bark greenish-brown, later gray and in older age it forms a scaly bark
Leaves (assimilation organs)
needle-like leaves
needles 20 - 40 x 0.1 mm large, pointed, entirely marginal, triangular in cross-section, dark green on the outside, shiny with numerous whitish dots - drops of resin
on the inside with distinct whitish by bands of stomata
they grow in fives on brachyblasts - section Strobus (5 needles on a brachyblast, the navel is on the lower edge of the labellum)
bundles of needles are densely grouped around the branch
Flowers
wood monoecious, flowers of different sexes arranged in cones
blooms VI
Fruits – seeds
fruit is a cone 5 - 10 x 4 - 5 cm large, ovoid, sessile, non-dehiscent
the labels on the seed scales are slightly raised, the umbilicus extends into an 8 - 10 mm long thin spine
Extension
originally widespread in the western part of the North American continent
the southern part of the Rocky Mountains around the upper border forests at altitudes of 2,500 – 3,600 m above the sea level
it was introduced to Europe in 1861.
Ecology
light-loving woody plant, undemanding to the content of nutrients in the soil, tolerates drought
in Slovak conditions it is resistant to low temperatures
Significance
grows very slowly, therefore it is suitable for rock gardens or as a bonsai
decorated with needles - shiny with numerous whitish dots (resin droplets)
it is a long-lived tree
the age of the oldest individual was estimated at 2,435 years (source Wikipedia)
