Himalayan pine seeds (Pinus wallichiana)

Large evergreen, very decorative tree. The crown is loose, openwork, widely pyramidal, with horizontally spreading branches that in nature grow to the ground. Size: 15 – 30 m, in the homeland up to 50 m high and 8 – 20 m wide. Annual growth is 35–60 cm in height, 15–20 cm in width.

In youth, the bark is smooth, dark gray, with age it becomes dark ash-gray, with cracks and peeling plates. The needles are very long, relatively thin, hanging down on young shoots, 12–20 cm long. Collected in bunches of five, green with bluish-white stripes. The cones are vertical in youth, drooping in the second year, cylindrical, 15–25 cm long, light brown, with numerous resin drops. The roots are strong, more or less flat - spread out.

It is photophilous, grows on all cultivated, even dry soils, develops optimally on sufficiently moist, fertile, well-drained substrates, from acidic to neutral.

In youth it freezes slightly and tolerates the urban environment. Does not tolerate wind well and needs a place protected from wind and snow. The branches break under the snow, the wood is fragile, the tree does not live long.

Other names include blue pine, Bhutan pine and Himalayan white pine.