Pine belongs to the genus of coniferous evergreen trees, the Pine family, which is characterized by needle needles growing in bunches of 2-5 pieces each and woody female cones that mature in two growing seasons.
Pine lives on average for about 350 years, growing in height from 35-75 m, but there are also centenarians. For example, the bristlecone pine, which grows in the USA, lives for about 6,000 years and is the longest-lived tree species throughout the world.
In addition, the pine is distinguished by its powerful root system with a vertical tap root going deep down, as well as flaky bark. Thanks to this structure of pine roots, it can be called a pioneer of forests, since it can grow in a variety of places: on sands, on rocks, over ravines, in a forest. Some types of pines are not afraid of drought, snow, frost, or winds.
But pine is sensitive to air pollution with gases and dust, which limits its use in urban landscaping. As a rule, pine is distributed in the temperate and cold climate of the northern hemisphere, where it forms forests on rocky slopes and on drained soils.
In total, there are approximately 100 species of pine in the forests of the temperate zone and more than 20 species in the tropical and subtropical zones. Some types of pine are valued for their variety of shapes and beautiful crown shape, while others are valued for their beautiful cones and needle color.
The most popular in ornamental gardening are Siberian pine, Weymouth pine, Rumelian pine, Banks pine and Alpine dwarf pine, it forms low shrub thickets.
In the mountains of the northern part of the Black Sea coast and the Crimea, Crimean pine (Pinus Pallasiana) or Pallas is often found, a tree about 30 m high, which looks very decorative thanks to its long green needles.
In Russia, the widest range is occupied by Scotch pine. by the most valuable breeds pines are considered: yellow pine, resinous pine, Weymouth pine.
Some species of pines are endangered and are listed in the Red Book. For example, Cretaceous pine, Pitsunda pine, funeral pine and others.
Pine benefits the person. Her homogeneous softwood perfectly processed, glued, painted and polished, so it is a popular building material.
Features of pine care
Pine is photophilous, therefore it develops and grows better in open places. In addition, pine is a drought-resistant plant that does not require additional watering.
Young specimens of pine and decorative forms with delicate needles can suffer from winter frosts, as well as spring needle burns, so in autumn they need to be covered with spruce branches, which must be removed in April. Mature pines are quite winter-hardy.
A large number of pine species are undemanding to the soil, but prefer to grow on sandy or sandy soils. If there is a lot of sand in the soil, then you need to add clay.
The soil for planting pines should be in the following proportions - soddy land, clay or sand (2: 1). If the soil is heavy, drainage is required, which is suitable for gravel or sand, with a layer about 20 cm thick.
Pine breeding
Pine propagation is possible by seeds: they need to be sown in the spring. You should know that pine seeds ripen only 2 years after pollination. Ornamental species propagate by grafting. It is usually not possible to propagate pine cuttings.
Diseases and pests of pine
The most common pine disease - seryanka (blister rust, resin cancer) - is caused by a rust fungus. A pollen-like coating appears on the tips of the needles. orange color. Control measures: removal of infected trees, destruction of intermediate hosts (gooseberries and currants).
The main pests of pine are butterflies and some aphids. Butterflies and their caterpillars feed on buds and needles, gnaw on shoots. To combat butterflies, trees are sprayed with the Lepidocide biological product.
Some pine diseases are caused by aphids. You can fight it by treating it with karbofosom or insecticides (pine moth, common pine scale insect, pine scoop).
The use of pine in landscape design
Pine is traditionally used in garden design. Recommended for group and single landings and alpine slides. Some decorative forms of pine may be used for borders and free-growing hedges.
Aristate pine (Bristol)
This pine tree is native to North America. It is a small bushy tree, no more than 15 m high. The oldest of all specimens of this species is a pine tree that grows in the mountains of Arizona. She is over 1500 years old. But in general, the life expectancy of a pine depends on the place of growth.
In culture, a very beautiful type of pine, however, dead needles remain on the tree for a long time, thereby spoiling its appearance, so it is recommended to remove it manually. Tree about 15 m high. Blooms in early spring. Anther cones numerous, yellow or reddish. Pine aristata looks great as a bonsai or rock garden.
Pine Armandi
Armandi pine differs from representatives of other species in beautiful resinous yellow-brown cones that look spectacular against the background of narrow and long blue-green needles. It grows in China and is valued not only for its decorative appearance, as well as for durable, soft wood, which is used in the furniture industry and used for the manufacture of sleepers. In addition, turpentine is obtained from the resin of this pine - a raw material for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. A tree up to 18 m high. Lives for more than 500 years.
This pine grows from Bear Lake in Canadade to the states of Vermont in the USA. Banks pine grows on sandy soils of hills and plains. The tree is about 25 m high and the trunk is 50-80 cm in diameter. Cones are curved and oblique, sessile, conical, about 5 cm, kept on the tree, closed for several years.
The wood of this species of pine is hard and heavy. It is used in construction, sulfate pulp is made from it.
The fragrant resin of the Banks pine, acting on the shoots, makes this pine especially desirable in plantings near sanatoriums, with rest houses, where it looks great in group plantings.
White pine (Japanese)
White pine, sometimes called Japanese, or girlish, grows in Japan, as well as on the Kuril Islands. It is an elegant tree no more than 20 m high with long dark green needles, which have a silver tint on the underside and with a dense cone-shaped crown.
In Japan, this pine tree is a symbol of longevity, as well as a symbol of the beginning of the year.
Due to its decorative effect, this type of pine is often found in parks on the coast of the Caucasus, where it has taken root due to the humid and mild climate.
It grows in the mountains in southeastern Europe. Whitebark pine is not demanding on growing conditions, resistant to dust and smoke, so it is common in many countries, as well as in Russia. Tree about 8-10 m high, crown diameter 7 m. Cones ovate, brown-black.
The tree looks spectacular in group and single plantings and is suitable for small areas due to its slow growth. Lives about 300-350 years.
Weymouth pine grows in northeastern North America. In those places, its height reaches about 30-40 m, but in our latitudes it is worth counting only 15, maximum 20 m. It lives for about 300 years. The crown of the Weymouth pine is pyramidal, the branches are horizontal, the needles are soft, blue-green, 10 cm long.
The cones of this pine are long, light brown-yellow. Having a vast area, this pine practically does not form pure plantations, it grows together with maples, oaks and hemlock.
Himalayan pine (Wallichiana)
On the southern slopes of Annapurna, in the Himalayas, at an altitude of about 1800-3760 m above sea level, graceful trees grow, about 50 m high, with a pyramidal crown and green-gray short needles, collected in bunches of 5 pieces.
Himalayan pine is very decorative due to its wonderful, long hanging cones.
Mountain pine can be a tree about 10 m high or a multi-stemmed shrub. Its range is southern and Central Europe.
Turning and joinery are made from the wood of this pine, and its resin is used in cosmetics and medicine. In the Crimea, it is used to strengthen slopes with poor soil.
Mountain pine is very popular as an ornamental species that adorns personal plots and gardens and is often used to create undersized groups.
It grows at an altitude of 900 to 1700 and above sea level, forming mixed with larch and spruce and small pure stands. This type of pine is especially valued for its delicious seeds - pine nuts, they are very nutritious and healthy, because they contain up to 50% oil, protein and starch.
Cedar pine wood is used as a material for carpentry and construction work, as well as for the production of pencils. However, cedar pine is listed in the Red Book, so its economic use is limited.
This type of pine forms pure stands and can grow together with birch, spruce, aspen, oak. The height of the tree is from 20 to 40 m, the crown at a young age is cone-shaped, in mature age it is umbrella-shaped.
The color of the needles is bluish-green, the cones are ovoid, reddish-brown, solitary, their length is about 3-6 cm. Scotch pine grows quickly.
Its wood is used in construction and some industries; is the main source of lumber. Its resin is used in raw materials for the chemical industry, needles are used to produce vitamin flour.
or Balkan
It grows in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula. Creates forests at an altitude of about 750-2300 m, pure or with white fir, Scotch pine and European spruce.
Shade-tolerant and fast-growing, undemanding to soils. The height of the tree is about 20 meters. The crown of the Balkan pine is cone-shaped, sometimes growing straight from the ground. The Balkan pine needles are long, dense, grayish-green, the cones are light brown, elongated.
Decorative forms of this pine adorn the landscapes of the United States and Northern Europe. There are also dwarf varieties of this plant that can be grown in the bonsai style.
The Thunberg pine is a beautiful tree with deeply furrowed bark that roughens and becomes expressive.
This species of pine occupies large areas in North America, growing at an altitude of approximately 3500 m above sea level. A low-growing form of lodgepole pine grows in swamps, on sand dunes.
Durable and light yellowish wood of this type is used in construction.
Black pine (Austrian)
In nature, black pine grows in Central and Southern Europe, and in the west of the Balkan Peninsula. The height of the tree is from 20-40 meters, in youth the crown is pyramidal, in maturity it is umbrella-shaped. The needles are long, dark green, the cones are yellow-brown.
Black pine wood has a high resin content; it is elastic, durable and hard. It is often used to create underwater structures and in shipbuilding.
The pine forest impresses with its monumentality, a sense of constancy and inviolability of the foundations of the universe, aspiration upwards, and the unique purity of the aura.
Since ancient times, these trees have been considered a symbol of immortality and fertility, wisdom and spiritual assistance.
And if there is no forest nearby, you can plant Scotch pine in your garden plot.
Botanical description
Reaching a height of 40-50 m, Scots pine rightfully takes pride of place among the trees of the first magnitude. The diameter of the trunk at the base reaches 100 cm. The color of the bark is heterogeneous, as is its thickness. And there is a logical explanation for this fact. 
The thickening of the red-brown or gray trunk coating in the lower part of the tree has a protective function, protecting it from overheating during drought and from ground fires.
Deep, intricately twisted grooves disappear in the middle and upper parts of the trunk, turning into an almost smooth surface of a yellow-red hue, thin, with peeling plates.
In dense plantings, pine trees grow slender, even, with trunks cleared to a great height from branches. And coniferous plants standing alone have opposite characteristics: both growth is less and there are more branches.With age, the shape of the tree crown changes: from cone-shaped in young years to spherical in the middle period of life and flat, umbrella-shaped in old age. 
The needles of Scotch pine have a bluish-green color, the length of the needles is 5-8 cm. They are quite dense in structure, collected in pairs in bunches. If a deciduous trees change their decoration annually, then conifers every three years; this usually happens in September.
Pine prefers sandy soils, but can adapt to any growing conditions thanks to its root system, which is able to change. On arid lands or with deep groundwater, a taproot rapidly develops, which can reach 6 m.
Soils saturated with moisture cause the appearance of a well-branched surface root system.
The complete undemanding to climatic circumstances is striking. This tree grows quietly both in the Arctic and in Kazakhstan, stoically enduring both frost and heat. The life span of this representative of conifers is on average up to 200 years, but there are exceptions that live up to 400 years. 
Did you know? The oldest tree on our planet is the Methuselah pine, which is 4,842 years old. Her whereabouts are not being made public for her own safety.
Scotch pine is preparing for the winter period in a peculiar way. In order for the needles to remain on the tree, it is covered with special wax - evaporation does not occur through it, and the “breathing” of the tree freezes.
This plant is often found in urban environments, although it is difficult to endure dirty air, not having time to clean it, since the needles are covered with a layer of soot and dust in 1.5 years, making it difficult for the pine to live.
Composition and useful properties
The coniferous beauty has been known for thousands of years as a powerful healer. Ancient Egyptian balsams found during excavations, which included pine resin, still have not lost their bactericidal properties. 
Nature miraculously provided for the need for such assistants for the treatment of people. The main thing is that people do not forget to use it with gratitude and care.
In pine needles found:
- antiscorbutic vitamin C;
- carotene, which is often called the "elixir of youth" and "source of longevity";
- vitamin K, which ensures a normal level of blood clotting, prevents hemorrhages and blood loss;
- vitamins B2, D, E, R.
- tannins;
- anthocyanins;
- alkaloids;
- flavonoids;
- bitter substance pinicicrin;
- paracymol;
- coumarin;
- essential oils (bornyl acetate, limonene, camphene, ocimene, myrcene, borneol, pinene);
- trace elements (copper, iron, boron, molybdenum, zinc, manganese).
In the kidneys found:
- tannins;
- vitamin C;
- essential oil;
- naphthoquinone;
- mineral salts;
- carotene;
- routine;
- resin.
In the resin (resin) obtained from wood, the following were found:
- resin and fatty acids;
- terpenoids.
Even the bark can be beneficial - it contains a large amount of anthocyanin pigment substances, which are used as part of dyes in the food industry.
All parts of this amazing plant have beneficial properties.
Infusion of pine buds is widely used for cosmetic purposes. By rinsing washed hair with it, you can prevent hair loss, strengthen the roots, give them a healthy, shiny look.
Bathing with pine bud infusion has a cleansing effect on skin prone to rashes and irritations.
This procedure promotes wound healing, removes spasm and muscle tension, nourishes the skin, and is a prevention of cellulite.In cosmetic facial skin care, pine buds are not used in their pure form, they become constituent elements nourishing creams, masks and herbal preparations. 
AT traditional medicine shoots, buds, needles, resin, pollen and green pine cones of the first year are used, because they have a whole palette of useful properties:
- general strengthening (vitamin);
- expectorant;
- annoying;
- diuretic;
- choleretic;
- antimicrobial;
- blood-purifying;
- vasodilating;
- disinfectant;
- anti-inflammatory;
- anti-radiation.
And the air, saturated with resin particles and a huge amount of phytoncides, can be called a natural disinfectant inhaler. 
After all, it is known that people suffering from lung and cardiovascular diseases feel much better in a pine forest, and sometimes even recover without the use of any medication.
Landing
The most favorable time for planting a pine seedling and adapting it to a new place is either the second half of April or the first decade of October.
These deadlines are due to the need temperature regime: in the spring the soil is already well warmed up, retaining sufficient moisture, and the specified autumn period allows the seedling to take root normally and prepare for winter frosts.
In order for the tree to develop beautifully and please with its beauty, it is recommended to choose sunny places for it; in extreme cases, light shading of the site is acceptable. 
A coniferous plant planted in the shade will be oppressed, its growth will slow down, the crown will never amaze with the density and saturation of the color of the needles.
If the soil is sandy or sandy, then no special requirements are required to prepare for planting a coniferous beauty. If the soil is heavy clayey, then drainage preparation should be carried out by filling the planting hole with broken brick, slate or expanded clay by at least 20 cm.
In the event that the soil is acidic, 150 g of lime should also be added to the planting hole.
You should not rely on "maybe" in such an important moment as the choice of a seedling. The prickly “baby” dug out in the nearest forest will not take root and will simply dry out the next year. After all, the necessary bacteria live on the roots of this plant, which die in the open air within 20 minutes. 
That's why essential condition when planting a pine, it is necessary to observe the maximum closeness of the root system from exposure to air. It is necessary to purchase seedlings in specialized nurseries, in containers that ensure the viability of root bacteria.
Coniferous sprout should be no older than 5 years and no higher than 40 cm. These optimal sizes will allow him to quickly and easily take root in a new place.
The dimensions of the planting hole should be related to the volume of the container: be 30 cm larger in diameter and 40 cm deeper.
It is enough to sprinkle the drainage layer with soil, but it is preferable to use a soil mixture of 3 parts of soddy soil and 1 part of sand and peat for this. Coniferous beauty is not demanding on the quality of the soil and can adapt to any growing conditions. 
But before planting a young plant, 150 g should be added to the soil mixture so that the habituation period passes faster and growth is more intense.
The seedling is extremely carefully, trying not to destroy the earthen ball, is taken out of the container and placed in a pit.
Important! The root neck of a young pine should be flush with the surrounding soil. In this regard, the earth in the pit is tamped before planting so that after watering it does not sink and the neck is not below ground level.
Maybe the tree should be planted a little higher, so that even after the natural shrinkage of the soil, the root neck is at the required height, protecting it from decay, and the sprout itself from death.
The space around the root ball is covered with fertile soil and compacted. Then, so that the water does not flow out, a hole for irrigation is formed. Coniferous beauties love sprinkling: after planting, it is advised to water the seedling abundantly, including using a sprayer. 
Young pines require frequent watering: 1 time in 7 days, 2 buckets of water for one tree. They also need protection from the scorching sun.
It is good if they grow surrounded by older trees, which become a natural shading protection, and fallen leaves, in turn, can become a shelter from frost.
Care
Until the age of 2 years, young trees need care that will provide the maximum comfortable conditions to strengthen the root system and further growth.
Priming
You should carefully monitor the condition of the soil in the near-trunk circle, since over time it can sag or, conversely, close the root collar under the influence of heavy rainfall, and this is already dangerous for the tree. 
If necessary, add the required amount of nutrient soil mixture. Care should be taken to loosen the soil, destroy weeds.
Location
Young seedlings should be in sunny areas, but in extreme heat they must be shaded at first to avoid burns.
Watering
Scotch pine needs regular watering in the first 2 years after planting. But in general, this conifer belongs to drought-resistant plants, therefore, it does not require further additional watering, in addition to natural precipitation.
top dressing
It is important to remember the immutable truth: it is better not to feed conifers at all than to do it wrong. Garden mixtures and complex fertilizers are completely unsuitable for these purposes. 
Manure and various tinctures of green grass and weeds will lead to accelerated growth, which will end in yellowing, in extreme cases even the death of some seedlings.
The problem lies not in the amount of food, but in its composition. In specialized stores there are special fertilizers for coniferous plant species. Before buying these additives, you should carefully study their chemical composition.
You need to know that the main nutrition comes to the pine tree not through the roots, but through photosynthesis. The implementation of this reaction is not possible without magnesium, which is why its presence becomes an indispensable condition when choosing a fertilizer.
For high-quality feeding of coniferous representatives of the flora, absolutely the use of fertilizers with a high nitrogen content is unacceptable. This element causes an accelerated growth of green shoots, because of this, they are not able to mature on time and prepare for winter. 
Still, it is recommended to use mineral fertilizers. The best organic "breadwinners" for these plants are called well-rotted compost and biohumus - a product of processing earthworms.
Important! Top dressing should be applied during the period of active growth - in May and at the end of August, so that before the onset of severe cold weather, the new growth has time to get stronger.
In order for the pine tree to quickly receive useful nourishment and absorb it just as quickly, experts advise turning to liquid forms of feeding. And for a gradual and long-term impact, granules are embedded in the near-stem soil, the effect of which can be expected in a few months.
If acidity is increased in the ground around coniferous beauties, then it is more advisable to use it to neutralize it. In addition to calcium, it contains magnesium, in the most easily digestible form for the roots.
How to transplant
If for some reason it becomes necessary to transplant a young plant to another place, the natural question arises how to do it correctly and in the least traumatic way for a coniferous tree. 
- First of all, it should be noted that such a procedure is carried out with trees no older than 5 years.
- The main condition for this is the preservation of the root coma of the earth. Its size should correspond in diameter to the span of the lower branches, but not less than 60 cm. After digging the tree, this lump should be tied with two layers of gauze, natural cloth or burlap: they will protect the earth from shedding. Together with the strapping, which will quickly rot in the ground and will not interfere with the development of the root system, the pine tree can be lowered into a hole prepared in advance. The voids are covered with soil mixture and compacted. After that, generous watering is needed with the addition according to the Kornevin instructions to stimulate root growth.
- It is necessary to shade the seedling from the sun's rays and water it regularly, avoiding stagnant water, with sprinkling or spraying the crown.
- Some experts advise treating such trees with anti-stress drugs, for example,.
The older the pine, the more difficult it is to transplant, since the main taproot is damaged more, and this can be detrimental to the tree. Therefore, you should always carefully evaluate everything possible risks and not to sacrifice the plant for the sake of momentary desires. 
Diseases and pests
The source of diseases and pests for Scotch pine can be the nearest forest plantations. The threat may be fraught with imported soil, and even the planting copy itself. A weakened plant acts as a kind of bait for numerous pests and fungi.
The first ones quickly find such a tree by a special smell and attack it, trying to gnaw at the needles or wear out the wood. Infectious fungi are brought to the plant by winds, rains, birds, insects and humans.
The most common pests include pine aphids, scale insects and root bugs. They literally suck juices, especially from young or slightly weakened conifers.Individual methods of struggle are also used:
- Against scale insects effectively clean mechanical removal pests from the trunk, as well as the installation of straw and burlap belts for them.
- For bedbugs, glue trapping belts are installed.
- Aphids can be washed off with a strong stream of water. It is also useful to wash the branches inhabited by aphids with soapy water.
Entire pine forests are rapidly losing their needles due to the dominance of the pine silkworm.
This attack can also destroy conifers in personal plots, if you do not respond without delay. The only means of combating this pest are insecticidal preparations of systemic action.
One of the most dangerous destroyers of coniferous seeds is the cone moth, whose caterpillars eat seeds from cones. They are destroyed by special chemicals during their release. 
Among the trees growing on the site, there should not be rootless logs or boards with bark residues, because it is they who become a breeding ground for the bark beetle. A tree occupied by this dangerous pest cannot be saved - it can only be cut down and burned to prevent a massive epidemic.
Pines are immune to infectious diseases, but under certain adverse conditions they can be affected. Excess moisture, thickened plantings, a low degree of illumination can cause fungal infections.
And should not grow near pines: they are known as carriers of rust fungus. If it appears on the needles, then copper-containing insecticides come to the rescue. 
If the bark is damaged by severe frosts, drought or animals, there is a high probability of infection with a fungus that causes necrosis of the bark, its death and drying.
All damaged branches must be immediately removed to a living bud, remove the fungus from the bark with a fungicide swab, and spray with copper-containing preparations and systemic fungicides in May and August.
Application
Despite the great number of pests and diseases that threaten the health of the pine itself, it has long been considered a symbol of life, powerful energy and the struggle for survival in any conditions. A tree planted on the site is already useful in that it gives fresh, clean, healthy air.
Did you know? Scientists have determined that in a pine forest per 1 cubic meter. m accounts for about 500 microbes, and in the city 36 thousand. Even within a radius of 5 km from the forest, the air is healing, ionized.
In folk medicine, all parts of this beautiful tree. Infusion and decoction from the kidneys of the plant are indispensable in the treatment of influenza, cough of various etiologies, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and liver diseases.
With inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, inhalations with a decoction of the kidneys are indicated. Infusion and tincture of pine cones are recommended for bleeding and heart disease. For the prevention of beriberi, a coniferous decoction is prepared. Needles are processed into vitamin flour, wool and cotton wool.
A tea is prepared from pine pollen, which has a beneficial effect on gouty inflammations and rheumatism. You can use the pollen of this representative of conifers even as baby powder.
After an operation or a serious illness, it is advised to use pollen mixed with honey for a speedy recovery.
The yellow film from the bark of the plant is used to heal wounds, ulcers and boils. Fresh pine sawdust helps relieve joint and lower back pain. Tar is obtained from pine chips. On its basis, ointments are made for the treatment of scabies, eczema and scaly lichen. 
Wood is processed to obtain activated carbon, used in the form of a powder or tablets with increased gas formation and poisoning.
Scotch pine resin is integral part mixtures and ointments for gout and rheumatism. In catarrh and lung diseases, it is used as a means for inhalation.
This substance is actively used for the production of rosin and turpentine, which, in combination with camphor oil, is recommended to be used as a rub for colds, coughs, and lumbar backache.
Did you know? Pine is capable of self-healing. At the slightest damage to any part of the tree, resin is immediately released and closes the wound. A hundred-year-old pine with such cutting can produce up to 16 kg of resin.
Naturally, these drugs can be used only after consulting a doctor and with an eye to contraindications: kidney disease, pregnancy and individual intolerance. 
Turpentine rubbing should be used without fanaticism, as allergic reactions, blisters and even tissue necrosis may occur. Everything should be done in moderation and common sense.
Nature generously endows man with the opportunity to use its resources for good. Truly priceless is her gift in the form of a beautiful, strong and healing pine. A person is only required to carefully and wisely apply its useful properties and also carefully protect, increasing, this beauty.
Pinus silvestris L.
Family - Pine - Pinaceae
Parts used - buds, needles.
The popular name is forest pine, borina.
Pharmacy name - purified turpentine (oleum terebinthinae rectificatum), pine essential oil (oleum pini), pine buds (tiriones pini).
Botanical description
Scotch pine is an evergreen coniferous tree up to 45 m high and with a trunk circumference up to 1.2 m, with a straight trunk, covered with reddish brown, exfoliating bark with grooves. young tree has a cone-shaped, highly raised crown, with age the crown becomes rounded, and in old age it becomes flat or umbrella-shaped
The bark in the lower part of the trunk is scaly, gray-brown, with deep cracks, much larger than that located at the top. On the trunk, bark scales form plates of irregular shape. The bark in the upper part of the trunk and on older branches is thin, peeling (in the form of flakes), yellow-red. In pines that grow in closed forest stands, the trunk is more slender with an openwork crown.
The shoots are green at first, then turn gray-light brown by the end of the first summer. Pine needles have a gray or bluish-green color, arranged in a bundle of 2 needles, up to 9 cm long and up to 2 mm thick, pointed at the top, slightly flattened, flat-convex in cross section, finely serrated along the edge. In young trees, the needles are longer, in old ones they are shorter, each needle stays on the tree for 2-3 years.
Pollination is carried out by wind, pine dusts in May - June.
The buds are ovoid-cone-shaped, orange-brown, covered with a thin layer of white resin, sometimes with a thick layer.
Female spikelets with fertilized ovules begin to grow rapidly and turn into cones, up to 7.5 cm long, cone-shaped, symmetrical or almost symmetrical, matte from gray-light brown to gray-green when ripe. It blooms in May-June, ripens in November-December, 20 months after pollination, opens from February to April and soon falls off.
Male cones up to 12mm, yellow or pink. Cones are located singly or in 2-3 pieces on the legs lowered down. The scales of the cones are almost rhombic, flat or slightly convex with a small navel, rarely hooked, with a pointed apex. Pine cones ripen in the second year. The seeds of Scotch pine are black, up to 5 mm long, with a 12-20 mm membranous wing.
Homeland - Siberia, the Urals, Europe, grows almost throughout Russia, with the exception of Central Asia and the southern steppes. The age limit for Scotch pine is 300-350 years, but trees are known that are over 580 years old.
Collection and preparation
Pine buds are harvested in winter and spring, during the swelling period. The buds are cut along with the base of the shoot 2-3 mm long. Dry in the air on a canopy, or in ventilated areas. The finished raw material is fragrant, has a bitter taste. The shelf life of raw materials is 2 years.
Active ingredients
Essential oil, tannins, pinipicrin, ascorbic acid, bitterness, flavonoids, coumarin, salts of manganese, iron, copper, boron, zinc, molybdenum, as well as a noticeable amount of carotene (provitamin A), vitamins K and E.
Healing action and application
Scotch pine has expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic and disinfectant properties. In folk medicine, Scotch pine is used for bronchitis, pneumonia, rheumatism and arthritis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, and pyelonephritis.
Turpentine, obtained from pine wood, has an irritating and antiseptic effect and is widely used externally for sciatica, myoside, joint diseases, bronchiectasis, bronchitis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Turpentine is added to baths and used for inhalation. In the form of inhalations, turpentine is used for bronchitis.
Pine pollen is useful for rheumatism and gout, as well as after serious illnesses and operations. The dusty male spikelets of pine are dried in the sun, and then the pollen is shaken out of them, which is brewed as a tea or taken with honey.
By dry distillation, tar is obtained from pine wood, which is widely used in the form of 10-30% ointments for the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, scabies and other skin diseases. Pine tar is a part of sulfur-tar soap, Vishnevsky's ointment, etc.
A decoction of pine buds is used as a disinfectant and expectorant for lung diseases accompanied by difficult to expectorate sputum, lung abscesses, dropsy, rheumatism, chronic inflammation of the bronchi, asthma, and an infusion of them for tuberculosis.
Infusion of needles has long been used to treat and prevent scurvy. In the form of inhalation, the infusion is effective for bronchitis and runny nose.
Pine buds are part of the breast fees. As a diuretic and disinfectant, a decoction of pine buds is used for urolithiasis. In addition, the decoction is used for inhalation and rinsing with tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis and acute respiratory diseases.
Pine essential oil is obtained from the needles, which is widely used in aromatherapy. It is used for cuts and ulcers, as well as for the treatment of arthritis, asthenia, gout, muscle pain, rheumatism, asthma and bronchitis, cystitis, urinary tract infections. It relieves fatigue, has a positive effect on nervous exhaustion and neuralgia.
Extract and infusion of needles are used to prepare coniferous baths, which are prescribed for nervous exhaustion, circulatory disorders, slowly healing wounds, skin diseases, as well as for paralysis, gout, arthritis, articular rheumatism, asthma, respiratory diseases.
Recipes
- Boil 10 g of pine buds in 1 glass of water under the lid and let it brew for 2 hours. Strain and take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. (As an expectorant).
- Boil 15 g of pine buds in 0.5 liters of milk, boil over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain and drink throughout the day. (As an expectorant, diuretic).
- Sort out the dry resin-resin, put it in a glass jar or a bubble with a wide neck. Pour in 90% alcohol (alcohol should cover the resin by 1 cm), after a few days the resin will dissolve. Pour liquid resin-resin on an ulcer or wound, bandage it. Change several times within 2-3 days. (Ulcers, stomach cancer, externally - with furunculosis).
- Pour 0.5–1 kg of needles into 3 liters of water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes and let it brew for 6 hours. Strain and pour into a bath at a temperature of 34 ° C. (Neurosis).
- Pour 50g of pine buds with 2 cups of boiling water and put in a warm place for 2 hours. Strain, add 0.5 kg of sugar and boil the syrup. Give children 2 tablespoons to drink 3 times a day. ( ).
- 50 g of pine buds pour 0.5 liters of milk and boil over low heat for 20 minutes, strain and give to drink in sips - for adults during the day, for children - for 2 days. (Cough).
- Pour one part of pine buds with 10 parts of water and boil for 20 minutes. Strain and use for inhalation with tonsillitis and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.
Rub purified turpentine oil mixed with vaseline (1:2) into the skin. (Neuralgia, sciatica, joint pain).
- Mix 1 kg of fresh chopped pine needles with 1 kg of sugar, pour 2 liters of cold boiled water, mix well and put in a warm place for 10 days, shaking occasionally. Strain and take 200 ml 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. (Chronic hepatitis).
- 5 tablespoons of fresh pine needles mixed with 2 tablespoons of rose hips and 2 tablespoons onion peel, all pour 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil, boil over low heat for 10 minutes and let it brew overnight in warmth. Strain and take instead of water from 0.5 to 1 liter per day in a warm form. Prepare daily fresh broth. (Cardiovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis, cerebral vascular dystonia).
- Thoroughly mix 100g of pine rosin, 20g of beeswax and 20g of sunflower oil. Put in a water bath and stir until dissolved. Apply the composition on a linen flap and apply to the sore spot for 2-3 days (for women, apply to the lower abdomen, shaving off the hair). This composition is enough for 4 patches. (Fibromyoma, on the uterus and ovary).
- 5 tablespoons of chopped fresh pine needles pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, boil over low heat in a sealed container for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and let it brew in a warm place for 10-12 hours. Strain and drink the whole infusion warm during the day, slightly sweetening the broth. (Oncological diseases of the genital area, multiple sclerosis, with diseases of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system).
- Pour fresh red cones in a loose layer into a jar for 2/3 of its volume, then top up with vodka and put in a dark place for 2 weeks. Strain and take from 1 hour to 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. (Heartache).
- Pour 10 g of pine buds with a glass of hot boiled water, close the lid and keep in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. Cool, strain and add boiled water to the resulting broth to the original volume. Take during the day in small portions. (Dropsy, rheumatism, chronic inflammation of the bronchi, asthma).
- Grind and mix in equal proportions the buds and needles of young pine branches. Pour 5g of the mixture with 1 cup of hot boiled water and boil over low heat for 20 minutes. Strain and take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. (Bronchitis).
- Steamed fresh pine sawdust, wrapped in gauze, apply for pain in the lower back and joints, sciatica, sciatica.
- 5 tablespoons of pollen pour 0.5 liters of vodka, put in a dark place for 2 weeks. Strain and take 25 ml before meals 3 times a day. (Tuberculosis).
- Mix turpentine with petroleum jelly (1:2), or lard (1:4) and apply for rubbing with - neuralgia, myositis, rheumatism, arthritis.
- With putrefactive bronchitis, inflammatory diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract, it is recommended to her as an antimicrobial and deodorant inhalation with turpentine - 15 drops per 1 glass of hot water.
Contraindications
Individual intolerance. Pregnancy.
More than a hundred names of trees that make up the genus of pines are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, some species of pine can be found in the mountains a little further south and even in the tropical zone. They are evergreen monoecious conifers with needle-like leaves.
The division is mainly based on the territorial affiliation of the range, although many types of pine plants are artificially bred and, as a rule, are named after the breeder.
General description of the genus pine
The appearance of a pine can be different: most often these are trees, and sometimes creeping shrubs. The shape of the crown changes with age from pyramidal to spherical or umbrella-shaped. This is due to the death of the lower branches and the rapid growth of the branches in breadth.
The shoots on which the needles are collected are normal, shortened or elongated. The needles, collected in bunches, are flat or triangular, narrow and long, do not fall off within 3-6 years. Small scales are located around the base. The fruits are cones, inside which seeds develop (with and without wings).
In general, various types of pine are not too whimsical, drought-resistant, frost-resistant and do not require. Plants prefer dry sandy and stony soils, although in this matter the Weymouth, Wallich, resinous and cedar pines are exceptions, which willingly grow with moderate moisture. Limestone soil is suitable for mountain pine. Now let's take a closer look at some of the varieties of this culture.
Scotch pine
This is perhaps the most common coniferous tree in Eurasia, which can be called a symbol of the Russian forest. The species is light-requiring, it feels normal both in the harsh northern climate and in the heat of the steppe. It hardly tolerates urban conditions, but it is the main crop for creating forests on sandy soil. In landscape design, Scotch pine is in demand for its variety of decorative forms and rapid growth.
The tree can grow up to 40 meters. The bark is cracked, red-brown, in a young plant it is thin, slightly orange. The needles are bluish in color, double, hard, even or curved, 4-6 centimeters long. The maximum age of a tree under favorable conditions is 400-600 years.
There are many artificially bred undersized and dwarf varieties of Scots pine. It occurs in a variety of forms throughout its range and crosses easily with species such as black and mountain pines. Depending on the area of growth, about 30 ecological forms - ecotypes - are also distinguished.
Siberian cedar pine
Other types of pines are also popular. In Russia, one of the most valuable forest tree species is Siberian cedar pine - a powerful tree with a rich multi-vertex ovoid crown. The needles are short (6-13 cm), rough. It is frost-resistant, grows near the permafrost zone, in the taiga zone. The seeds of the large cones are edible and rich in fatty oils. In height reaches 3 meters.
Siberian cedar pine
Distributed in Western Siberia and the Far East. Cedar dwarf pine has a bushy shape, grows densely and has the ability to take root with branches lowered to the ground. Is decorative variety thanks to beautiful bluish-green needles, bright red male spikelets and spectacular red-violet buds.
Weymouth pine
Very beautiful and tall pine tree.
Varieties and species of North American conifers are of great economic importance. Weymouth pine is characterized by thin, soft and long bluish-green needles. The cones have a curved elongated shape. It perfectly withstands severe frosts, but for all its unpretentiousness it is not suitable for landscaping the city.
Weymouth mountain pine
Some well-known species of pine grow in the Crimea, for example, the Veymouth pine. This is a very beautiful North American variety, which differs from the previous shortened blue-green needles and large, somewhat curved buds. The height of an adult tree is about 30 meters, the crown is narrow, with characteristic reddish pubescence on young shoots. This is a heat-loving tree, although it is difficult to tolerate drought. It grows mainly in those mountainous areas that are protected from sea winds.
Pine Pallas (Crimean pine)
Another species widespread on the Crimean peninsula. Pallas pine is a tall tree, about 20 meters. The bark is reddish-black, speckled with cracks. The crown is dense, changing shape from ovoid to umbrella-shaped. Differs in horizontally spread branches with the ends bent up and large cones. The Crimean pine is photophilous, undemanding to the soil, easily transfers a lack of moisture. It also grows in the Caucasus, Crete, the Balkans, and Asia Minor.
Pine Armand
Decorative chinese look with characteristic long and thin needles, edible oil seeds. It grows exclusively in warm southern regions.
Banks Pine
Differs in a multi-stemmed structure, imported from North America. The light green needles are quite short and twisted, the cones are curved. Grows up to 25 meters in height. Frost-resistant, unpretentious species suitable for any soil. Bred only in botanical gardens.
Geldreich's pine
This species is common in the Balkans and southern Italy. It is characterized by spectacular long needles of pale green color. Like many other types of pines, the photos of which are presented in the material, it is very unpretentious, moreover, it easily tolerates urban conditions. Weakness - insufficiently winter-hardy for the middle zone, therefore it is ideal for the southern regions.
mountain pine
Very attractive and mountain pine. Pine species are scattered throughout the Northern Hemisphere. This species grows in the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. It is a large branched tree or a prostrate dwarf. Of particular interest to landscape design have a variety of compact decorative trees, from which they create beautiful compositions along the banks of reservoirs, in rocky gardens, etc. The maximum height is 10 meters, and the minimum is 40 centimeters.
Pine densely flowered
One of the winter-hardy species grown in central Russia is the so-called red Japanese pine. The main condition for its good growth is not too long freezing of the soil. The needles are long and crowded at the end of the branch; during dusting, the tree exudes aroma. Does not accept urban conditions, grows on poor sandy soils.
Small-flowered pine, or white pine
Japanese species of ornamental pines are represented by small-flowered (white) pine, which received its second name for the spectacular white or bluish stripes on the needles, pronounced due to twisting. It is not winter-hardy, only a short dwarf variety grows in it. Since the tree loves warmth and good lighting, the climate of the Black Sea coast is excellent for it.
Pine yellow
A luxurious view with a narrow, pyramidal, openwork crown grows naturally in North America. It has long needles and a beautiful thick bark. It takes root in the southern regions and central Russia, but freezes in especially cold winters. The height of the tree reaches 10 meters. Prefers places protected from the winds, so it is best to plant in groups. Pine yellow is not susceptible to urban harmful conditions.
European cedar pine
The European type of cedar pine is similar to the Siberian "relative". The difference lies in smaller sizes, denser spreading crown and long thin needles. In addition, the cones and seeds of the tree are not so large. Grows slower but lives longer. It will look perfect in single and group landscape gardening plantings.
Korean cedar pine
Quite a rare decorative species growing in the Far East, East Asia, Korea, Japan. The beauty of this coniferous tree can be compared with the Siberian cedar pine, although the crown of the "Korean" is less dense, pubescent with bluish-green needles and decorated with decorative cones. The nut seeds are also edible. The culture tolerates frosts in central Russia relatively normally, grows as a stunted tree, although in the wild its height can reach 40-50 meters.
Pine of Montezuma
The owner of very long needles, in natural conditions is found in the west of North America and Guatemala.
The tree grows up to 30 meters tall and has a spreading spherical crown. Huge conical cones can reach a length of 25 cm. It prefers a warm and humid climate, so it takes root well in the Crimea. Not susceptible to diseases and pests.
spiny pine
Many ornamental pine species, including spiny pine, grow well and bear fruit in the conditions of central Russia. This North American species is quite rare and is a small tree or bush with raised branches that form a lush spreading crown. The needles are thick, and the cones have long spines. All varieties are unpretentious and winter-hardy.
Rumelian pine
A variety of Balkan pine has a low pyramidal crown, thick green needles 5-10 centimeters long and cylindrical hanging cones on legs. Young shoots are bare. The bark is brown, flaky. Rumelian pine grows quickly and does not have special requirements for lighting and soils. Used in the decoration of parks.
Pine twisted (broad coniferous)
It grows in North America and, due to its good winter hardiness, is bred in central Russia. The culture extends over large areas along the Pacific coast. The name is given for the twin twisted needles. It can be a shrub or a tall (up to 50 meters) tree, the lower branches of which are lowered, and the upper ones are either sprawling or directed upwards. The culture grows quite slowly, but it is unpretentious to the living conditions not only in nature, but even in the city.
Thunberg pine
A rare decorative species from Japan, which is also called black pine. The main habitat is alpine forests, about 1000 meters above sea level. This evergreen tree grows up to 40 meters in height. The crown is usually irregular in shape, light green in color, with long stiff needles (8-14 cm x 2 mm). The bark is black and the young shoots are orange and glabrous. The cones of the Thunberg pine are almost flat, and the gray seeds are winged. A heat-loving and moisture-loving culture that grows well in Sochi in our country.
Himalayan pine (Wallycha or Wallich)
Luxurious long-leaved pine came from the Himalayas and from the Tibetan mountains. It grows quickly, does not tolerate frosts too well, it is moisture-loving. The ideal place for culture with us is the Crimea, where it bears excellent fruit. The tree in nature reaches a height of 30-50 meters. Beautiful 18 cm gray-green needles hang down. Decorative yellow cones are also long - about 32 centimeters. The species is cultivated for group landscape plantings.
Black pine
Many decorative species of pines are wild, including those that came to us from the mountainous regions of Central Europe. This breed is very resistant to urban conditions. The name was given for the very dark bark and dense green needles that grow profusely. This creates shady areas, unlike Scots pine. In Russia, it is more suitable for the steppe part of the North Caucasus, although undersized decorative forms can be bred further north.
What are pine cones?
Different species differ in their shapes, sizes and colors. But all of them are soft, yellow-green at the beginning of life, and as they grow older, they become stiff and change color from dark green to brown.
The largest in size are the cones of American Lambert pines - 50 centimeters long, Coulter - reach 40 centimeters, as well as Cilician fir, growing about 30 centimeters long. The smallest cones, barely reaching 3 centimeters, have Lyell's larch and Japanese pseudo-hemlock.
In general, the genus pine trees characterized by rapid development and growth. The exceptions are those species that have to survive in difficult climatic conditions: high in the mountains, in swamps, on stingy stony soil, in the North. In these cases, mighty trees are reborn into stunted and dwarf varieties. However, they are of great interest for decorating landscape plantings.
Siberian pine (Siberian cedar)
, or Siberian cedar- tall evergreen slender tree up to 40 m tall and up to 2 m in trunk diameter. Much more commonly known as cedar pine or Siberian cedar. The crown is ovoid, dense, the bark at a young age is gray, smooth, fissured in older trees. The needles are collected in bunches of 5 pieces, 6-13 cm long, dense, prickly, dark green, with light stomatal stripes, stored on the tree for 3-5 years. Cones are large, up to 13 cm long, ripen in the second year after flowering. Seeds 10-14 mm long and 6-10 mm wide, with woody skin.
Distributed from the northern regions of Mongolia to the Arctic Circle. For the most part, the pine area captures the territory of Siberia and only slightly extends beyond the Ural Mountains, into the European part of Russia. Prefers rich loamy and well-drained stony and rubbly soils on mountain slopes, fairly stable in wetlands. In a significant part of its range, it grows on soils with permafrost, but, despite this, it does not tolerate permafrost horizons close to the surface and ground water. In Altai and the Sayan Mountains, Siberian pine grows high in the mountains, reaching 2400 m above vp. seas. It reaches its highest productivity on well-drained alluvial soils of river valleys and on deep soils of gentle slopes. Winter hardiness 1. Not drought-resistant. Medium gas resistant. In the first 10-15 years it is shade-tolerant, then the need for light increases. The first 60-80 years it grows slowly, later the growth increases markedly. Durability up to 500 years. Fruiting begins at the age of 20-70 years.
Blooms in Novosibirsk at the end of May. Seeds ripen in September. It bears fruit once every 3-4 years. Seed yield is 48-50% of the total mass of cones. There are about 2 thousand seeds in one kilogram. In harvest years, up to 100 cones can be obtained from one tree, more often there are 25-30 of them and they are concentrated mainly at the top of the crown.
Propagated by seeds. Preferably spring sowing after preliminary cold stratification for 4-6 months. Seedlings appear 5-6 weeks after sowing. To accelerate the onset of fruiting, grafting of fruiting branches onto young plants is used.
The economic importance of the Siberian pine is enormous due to valuable timber and pine nuts. AT recent times cedar is often used in green building. Beautiful slender trees look great both in single and in group plantings. They are of particular interest in the creation of gardens and parks.
“Pine nuts” contain up to 60-70% of oil and 20% of proteins, which are well absorbed by the human body and give it strength and vigor, improve metabolism, nourish the body exhausted by the disease. Nuts contain many trace elements and B vitamins, which makes their daily consumption necessary in the long winter. Oil and milk obtained from the kernels of cedar fruits are used as the basis for medicines and cosmetics for skin, hair, and teeth care. The shell of the fruit of this tree is brewed with boiling water at the rate of 1:2 and drunk for hemorrhoids and kidney disease. Turpentine and rosin are extracted from cedar resin by distillation, which are widely used for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes: turpentine, for example, is part of ready-made ointments and plasters used for irritating purposes in the treatment of joint diseases, radiculitis, myositis, etc. Inhalations with vapors of turpentine or pine needle extract are used to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract. This extract is also used for baths as a relaxing agent.
- Pinus halepensis
A tree up to 40 m high, with a beautiful, light green, dense, but soft, wide and pyramidal crown, then acquiring the shape of an irregular umbrella, often very spreading. The trunk is oblique and sometimes curved. Top part and the branches are covered with thin, silvery bark, which in older trees becomes wrinkled, cracked, and grayish from the base. Needles - 7-12 cm long and 0.7 mm thick - are arranged in pairs, wrapped at the base with a shiny, thin and durable shell; soft and tender needles sometimes twist. Male spikelets are yellow, small and oblong, there are many of them at the base of this year's sprouts; the female cones are round at first, then become conical and after maturation, which lasts three years, they acquire a beautiful, shiny red-brown color. They have a short, downwardly curved peduncle; there are usually so many of them that old cracked buds can darken the crown of the tree. The scales have a barely protruding, rounded tubercle; the blackish seeds have an elongated winglet.
The Aleppo pine prefers calcareous soils and a typically Mediterranean climate with mild and rainy winters and hot and dry summers. Indeed, eye-catching pine forests are spread out on rocky slopes, sometimes steeply hanging over the sea, they have a lot of Mediterranean plants (mastic tree, philirea, cistus and others).
SPREAD. The entire Mediterranean coast, from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco, Lebanon and Syria. In Italy, along the Italian coast, you can see many wild pine forests: for example, in Liguria (Chiavari, Lerici, Montemarcello), Conero, Marche, San Domino (Tremit), Gargano.
APPLICATION. Aleppo pine is grown not only for afforestation and for decorative purposes, but on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, an excellent quality resin is obtained from it, which is also used for food preservation. For example, in Greece, “retsina”, or resinous wine, has a strong smell from the presence of Aleppo pine resin in it.
SIMILAR TYPES. Calabrian pine, or brutal (Pinus brutia), which many consider as a subspecies of the Aleppo pine, although its name is not at all from Calabria, but from the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. It is distinguished by gray and wrinkled bark, darker, tougher, up to 1.5 mm thick and up to 16 cm long needles; female cones have almost no pedicel, they sit in whorls on branches 2-4, they are never hanging. In Italy, it was called the Calabrian Michele Tenore (1780-1861), a Neapolitan botanist who first described it after he found a small pine forest in the mountains of Calabria. This pine is considered endemic to this region.
The range of this North American species extends from the Mackenzie River and Bear Lake (Canada) in the northwest to northern Vermont and Maine (USA) in the southwest. Banks pine grows on sandy soils of plains and hills.
The wood of this species is hard and heavy. It is used in construction, goes to the sawlog, and sulfate pulp is prepared from it.
Banks' pine has been cultivated since 1785. The fragrant resin, often appearing on the shoots, makes it especially desirable in plantings near sanatoriums, rest homes, where it looks spectacular in group plantings. Even relatively large plants tolerate transplanting well.
White pine (Japanese) 2
In Japan, this type of pine is a symbol of longevity and a symbol of the beginning of the year. It is believed that on New Year the spirits of ancestors stop in the crowns of these trees.
Due to its decorative effect, white pine is quite often found in the parks of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, where it has perfectly taken root due to the mild and humid climate.
Eastern white pine (Weymouth) 1
Of the white eastern pines, it consisted mainly of the "endless forest" so vividly described by Fenimore Cooper in the novel The Last of the Mohicans. But the action of this novel takes place in the middle of the 18th century, when the Appalachian mountains in the east of North America were indeed covered with endless impenetrable pine forests. Already at that time, people were cutting down these trees with might and main for the construction of ship masts and houses, so that by the middle of the 19th century, the old pine forests had become very thin. Fortunately, quite extensive forests of white oriental pines have survived to this day. These trees are characterized by soft whitish wood, bluish-green soft needles collected in bunches of five, and narrow pointed cones with thin covering scales. The white oriental pine is cold tolerant but does not tolerate dry, windy climates well. In some regions of the US, these trees suffer greatly from rust (a disease caused by a microscopic fungus) and environmental pollution.
Weymouth pine is one of the North American species found in northeastern North America. Having a vast area, this plant almost does not form pure plantations, growing together with oaks, maples and hemlock.
Its uniform, soft wood, which is well processed, was the main reason for the merciless extermination of Weymouth pine during the 18th century. Basically, valuable raw materials went to the manufacture of sailing ships commissioned by the British Royal Navy. Today, upscale wood is obtained from this type of wood. construction material, use it in furniture production and interior decoration.
As an ornamental breed, the Weymouth pine is cultivated in the European part of Russia.
FEATURES OF THE VIEW
attractive, slim, decorative tree. Its crown is dense and narrowly pyramidal when young, becoming broadly branched with age, with horizontally spaced branches. Coniferous and branching is rare. The trunk of young trees is smooth, shiny, gray-green, and of old trees it is lamellar. Young shoots are thin, pubescent. Wind-resistant, well resists bulk of snow. negative quality of this species is its low resistance to blister rust.
It grows quickly, yielding in this indicator among coniferous plants only to larch.
area Eastern part of North America.
Size of an adult plant Tree 40-50 m high (up to 61 m).
decorative The "fluffy" crown is very beautiful.
needle shape Bluish-green needles in bunches of 5 pieces, soft, thin, up to 10 cm long.
Time and form of flowering Blooms in April - early May.
cones Cones are narrow-cylindrical (16x4 cm), 1-3 on petioles up to 1.5 cm long.
Soil Requirements It develops well on different types of soils, except for saline ones. It develops better on leached chernozem.
Attitude towards light Shade-tolerant (less demanding on light than other types of pine).
Urban resistance The view is resistant to smoke and gases.
Frost resistance Frost-resistant.
Shelter for the winter Young plants in the first year of planting.
Lifespan Lives 400 years.
Similar species Various varieties five-needle pines are very similar to this pine, but most often these are trees that are rarely grown outside their homeland. However, it must be mentioned Balkan Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce), which is distinguished by the dark green color of the needles, its crown is denser, and the length of the cones is up to 15 cm, they have a short pedicel, and, when ripe, they bend almost like a banana.
White pine (chain mail)
This species is native to the mountains of southeastern Europe. It has been cultivated since 1851, but has become most popular only recently. Whitebark pine is decorative due to the beautiful shape of the crown, it is not demanding on growing conditions, it is resistant to smoke and dust, therefore it is widely cultivated in many countries, including Russia.
The tree looks spectacular in single and group plantings and is better suited for a small garden plot due to its slow growth. This is a fairly rare tree that grows in certain places, it was discovered in the Calabrian-Lucan Apennines only in 1828 by Michele Tenore, a Neapolitan botanist. On the Balkan slopes, this pine forms vast forests. In Italy, the most beautiful specimens of chainmail pine are found in the Pollino massif; in the town of Serra delle Chavole - next to young trees - there are majestic pine trees that are a thousand years old, and white skeletons that have lost their bark - the lifeless remains of ancient giants.
(Pinus bungeana)
Height: up to 30 m.
Area: Northern China.
Places of growth: mixed forests on rocky hills and mountains (up to 1830 m above sea level).
Thanks to the graceful shape of the crown and unusual spotted bark, this tree is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful. Old pine trees in the vicinity of Beijing are especially famous for their magnificence. The most famous of them - Nine Dragon Pine growing near the Jie Tai Temple. Its trunk at a short distance from the ground is divided into nine thick branches. It is said that this tree, more than 900 years old, was described in 1831 by the Russian botanist Alexander Bunge as the first instance of a new species of pine discovered by him for science. In honor of this scientist, the species got its name in 1847. The dark green, shiny needles of the Bunge pine reach a length of 8 cm and are collected in bunches of three. Small rounded cones contain large seeds that are used as food in China. Bunge pine is taken under state protection.
The bark of young Bunge pines is mottled with green, brown and black spots. In old pines, the bark of the trunk and branches is covered with a whitish coating and looks silvery from a distance.
3
The Geldreich pine, or Bosnian, can be found in the mountains of Southern Europe. This species grows slowly: its annual growth in height does not exceed 20-25 cm, and in width - 10 cm. It belongs to long-lived tree species. For example, in 1989 in Southern Italy a specimen was found that was over 960 years old, but more recently a plant was discovered in Bulgaria that is 350 years older than the previous record tree!
As a valuable ornamental species, the Geldreich pine has several varieties that are cultivated in many countries. Unfortunately, Russian gardeners are not yet very familiar with this wonderful type of pine.
Light and durable wood flexible pine is used for sleepers and fuel, and is also used in construction, and its large wingless, highly nutritious seeds, the so-called "nuts", serve as food for rodents and birds.
At home, this type of pine is planted in avalanche areas to reduce the threat of snow falls.
In the Himalayas, on the southern slopes of Annapurna, at altitudes of 1800-3750 m above sea level, graceful trees grow, up to 50 m high, with a pyramidal crown and gray-green short needles, which are collected in bunches of five. This is the Himalayan pine, or the Wallichian pine. In India and Nepal, there are many plant species with the specific epithet "wallichiana" or "walliohli". They are named after one of the first plant collectors in the Himalayas, Nathaniel Wallich (N. Wallich), who visited these places in the 20s of the XIX century.
This species is very decorative due to the wonderful, long hanging buds.
9
This species can be a tree up to 10 m high or a multi-stemmed shrub. Its range is Southern and Central Europe; in the Carpathians it forms crooked forests along the slopes and swamps above the border of coniferous forests.
Mountain pine wood is used to make carpentry and turning products, and its resin is used in medicine and cosmetics. In the Crimea, it is used to strengthen slopes with poor soil.
Mountain pine is widely known as an ornamental species that adorns gardens and home gardens and is often used to create low-growing decorative groups.
4
This species is of interest to landscapers, gardeners, as well as to lovers of the bonsai style.
Its high-value wood is widely used as a building material, used in the manufacture of joinery and furniture, as well as in sawing. Pine heavy, or yellow, in 1826 was discovered for science by the famous naturalist David Douglas. For denser wood compared to other pines, he assigned it the Latin species name "ponderosa", which is also rooted in everyday life. Pine heavy, growing in favorable conditions, strikes the eye with its strict beauty. Its straight trunk is dressed in a narrow, almost cylindrical crown and is covered with fissured bark, consisting of irregularly shaped yellow-brown, reddish and pinkish-gray plates. Dark green needles reach a length of 25 cm and grow on branches in bunches of three.
Forests dominated by heavy pine are usually devoid of undergrowth of shrubs and low trees. Their main inhabitants are deer, as well as birds and squirrels that feed on pine seeds.
Pine yellow looks very impressive thanks to decorative brown cones collected in whorls of three, so it is often used in landscape design.
Italian pine, or pine - Pinus pinea
In Italy, this tree, reaching a height of 25 m, is also called the cedar pine; it is a truly majestic tree, especially its old specimens - primarily because of its extraordinary umbrella-shaped crown, one of a kind. It is formed by branches that are concentrated in the upper part of the trunk - all their paws (tops) are directed upwards. The trunk is straight, in older specimens it is often quite high forked: in this case, two separate umbrellas are formed. The bark is gray and slightly wrinkled at first, but with age, deep grooves appear on it, it seems to consist of rectangular brownish-gray plates (films). The needles are 12-15 cm long and up to 2 mm thick, hard, slightly twisted, bright green in color, they have prickly tips, and at the base they are wrapped in a transparent dense sheath. There are a lot of small oblong yellow spikelets at the base of this year's shoots. At first, small and rounded female cones are sessile, then they become spherical and heavy, their width and length are 10-12 cm. At first, the cones are green; when ripe after three years, they become a brilliant red-brown. The scales are thick and lignified, with a rounded tubercle, each of them contains two large seeds with a lignified shell ("pine nuts"), they have almost no wings, they are covered with a purple-black powder.
Ecology. Italian pines grow from the coast up to an altitude of 600 m above sea level (holm oak climate zone), on soft, acidic soils. They cover all the dunes, where there are only Italian pine lines, as well as mixed forests with an admixture of maritime pine, holm oak, pedunculate oak, elm and ash. Groves of Italian pine eventually become closed, with very sparse undergrowth.
SPREAD. From Spain to the island of Cyprus and further along the southern coast of the Black Sea.
In Italy it is very difficult to know if Italian pine groves are wild or artificial. Here you can name pine forests in Aquileia, Grado, Lignano, Classe, San Vitale, Casal Borsetti and in Cervia on the high Adriatic coast, in addition - in Macchia di Lucca, Migliarino, San Rossore, Tombolo, Cecina, Donoratico, Castiglione della Pescaia , Castelporziano and Castelvolturno on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and Playa di Catania on the coast of the Ionian Sea.
APPLICATION. In ancient times, Italian pine was bred for "pine nuts", which, together with edible chestnuts formed the basis of food for the Italians. For example, it is believed that the groves of Italian pine on the high shores of the Adriatic Sea appeared precisely for this reason, in other words, this is not wild trees, especially since the climate is not very suitable for this species.
Similar kind - canarian pine (Pinus canariensis) also very often grown on the sea coast, but it has a pyramidal, not umbrella-shaped crown, the needles are combined in bunches of three, the cones are drooping and elongated, with pedicels.
Wood is used as a material for construction and carpentry, and also goes to the production of pencils. However, as a rare species, it is listed in the Red Book, so its economic use is limited.
Valuable wood of this type is light, resinous, well processed. It is used as a construction and ornamental material.
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- Pinus uncinata
Height up to 20 m.
The shape is properly conical.
The bark is grey, wrinkled and furrowed.
The leaves are needle-shaped, hard and prickly.
Male flowers - small, yellow spikelets; female - spherical violet-red cones.
The fruits are small ovoid cones with a hooked-curved tubercle.
Wood small size, sometimes reaches 20 m in height, with a dense dark green regular - in the form of a narrow cone - crown, in older specimens - a little more spreading, the ends of all branches are turned upwards. The trunk is straight, slender, covered with matte gray wrinkled bark in young trees, then the bark is covered with thick grooves forming almost rectangular plates. Needles - 3.5-4 cm long and 1.3 mm thick - are arranged in pairs, they are very hard, prickly, bright dark green in color. Male spikelets, like those of other pines: yellow, there are many of them at the base of new shoots, and female cones on a short pedicel, usually paired and opposite or 3-4 pieces - in whorls - are located on the branches. At first they are spherical, purple-red, after pollination they become green, acquiring a pointed ovoid shape and reaching, with rare exceptions, a length of 4.5 cm. When the scales are open, the shape of the cone is spherical or rounded. On the scales, especially the lower ones, there is a strongly protruding tubercle with a clearly visible longitudinal “boat” and a “ledge” bent like a hook downwards (an important distinguishing feature).
ORIGIN. Mountains of Southern and Western Europe.
ECOLOGY. A typical alpine tree species adapted to a cold continental climate, hook pine prefers to grow at high altitudes - from 1200 to 2700 m above sea level, where cold (frost) lasts from 6 to 9 months and in summer the air is quite dry. It very actively inhabits rocky and sediment-rich slopes, with predominantly calcareous or mixed soils, usually lit by the sun. Forms pine forests, sometimes quite large and very beautiful.
SPREAD. Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, Vosges, Black Forest, Central and Western Alps.
APPLICATION. Mugolio, a balsamic essential oil, is extracted from the buds of the hook pine, as well as from the buds of the mountain pine, which is used to treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
SIMILAR TYPES. mountain pine (Pinus mugo), which is replacing hook pine in the Eastern Alps and the Apennines. This is a low shrub, which can also be recognized by the cones, which do not have a curved protrusion on the scales.
, or Monterey (Pinus radiata)
Height: up to 61 m.
Area: coast of Central California (USA), islands off the northern coast of the California Peninsula (Mexico).
Places of growth: coniferous forests on coastal hills (up to 300 m on the mainland and up to 1100 m on the islands).
At home, in California, radiant pine has almost no economic value, but in some countries of the world (especially in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and South Africa) it is widely grown on plantations. The climate of New Zealand and the southeastern part of Australia is so much to the liking of the radiant pine that many trees here reach much higher heights than in their historical homeland. Undoubtedly, the absence of natural pests and diseases contributes to the good growth of trees here (for the same reason, Australian eucalypts often grow better in a foreign land). Plantations of radiant pines give a huge amount of light, quite solid wood. It goes to building houses, making furniture, cardboard and paper.
The dense green needles of the radiata pine reach a length of 15 cm. This tree is one of several pine species whose seeds can remain in closed cones for years - a characteristic of trees growing in fire zones.
SIMILAR TYPES. The radiant pine has much in common with other American species, especially with drooping pine "dzhelikot" (Pinus patula), which occupied the central mountain ranges in Mexico. It is distinguished by very long needles (up to 30 cm) and very elongated cones, but they are still less short and less asymmetrical.
A very beautiful view in culture, but dead needles continue to remain on the tree for a long time and spoil its appearance, so it is recommended to remove it manually. Looks good in rock gardens or as a bonsai.
- Pinus pinaster
A tree reaching a height of 35 m, with a crown - at first conical and regular, which then gradually expands, becoming irregularly domed or almost umbrella-shaped. The trunk is straight at first, then tends to grow obliquely or slightly curved, young trees have a gray and slightly wrinkled bark, subsequently deep grooves and almost rectangular films (plates) appear, which peel off in layers. Needles - 15-20 cm long and up to 2 mm thick - are flat, at the base they are wrapped in a long, strong, thin and shiny sheath; needles are rigid and end with a sharp end, almost a thorn. At the base of young shoots there are a lot of small, cylindrical ovoid male spikelets, which turn yellow when ripe. Female cones are sessile, ovoid, often in whorls along the branches and there are 2-3 of them on the final part of the trunk. They mature for two years, becoming strongly lignified and acquiring a pointed conical shape, at first the cones are green, then brownish-red, 10-20 cm long; on the scales - a sharp, prickly tubercle.
Ecology. Maritime pine grows on seashores, rising up to 800 m above sea level (Atlas Mountains in Morocco) and very rarely up to 2000 m. It prefers loose soils, well-ventilated areas, in particular coastal sand. Maritime pine needs acidic and acidified soils, it avoids limestone. In Liguria and Provence, maritime pine climbs crystalline mountain slopes to form groves with undergrowth of various kinds heather, prickly gorse, cistus, myrtle and arbutus. On the sand dunes, Italian pine is mixed in, creating classic coastal pine forests. Fires often break out in groves of maritime pine, but they do not interfere with the growth of trees, moreover, they contribute to the rapid appearance of forests on burnt areas.
SPREAD. The range of the maritime pine is the coast from the western Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean. In Italy, everywhere from Ventimiglia to Naples, the maritime pine is found and can be admired in its natural setting, for example, on the slopes above Varazze, Voltri, at the foot of the Apuan Alps and on the hills between Florence, Arezzo and Siena. On the sand dunes, it grows in the same place as the Italian pine. On the islands, with the exception of Elba and Giglio, maritime pine is rare, but it is worth mentioning its groves in Montaña Grande Pantelleria - this is the southernmost point where maritime pine reaches in Italy.
APPLICATION. The main use of maritime pine is to strengthen the sands on the coast. Once it was grown for the production of resin (gum), which flows in large quantities from cuts (cuts) on the bark.
Under natural conditions, black pine grows in Central and Southern Europe, as well as in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula. A tree no more than 30 m high, with a dense, regular, pyramidal, dark green crown; in older specimens, the crown is spreading and domed. The straight trunk is covered with wrinkled and furrowed grayish-brown bark, consisting of almost rectangular plates, which in old trees increase, acquiring a characteristic whitish color. Flat dark green needles are more or less rigid, 4 to 19 cm long and 1-2 mm thick, they are sharp and prickly. Numerous yellow, sometimes with red specks, cylindrical oblong male spikelets appear at the base of young shoots; sessile single, in pairs or three female cones are on the branches, at first they are ovoid, then - ovate-conical, their length is not more than 8 cm, they are matte, unripe - green, then they become brown-buff. This species is quite diverse, and there are at least five geographical species that are subspecies: Pinus nigra in Austria, Central and Northern Italy, Greece; Pinus salzmannii- in Chevenna and the Pyrenees; Pinus laricio- in Corsica, Calabria and Sicily; Pinus dalmatica- in the former western part of Yugoslavia; Pinus pallasiana (Crimean pine)- on the Balkan Peninsula, in the Southern Carpathians and in the Crimea.
Its wood has a high resin content; it is strong, elastic and hard. It is often used in shipbuilding and for creating underwater structures.
High frost resistance and low demands on the composition of the soil allows this species to grow and develop well in the northern latitudes.
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