Pine family, Pinaceae
Origin: the west of the U.S.A.
Habitat in the original area: light forests
Habitus: A tall tree (30–40 metres) with a sparse, conical crown. In old age, the bark is rusty brown, thin and peels off in parts. The branches are evenly spaced and slightly droop at the ends. The shoots are blue-frosted and smell of citrus when cut.
Leaf: Brown buds are without resin. The needle-like leaves are in bundles of three and are 12–20 centimetres long. They have a sharp tip at the top, they are finely serrated along the entire length and their colour is blue-green. They are fragrant when crushed.
Bloom, fruit: Light brown, conical cones grow on short stalks. They have thin curved tips on their surface.
Interesting fact: It stands out as a solitary specimen in parks due to its height and long needles. A related and very similar species, the Ponderosa Pine (P. ponderosa), which has three needles, is also cultivated.
