the radiata pine in New Zealand today.
However, some view our radiata pine forests as “cloned” forests and say that a forest of genetically identical trees is more susceptible to new viruses or pests than a genetically diverse forest. New Zealand’s forestry industry is also criticised for its clear-cutting practices (as opposed to selective logging practised in many European countries) and the excessive application of herbicides and insecticides. Certainly, the commercially grown trees today bear little resemblance to the earliest known radiata pine at Mt Peel Station (photo above right).
See also: The Canadian Connection – Leon MacIntosh Ellis
Sources: Forestry Insights; Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand; “Clean and green? The New Zealand Environment”(2000) by R. Tong & G. Cox.
Photo above left: The uniform trunks of a radiata pine plantation in Taranaki, New Zealand (Photo: Ted Roberts). Bottom right: New Zealand’s oldest radiata pine – planted in 1859 (the earliest recorded planting), at Mt Peel Station in South Canterbury (Photo: Jock Phillips).
envirohistory NZ 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We, a group of students of the University of applied life sciences, Vienna, were offered to write an article for an Austrian magazine called “Forstzeitung” (~18.000 readers; Link: http://www.timber-online.net) about Pinus radiata.
This article will be based on our bachelor´s thesis entitled “Economical and ecological aspects of P.radiata”.
Therefore we kindly request you to give us the permission to publish a picture of a P. radiata-stand, originating from the envirohistory-Homepage.
With kind regards,
Johannes Pirker on behalf of the editorial department
Permission to reproduce this photo have been kindly granted by the copyright owner of the photo, Ted Roberts. Ted Roberts is a rural real estate agent in Taranaki, who also has an obvious good eye for photography! Interestingly, the owner of the forest photographed, which is located in Taranaki, New Zealand, is a Canadian forester – any relation to Leon McIntosh Ellis, we wonder?
My father was the first Director of Forestery in New Zealand. I am unable to make out the photo as presented. He imported Pinus Radiata from Calif. in order to reforest New Zealand decimated by the native population. He was director in the 1920s. Regards, Leon M Ellis
Dear Catherine,
Thank you for helping me so spontaniously! You contributed a lot to the success of our first article.
It will be published by upcoming summer. I could sent, though it will be written in German.
Great article! Radiata is just about the only trees I ever see round here…
Try this link for more on the California-New Zealand connection.
http://thefieldofgold.blogspot.com/2011/12/california-trees-that-came-to-new.html