What types of pine are there and how to grow them. Alphabetical index of plants from “A” to “Z”

The benefits of this tree are already legendary. Pine usually grows in forests and is neutral to climate change. In winter and summer, its needles are green, and the cones contain tasty nuts for birds and squirrels. Later in this post we will see what a pine tree and its closest relatives look like in the photo.

Pine- genus coniferous trees from the Pine family. In nature, there are about 115 species of trees and shrubs. They grow in temperate climates of the northern hemisphere, although there are species that grow well in warm areas, such as mountains.

Pine is evergreen with long and thin needles. These trees are quite resistant to any conditions environment and temperature. Pine trees reproduce sexually, producing separate male and female inflorescences.

This type of tree is considered one of the the highest species of plants on Earth and most of them are endangered. Some species are already protected by law, while in Poland three species of pine trees are strictly protected.

Some species and varieties of pine trees are very popular as ornamental plants. Pine trees are a food source for many insects, although some are pests. When weakened, pine trees can be susceptible to pathogens that can cause a range of diseases. Some diseases are characteristic of pine, but there are also diseases that can spread to other plants.

Pines are important source wood, resin, essential oils and edible seeds. For many centuries they have been an important source for people in their Everyday life, which later became part of the folklore, art and culture of many societies. Pines have even been used as religious and political symbols.

This is what a pine forest looks like:

Characteristics of pine

As mentioned earlier, pine is evergreen tree, less commonly shrub. Pine bark thick and scaly, but there are species with thin bark, but they are fewer in number. Roots young pines are usually conical in shape, and with age they acquire an umbrella-shaped roundness. Branches grow in the usual direction, although sometimes they look like tight spirals. Young shoots of pine are bright and grow straight up; over time they darken. Also, based on the state of the shoots, foresters and hunters can determine the state of fertility and vitality of the tree. Read more about this about leaves.

Pine foliage (needles)

IN different periods growth, four types of leaves develop.

1. On seedlings of cotyledons 3-24
2. Young shoots that can be used for seedlings are 2-6 cm long, solitary, often green or blue-green in color, and arranged spirally on the shoot. They can grow from 6 months to five years.
3. The third type is long shoots after the first 6 months. Small in size, brown with scales, do not participate in photosynthesis.
4. The needles and mature leaves are green. The needles remain on the branches during winter and autumn for 3-15 years.

The number of pine cotyledons can be variable, even within the same species. On average, Scots pine seedlings number 5, but this figure can vary from 3 to 9. Bunches of needles at the base are covered with a sheath of scaly leaves. The tips of the needles are pointed, often with jagged edges.

Pine cones

When gymnosperm inflorescences decline, they form clusters like inflorescences. Cones often used to determine the male and female sex of inflorescences. Male cones are often cylindrically elongated and small, usually 1-5 cm in length. They appear in most species in the spring and in a few in the fall. Female cones are spherical or ovoid.

Scots pine is considered a fairly common tree species, however, it does not grow everywhere. In particular, pine cannot be found in the upper part of the forest belt of the mountains of the Baikal ridge, Eastern Sayan, Khamar-Daban, North Baikal and Patom highlands. This is due to the fact that Scots pine, although considered a fast-growing tree species, is not able to grow in areas with a cold, harsh climate, in areas where dark coniferous trees are more widespread.
Pine is not particularly demanding in terms of soil composition and moisture, like others conifers tree, and can grow on a wide variety of soils. Pine as a tree species is divided into a large number of types and types. In particular, on the soils of the Siberian region it is most often found Siberian pine, which differs from other types of pine in the special shape of its cones.
Pine is considered a fairly large tree species. Its height can reach 55 meters, and its trunk diameter is about one and a half meters. A tree lives on average about 500 years. Certainly. This is only possible if the conditions in which the tree grows are favorable. Pine is a monoecious tree, with a predominance of flowers of one sex. Thus, one tree contains mainly female flowers, located at the ends of the shoots and shaped like small cones, the other tree, in turn, has male inflorescences, which are located closer to the base of the shoots. The predominance of inflorescences of one sex or another is considered a hereditary factor, however, depending on the growing conditions of the tree, or in the presence of any economic influences, the “sex” of the tree may change. The pine flowering period occurs at the end of May - beginning of June, when the air temperature is already quite high. Pollination occurs through the wind. In this case, fertilization of seeds can be expected only next year.
In pine forests, during the period of pine pollination, you can notice the appearance of a yellow coating on the soil surface. This is pine pollen. In general, pine is characterized by fairly good pollination. This was made possible due to the fact that tree pollen has air sacs, and therefore can be easily carried by the wind over fairly long distances. The timing of pollination depends on weather conditions, in particular on clear days. sunny days pollen scatters within 3–4 days; in rainy weather this process takes a little longer.
Pine seeds ripen by September next year after pollination. At the same time, the seeds remain inside the cones all winter, starting to spread only in April, when the air temperature reaches +10 degrees. It should be noted that for the opening of cones, it is not so much the temperature of the surrounding air that is important, but its humidity. Therefore, in some regions, seeds begin to spread a little earlier.
Pine seeds ripen at different ages, depending on the conditions in which the tree grows. Thus, free-standing trees can bear seeds already at the age of 10–15 years, and trees growing in plantations where there is a dense canopy can bear seeds somewhat later, at 25–30 years. The number of cones and their location depend on the “sex” of the tree. For example, male cones are located separately from each other, while female cones, as a rule, form clusters of up to 15 cones.
Scots pine is considered a light-loving tree species. At the same time, the pine tree’s need for sunlight changes with age. Thus, in the first years of life, pine is most shade-tolerant. In addition, the photophile is influenced, in addition to the age of the tree, by a number of other factors. In particular, this is the degree of moisture in the soil on which the tree grows. Conditions in regions with sufficiently moist soil are considered more favorable for pine, and trees that grow on dry and nutrient-poor soil look more depressed.
Pine has a fairly plastic root system, which allows it to grow on almost any soil cover. It is important to remember that the growth of the tree’s root system begins at a temperature of +3 degrees, while for other conifers this figure is slightly lower. So, root system spruce begins to grow at a temperature of 0 degrees, and Gmelin larch - at -0.3 degrees.
In the areas Krasnoyarsk Territory And Irkutsk region Scots pine is unevenly distributed. This depends on the quality of the soil, as well as on the degree of freezing. So, in the southwestern and western parts of the region, where the soil does not freeze. Pine creates a deep and strong root system, which makes the tree resistant to winds. In the region of the Middle Angara region with its clayey and frozen soils, pine has a shallow root system; such a tree is considered wind-fallen. In the area of ​​the Lena River, the pine root system grows quickly in sandy soil, so pine is stable here.
The conditions in which pine grows are influenced by big influence state of soil waters. The fact is that the pine root system is very sensitive to this factor, and a significant decrease or increase in the level of soil water can lead to drying out of pine forests. This sensitivity manifests itself with age. Thus, trees that are more than 100 years old are considered more sensitive to the level of soil water than younger pines.
Pine wood is considered to be quite dense, sound, with a high content of tree resin. Young trees have straight-grained wood, which becomes cross-grained with age. On the density of wood and its mechanical properties, which are paid attention to in construction, are influenced by a number of factors, in particular the moisture content of the soil on which the tree grew. Thus, pine growing on dry, poorly moistened soils has denser wood that is more resistant to damage. Conversely, a tree growing in wet soil has less dense wood with worse mechanical properties.

Where is pine used?
Pine wood contains much more resin than other conifers. That is why pine is widely used to obtain resins using the tapping method. In this case, the resin is obtained not only from living trees, but also from pine stumps (rosin, extraction turpentine).
Pine wood is widely used in the construction and furniture industries, for the production of containers, in the paper and pulp industry, and in many other industries. This is why pine is so valued today.
Pine needles are rich in various kinds of vitamins, which is why products created on its basis are widely used as vitamin supplements for farm animals. Special medicinal and vitamin pastes are also created from pine needles and used for medical purposes. The equipment intended for the production of these products was invented several decades ago by domestic inventors, however, for a number of reasons, these installations were not particularly widespread in our country.
It has been noticed that most sanatoriums are located in pine forests. And this is not without reason. The fact is that pine releases a large amount of phytoncides into the air, substances that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses, which makes it healing.
Planting pine is also used for other purposes. For example, the unique two-tiered root system of pine allows you to keep the sands of nearby soils from dispersing, ensure optimal soil moisture, and keep ravines and cliffs from crumbling.

Name: Scots pine.

Latin name: Pinus sylvestris L.

Family: Pine (Pinaceae)

Plant type: Evergreen coniferous tree.

Trunk (stem): Monoecious tree with a cone-shaped or pyramidal crown and monopodial ringed branching.

Kidneys: Buds are young shoots 1-4 cm long, placed in “crowns” of 5-6 pieces at the tops of the trunk and branches. On the outside, they are covered with spirally arranged pink-brown scales with a fringe, glued together with resin and containing small buds in their axils, from which very short branches with two needles develop.

Height: 25-50 meters.

Leaves: Leaves (needles) are linear-needle-shaped, 4.5 - 7 cm long, dark green, convex above, grooved below, pointed, held on short shoots in twos, grow for 3-5 years.

Flowering time: May.

Fruit: Male cones are gray-yellow, less often reddish, ovoid, 3-7 mm long, spike-shaped at the base of young elongated shoots. Female cones are reddish, single or 2-3, located in the upper part of the shoots; unripe cones are green, conical, ripe - grayish-brown, matte, ovate-oblong, 3-7 cm long, drooping, woody scales, spatulate, with an almost rhombic thickening (scutellum) and a tuberculate papilla at its apex.

Collection time: The apical shoots, called buds, are harvested in winter or in early spring when they are in the swelling stage (the scales on the tops of the buds should be tightly closed), it is best during sanitary felling. You can collect needles all year round. Resin is collected throughout the summer.

Features of collection, drying and storage: When collecting buds, the crowns are cut off so that the length of the branch under the crown does not exceed 3 mm. The collected material is used fresh or dried in a warm room, and in favorable weather conditions - in the sun, spread in a thin (3-4 cm) layer on paper or fabric and stirring frequently. The yield of dry buds is 38-40%. Finished raw materials are stored in dry, ventilated, dark rooms.
Pine needles are harvested during logging by breaking off young shoots with needles, shoots no more than 15-20 cm long and 8 mm thick and used fresh.
The resin is collected by cutting; it flows out of these artificial oblique cuts into special vessels. By dry distillation of shavings of tarred stumps, tar is obtained, and the remainder of the charred wood is used to obtain activated carbon. Store for up to 2 years.

History of the plant: Many peoples revered the pine tree; it served as a symbol of life (Finland), fertility and immortality (Asia Minor), eternity and longevity (Vietnam and Japan), fidelity to duty and integrity (Korea, China). In Japan, a pine tree covered with snow is the personification of a happy old age. During festivities dedicated to the god of wine and joy, Bacchus, the Greeks and Romans walked with wands that were wrapped in ivy and grape leaves and decorated with pine cone tops. Pine also figured in Slavic rituals: funerals, weddings.
Resin, or resin, was widely used among the people. The resin was chewed to strengthen gums, teeth and disinfect the oral cavity.

Spreading: In Russia, Scots pine is found in the European, including the Arctic, parts (except for the Lower Volga region), the Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia, and the Far East; in Ukraine - in Polesie, in the northern part of the Forest-Steppe, occasionally on the sandy terraces of rivers in the northern part of the Steppe.

Habitats: Grows on sandy, sandy loam soils, sometimes in marshy areas, forming pure and mixed (mainly with oak) forests.

Interesting Facts: No matter what part of the tree is wounded, the resin immediately flows out and heals the wound - this is how the pine tree heals itself. By making notches on the trunks, pine resin is extracted. A hundred-year-old pine tree can produce up to 16 kg of resin when cut.

Medicinal parts: Buds, shoots, needles, pollen, resin, green cones first year

Useful content: Buds and needles contain essential oils, resin, ascorbic acid, rutin, carotene. tannins. Vitamins C, K, B1, B2, P, mineral salts, starch and a bitter substance were found in the needles. Largest quantity ascorbic acid in needles is observed in winter or early spring.

Actions: Galenic preparations from pine buds have expectorant, disinfectant, diuretic and choleretic properties. A decoction of the kidneys is taken orally for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, rheumatism, gout, urolithiasis, dropsy, inflammation of the gallbladder and as a blood purifier. Pine buds are included in breast tea. Pine “honey”, prepared from fresh buds, is used for coughs and as a source of vitamin C.
When used externally, kidney preparations are an effective remedy for inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract (inhalation), for colpitis and cervical erosion (baths and douching), for rheumatism and skin diseases (baths).
Internal infusion of pine needles is prescribed as effective remedy for the prevention and treatment of scurvy. Needles are used a little more widely as an external remedy: extract for medicinal baths (for functional diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, for skin diseases, in

Medicinal recipes:

Resin (resin). Chewing resin is useful for hemorrhoids; there is no need to fear that these resin stones will not be digested: the stomach can digest this kind of substance very well.

Kidney decoction . 10 grams of kidneys per 200 ml of boiling water, boil for 2 minutes, strain. Use for douching and baths.

Heart diseases. Diseases of the nervous system. Insomnia . Paralysis. Gout. Rheumatism. Sciatica. Arthritis. Cold extremity syndrome. Skin diseases. Baths with an extract of pine needles have an unusually calming effect on people with painful irritability and amazingly strengthen the heart and nerves. Therefore, these baths are used with great success for suffering of the heart and nerves, inflammation of the nerves, nerve pain, nervous agitation, nervous insomnia, paralysis and gout, muscular and joint rheumatism, sciatica, tumors and inflammation of the joints, frozen limbs, skin suffering, abscesses, obesity, catarrh of the respiratory tract, asthma and lung disease.
Baths with pine extract are also useful for strengthening and revitalizing the strength of patients recovering from serious illnesses. These same baths can serve for therapeutic inhalation if you add 20-30 drops of real pine needle oil to the bath. Vapors saturated with essential oil have an excellent effect on the mucous membranes of the face.

A representative of the Pine family, which remains viable for 100-600 years and reaches a height of 35-75 meters. She is not afraid of frost, snow, wind, drought. Tree loves sunlight and reacts sensitively to airborne contaminants, and due to healing properties used in the production of medicines. There are a huge number of different varieties and types of pine trees. All existing species Pines are usually classified according to the main characteristic of the description - the number of needles in a bunch:

• group of two-conifers (Scots pine, seaside pine and the like);
• three-conifers (such as Bunge);
• five-conifers (Weymutova, Siberian, Japanese and others, having a similar structure of the coniferous bunch).

More than 100 pine varieties are known to the world.

Ordinary

Scots pine (lat. Pinus sylvestris) is a common species that grows in Asian and European latitudes. The highest of this species are found near the Baltic Sea (southern part of the coast). They reach 40-50 m in height. The straight trunk is covered with a bluish-brown bark of enviable thickness, strewn with cuts. Upper layer trunk and branches - thin bark with a characteristic red-orange color, prone to peeling.

Did you know? Pine wood has powerful antiseptic properties. There are only 500 microbes per 1 cubic meter. m of air in the forest, while in a huge city - 36 thousand.

The pointed tree, whose length is 8 cm, of trees of this species has a blue-green color and is characterized by rigidity. It serves as decoration for 2-7 years. The 7-centimeter cones are elongated and ovoid in shape, filled with black and gray seeds.

IN at a young age The tree is distinguished by a cone-shaped crown, which expands and rounds over time. The flowering period occurs in May – June. This species has a fairly wide range (Globosa Viridis, Repanda, etc.) and is famous for its strength and high degree of resinity.

Mountain

Mountain pine (lat. Pinus mugo) mainly occupies the south and center of Europe. The tree has a pin-shaped or creeping multi-stemmed crown, single-growing cones, as well as curved needles with a dark green color.

The wood of the mountain dweller serves as industrial raw material for carpentry and turning products, and the resin is used for the production of cosmetics and medications. This species is famous for its many varieties intended for decorating landscapes (Mugus, Carstens, Pug, Hesse, etc.).

Siberian

Siberian pine, or Siberian (lat. Pinus sibirica), lives in the taiga in the East and West of Siberia. The standard height of representatives of the species is 20-25 m, but 40-meter trees are also found.

They have thick branches and a multi-topped cone-shaped crown of soft dark green needles (14 cm long).

The trunk is distinguished by a gray-brown color. The cones of the Siberian beauty are hidden (seeds) under their scales.

Black

Austrian black pine (lat. Pinus nigra) is a representative of shady evergreens from the North of the Mediterranean, whose height reaches 20-55 m. Young trees are distinguished by the presence of a cone-shaped crown, while adults have an umbrella-shaped crown.

Dark green with gray tint The needles are characterized by rigidity and shine, and sometimes dullness. This species is famous for its black bark covered with deep furrows.

A verbal description and photo do not convey all the beauty and majesty. Shiny pine cones and straight needles are a wonderful addition to any garden design. The most popular varieties of the species include Pierik Bregon, Piramidalis, Austriaca, Bambino.

Balkan (Rumelic)

Balkan pine (lat. Pinus peuce) is a resident of the mountainous areas of the Balkan Peninsula. The fast-growing species is unpretentious to living conditions. The trees grow up to 20 meters in height. Rumelian representatives create forests of pure or mixed types 700-2300 m above sea level.

The tree is characterized by a grayish-green enviable density, forming a cone-shaped crown. In the early age period, there are no cracks on the brown and gray bark of the tree, but every year it becomes lamellar in shape and changes color to red-brown.

Himalayan

Himalayan pine, or Wallichiana (lat. Pinus wallichiana), lives on the slopes of Annapurna (South), in the Himalayas, at a level of 1.8-3.76 km above the sea. This tree grows 30-50 m upward.

The tree is characterized by the presence of a pyramid-shaped crown of gray-green needles and long cones. Popular varieties of the Himalayan species: Densa Hill, Nana, Glauca, Vernisson, Zebrina.

Veymutova

Weymouth pine, or eastern white pine (lat. Pinus strobus), is common in the northeastern part North America and southeastern Canada. The tree is very close to ideal due to its straight trunk with a 67-meter growth threshold. Its diameter ranges from 1.3 to 1.8 m.

Important! Weymouth pine begins to bloom only at the age of 10 years.

The crown of representatives of this pine species at an early age is characterized by the presence of a conical shape and straight needles 10 cm long. Over time, it acquires an irregularly rounded shape. The bark has a purple tint.

This type finds application in construction. Varieties such as Аurea, Blue Shag, Вrevifolia, Сontorta, Densa are very popular.

Virginskaya

Virginia pine (lat. Pinus virginiana) is a fast-growing resident of the eastern latitudes of North America. Its height ranges from 10 to 18 m. The crown has an irregularly rounded shape. The bark with a scaly-furrowed relief has a gray-brown color, which acquires a reddish tint towards the top of the tree.

The tree is characterized by the presence of rigid, straight, yellowish-green needles and egg-shaped cones. The reddish-brown buds may be dry or completely covered in resin. Virgin pines prefer cozy and sunny places, a lot of warmth and fertile conditions.

Important! The vast urban area is not suitable for growing pine trees due to excessively polluted air.

This type is often used to decorate garden and park areas. It goes well with other trees (, and others).

Korean cedar

Korean cedar pine (lat. Pinus koraiensis), called Korean cedar, has the main difference from other species - its slenderness. Its height does not cross the 40-meter line.

With its width, the lowered crown slightly resembles Siberian species, but at the same time differs in delicacy.

The bluish-green needles of the branches reach 20 cm in length. The tree is characterized by the presence of elongated cones with scales curved at the ends. This is one of the pine species that can survive in the city. Popular varieties include Variegata, Glauka, Vinton.

Cedar dwarf

The dwarf pine, or dwarf cedar (lat. Pinus pumila), is a common species in the territory from Primorsk to Kamchatka and in the North. Bush-like trees grow only up to 4-5 m. The crown is quite flattened and can differ in shape for each individual variety: tree-like, creeping or cup-shaped.

The needles of dwarf cedar have a bluish-green color. Pine cones, with their ovoid-elongated shape, are not large fruits. The seeds are presented in the form of nuts. The varietal spectrum of dwarf cedar is quite extensive: Blue Dwarf, Globe, Jeddeloh, Nana and others.

Dense-flowered

The densely flowered pine, or Japanese red pine (lat. Pinus densiflora), is limited to 30 meters in height. The tree is more often found in rocky areas (for example, the slopes of China, Japan and Korea).

The curvature of the trunk is its characteristic feature. The bark of young tree branches has a reddish tint, while that of old ones is inconspicuous gray. The crown is dense. It is quite flattened and rounded.

Pinus, Pine. Evergreen monoecious trees with a pyramidal crown in youth, spherical or umbrella-shaped in old age, less often shrubs or dwarf trees.

They are considered to be long-lived. IN mature age The bark of the trees is thick, dark gray, fissured. The needles are triangular or flattened, located on short shoots in bunches of (1-)2-5(-8) green needles, long and narrow, usually remain on the shoots for 3-6 years, jagged along the edges. The cones vary in size and shape. Pollination occurs before the young needles bloom, fertilization occurs after the cones overwinter - in the spring, i.e. one year after pollination. Mature pine needles are hard, prickly, narrow (1-2 mm); its length is different types varies from 2 to 30 cm (up to 45 cm for swamp pine - Pinus palustris). In two-cone pines it is flat-convex in cross-section, in three- and five-cone pines it is triangular or sectoral. The needles live from 2-3 to 6-11 years. It usually dies off in late summer and autumn.

Types and varieties of pine trees

The genus contains about 100 species, distributed in temperate forests and mountainous regions subtropical zone Northern Hemisphere, 9 species grow naturally in Russia.

Over 50 species are cultivated.

Most pines are fast-growing and long-lived trees (can live up to 350-500 years). The record holder among long-lived trees also belongs to this genus - bristlecone pine, or long-lived (Pinus longaeva), the age of the oldest tree is determined quite accurately, it is more than 4700 years old, it was given the name “Oldest Man”.

The genus Pine is divided into two main subgenera: Pinus, or Hardwood Pines And Strobus, or Softwood pines.

SUBGENUS PINUS

Subgenus Pinus, section of double-leaved pines (Pinus, Eupitys)

Scots pine, or forest pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Tree up to 35 m tall (in nature from 20 to 45 m tall), native to the forests of Eurasia (grows from Western Europe to the Far East). The needles are dark green above, gray-green below, hard, and may curl slightly. Grows quickly - up to 20 cm per year. Used as a rootstock for decorative varieties of double-leaved pines. An interesting low-growing cultivar (up to 7.5 m tall) ‘ Waterery’ with a steel-blue crown.

Popular varieties of the common variety:

‘Aurea’ (‘Wintergold’) is a slow-growing shrub up to 1 m tall with a dense but uneven crown. The needles are yellow-green in spring and summer, golden-yellow in winter;

‘Argentea Compacta’ - tree up to 2 m tall. The needles are silver-gray, long;

‘Done Wiley’ - distinguished by an intense blue color;

‘Fastigiata’ is a tree with a columnar crown up to 15 m tall. The needles are bluish-green;

‘Globosa Viridis’ - shrub up to 1.5 m tall. The crown is ovoid. The needles are long, dark green;

‘Watereri’ - in adulthood, this is a multi-stemmed tree up to 4 m high with a wide, unevenly rounded crown; young plants have an almost spherical shape.

Black pine, or Austrian pine (Pinus nigra)

Tree up to 25 m tall of European origin (Alps, Carpathians). The crown becomes umbrella-shaped with age, the bark is dark. The needles are hard, dark green. The only pine tree that can grow in partial shade. IN harsh winters young growth may freeze slightly.

Variety ‘ Pyramidalis’ is a tree with a pyramidal crown up to 6 m tall, the needles are dark green and elastic.

Crimean pine, or Pallas pine (Pinus pallasiana)

Tree 30 m tall with dark gray fissured bark. Some taxonomists consider it a variety of s. black. The needles are short, dark, hard, 8-18 cm long. S. Crimean is light-loving, drought-resistant and is considered heat-loving, but in cultivation in Ufa it has shown itself to be quite winter-hardy.

Mountain shrub pine, or zherep (Pinus mugo)

An unpretentious species from the mountains of Western Europe, where it grows at altitudes of up to 2500 m in the subalpine and alpine zones. Tree 2-4 m (up to 10 m) tall or dwarf. The needles are thick, dark green, short (2-5 cm); the needles are collected in bundles of 2 pieces, twisted. It grows slowly and often takes root from the lower branches. The species tolerates heat well and high humidity. Dwarf forms are divided into 2 varieties: mountain pine (var. mughus)- shrub form, up to 2 m in height with short raised shoots and mountain dwarf pine (var. pumilio)- low growing shrub with creeping shoots.

Popular varieties and forms of mountain pine:

‘Pumilio’ (Pinus mugo ssp. pumilio - Mountain dwarf pine)- up to 3 m in height and width, with branches directed upward;

'Allgo'- dwarf spherical shape with very short shoots;

'Hesse'- dwarf shrub up to 50 cm tall;

'Gnom'- up to 2 m tall, with a very dense spherical crown;

'Kobold'- up to 1 m tall, with a wide spherical crown;

'Columba'- a tree with a dense crown or more often a rounded shrub up to 3.5 m tall;

'Humpy'- spherical dwarf form, 1x1.5 m, with very short needles;

'Mops'- dwarf rounded shape no more than 1.5 m;

'Mughus'- prostrate creeping shrub up to 2 m tall;

'Mumpitz'- dwarf cone-shaped;

'Ophir'- flat-pin-shaped, 0.4x0.6 m, on the sunny side the needles are yellow-orange, on the shady side - green;

'Frisia'- up to 2 m tall, with a dense crown, strictly straight branches;

'Winter Gold'- dwarf spherical shape, 0.5x1 m, the needles are light green in summer, turning golden yellow in winter;

‘Carstens Wintergold’- cushion-shaped form of dwarf or medium size, when blooming the needles are light yellow, then light green, in the fall - golden or bronze

Banks pine (Pinus banksiana)

A tree up to 25 m tall, native to Canada with reddish bark and strongly curved needles.

Subgenus Pinus, section of three-coniferous pines (Trifoliae)

In the section of three-coniferous pines ( Trifoliae) there is one North American species of interest - yellow pine, or Oregon (Pinus ponderosa). A tree in nature over 50 m tall with a conical openwork crown, thick red-brown (to black) bark and arched branches. The needles are long (up to 12-26 cm), pointed. In severe winters it can freeze.

SUBGENUS STROBUS, or SOFT WOOD PINES (Strobus, Haploxylon)

Quite popular and widespread are pine species from the subgenus Softwood Pines. As the name implies, they have relatively soft wood, the needles are collected in 5 pieces on brachyblasts, thin, 4-20 cm long.

Subgenus Strobus, section Cembra, or Cedar pines (Cembrae)

Includes a number of species commonly called cedars. There are 3 types of cedar pines growing in Russia.

Siberian pine pine, or Siberian cedar (Pinus sibirica)

Slow-growing straight-trunked tree up to 20 m tall (in nature with favorable conditions up to 40 m). The crown is dense, usually ovoid. The needles are 6-13 cm long, dark green with bluish stripes. Long-lived, lives up to 500 years.

The main value of Siberian cedar is food; 1 hectare of cedar forests yields up to 5 tons of nuts per turnover of logging (their cost is 3 times higher than the cost of harvested cedar wood). Nut kernels contain up to 60% or more cedar oil. Resin, essential oils and vitamin C are extracted from pine needles and are actively used in medicine.

Korean pine, or Korean cedar (Pinus koraiensis)

A tree up to 40 m tall, grows naturally in Primorye and along the left bank of the Amur. The crown is broadly cone-shaped, low-slung. The needles are 7-15 cm long, bluish-green, with white stripes on the sides, thick. The species is shade-tolerant and more demanding of heat, interesting as decorative look in the Urals.

Cedar dwarf pine, or dwarf cedar (Pinus pumila)

A tree up to 3-4 m tall, dwarf or bush-like, native to Siberia. The needles are 4-8 cm long, thick. The branches often spread along the ground, slightly rising at the ends. It grows slowly. With the onset of frost, the branches of the plant fall down and are covered with snow. Variety ‘ Globe’ has a voluminous spherical crown with straight dove-blue needles.

Another species from this section that deserves wider distribution European cedar pine, or European cedar (Pinus cembra) grows in the mountains of Central Europe. Tree up to 25 m tall with a spreading crown, long and thin needles.

Pine wood is extremely valuable for its physical and mechanical properties. Widely used in the form of round timber and lumber, in construction, furniture industry. Turpentine and rosin are obtained from pine resin. The needles provide vitamin C and essential oil.

Subgenus Strobus, section Strobus, or Weymouth pines (Strobus)

The section is widely represented outside of Russia, but many species are bred as introduced species.

Weymouth pine (Pinus strobus)

North American tall (up to 50-60 m) tree with smooth light gray bark and a pyramidal openwork crown. The needles are 6-14 cm long, bluish-green, very thin, soft. The fastest growing of the five-needled pines, it is undemanding to soil and moisture.

Variety ‘ Radiata' - distinguished by a spherical crown up to 1.5-2 m in height and width, bluish needles, popular variety ' Nana’ is a creeping plant up to 2 m tall with silvery blue-green needles.

Pine tree care

Ecologically, the genus is heterogeneous. Among the pine species there are xero- and mesophytes, heat-loving and low-demanding to heat. But what is common to all species is the need for light and low smoke and drought resistance.

When planting, it is important not to deepen the root collar. Pines prefer sandy and sandy loam soils, but do not have any special requirements for soil fertility. On heavy soils, drainage is required; on sandy soils, clay is added. Plants are drought-resistant. In the spring, young annual growths can be shortened, which will help reduce the growth of the tree and form a denser crown. Planted plants are watered dry summer, the soil is loosened during compaction. Young pines of rare varieties are sensitive to early spring sunburn, so they are shaded in late autumn.

By pruning parts of the annual growth, the growth of shoots is slowed down and the crown is made denser.

Reproduction of pine trees

Pines are propagated by seeds, cultivars by grafting.