Pine family, Pinaceae
Origin: the west of North America
Habitat in the original area: lowland to mountain forests; sandy and gravelly soils
Habitus: A tree which is 20–30 metres tall. The crown is ovoid-conical in shape. The bark is furrowed and peels off in sheets. The shoots are rusty and non-frosty.
Leaf: The buds are resinous. The needles are clustered in bundles of three and are most abundant at the ends of the branches. They are dark green and 12–25 centimetres long.
Bloom, fruit: The seed cones are ovoid, light brown, shiny and have curved tips on the surface. The cone does not fall off completely, but the wreath of its lower scales remains on the branch. The brown seeds have winged outgrowths. Interesting fact: It is one of the tallest pines. It is confused with Jeffrey Pine, from which it differs in shorter needles, resinous buds and the ovoid-conical shape of the cones. Jeffrey Pine has buds without resin, but its shoots are covered with waxy layers. The cones are conical, tapering noticeably towards the top.
