Habitat

• native to the Europe, from Norway to Spain, and to parts of Asia
• cold hardy to zone 2

Habit and Form

• evergreen tree
• in youth has a conical shape, becoming a flat-topped, spreading tree with age
• can be very attractive when mature
• 30' to 50' tall, with an almost equal spread
• horizontal branching habit
• medium texture
• medium growth rate

Summer Foliage

• stiff, serrated, green to blue-green needles
• 2 needles per fasicle
• needles have a 360 degree twist
• needles vary greatly in length, 1.5 to 4" long

Autumn Foliage

• no fall color (evergreen)
• foliage on some trees develops a yellow cast
• needles persist 3 years

Flowers

• monoecious
• no ornamental value

Fruit

• dull brown cone, 1" to 3" long
• small, fat conical
• held alone or in clusters of 2 or 3
• cones fall from tree at maturity

Bark

• gray-brown, but peels to show a red-orange color
• red-orange color is especially striking on the upper trunk and branches
• new stems are green and change to brown
• bark peels in thin scales giving a shredded appearance

Culture

• prefers a well-drained, acidic soil
• wind resistant
• transplants easily
• full sun
• very tolerant of infertile and dry soils

Landscape Uses

• attractive specimen, good accent plant
• possible choice for difficult sites
• often used as a Christmas tree
• excellent in floral arrangements
• effective in mass
• effective screen when young
• useful for bark color
• shade tree

Liabilities

• needles are sharp to the touch
• considerable genetic variation in needle color and plant vigor due to large geographic range
• some trees are weak growers and have yellow-green needle color
• can get Diplodia Needle Cast disease
• pine needle scale

ID Features

• needles have a 360 degree twist
• bark peels to reveal a reddish color at the top of the tree
• 2 needles per fasicle
• needles have a blue-green appearance
• needles sharp-pointed

Propagation

• seeds germinate very easily, no additional treatments required

Cultivars/Varieties

'Aurea' - The light green needles of this slow-growing tree turn bright yellow in winter, adding color to a bleak landscape.

'Beauvronensis' - An old cultivar, this plant reliably produces a compact, dense mound of needles. It is slow-growing and very broad in habit.

'Fastigiata' (also listed as f. fastigiata) - This is a strictly columnar form that may reach 25' tall and only a few feet wide. It is among the most fastigiate conifers available, but has a tendency to break up under winter ice and snow loads. It may benefit from being tied together. The needles are blue-green. 'Spaan's Fastigiate' is a slower-growing fastigiate form that is less susceptible to breaking up under snow and ice.

'Hillside Creeper' - A groundcover form, this plant grows vigorously to form an undulating carpet of medium green needles. 'Albyn Prostrata' is a similar form with thick, shiny green needles.

'Pumila' - Forming a large upright shrub with a broadly rounded habit, this selection is useful as a hedge or focal point. The needles are blue-green.

'Watereri' - This is a popular cultivar that typically reaches about 10' tall with a dense pyramidal growth habit. The needles are a steely blue color.