Pine family, Pinaceae
Origin: western North America
Habitat in the original area: mountains
Habitus: A tree growing up to the height of 60 metres has a conical crown. The bark is smooth and grey when young, then cracking when old. The buds are resinous.
Leaf: The fragrant, sickle-shaped, up to 6 centimetres long needles grow in two rows. Both the upper and lower sides are of a grey-blue-green colour, the white stripes on the underside are not striking.
Bloom, fruit: In April, it produces red-green male and yellow-green female cones, which turn brown as they ripen. The supporting scales do not protrude from them.
Interesting fact: The needles smell intensely of citrus when crushed. Thanks to its resistance to frost, drought and polluted air, it is a very popular park tree. Being blue-grey frosted, it is also decorative. In recent years, this species has also been used as a Christmas tree.
