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White pine (Pinus leucodermis)
Appearance: An evergreen coniferous tree, approx 20 m, rarely more, often, however, much lower. Crown built quite regularly, with dense branches, with a conical shape, always compact. The trunk is very thick, tapers evenly towards the top. The branches stick out horizontally or hang slightly and rise steeply only in the upper part of the crown,
The bark is initially smooth and greenish-gray, later it becomes light gray or gray and is divided into rectangular fields - this is why the tree is sometimes called "snake-skin pine"” (German Schlangenhaut-Kiefer). Shoots initially a bit "frosted", naked, blue-green.
Dark brown donuts, no resin, quite compact, with long, pointed vertices. Two pins on shoots, mostly clustered in the pens of twigs. Single pins approx 7-9 cm are strong and stiff, usually looking clearly forward, black and green, pointed at the ends, with delicate longitudinal stripes on the sides. Numerous male flowers in the lower part of the new shoots. Egg-shaped szfr / female sprout two or three at the ends of the twigs, they are blue-purple at first, then blue-black, and when they mature purple-brown to dark brown. The discs on the scales of the cones are convex and have distinct thorny outgrowths. Habitat: White pine prefers relatively dry habitats, with shallow soil on limestone substrate.
Occurrence: In wooded areas, in the mountainous regions of the Balkan Peninsula from Istria to Bulgaria, the species is widespread and often planted in forests. It also thrives on acidic soils and is an important species in the Balkan countries, from which the wood is obtained.
Flowering period: May to June.
General thoughts: On a cursory examination, white pine may be confused with one of the varieties of black pine occurring in the same area. The peculiarly black and blue colored cones and clearly "frosted” shoots, which is never seen in black pine.
A related species:
Mud pine (Hooked pine) reaches approx 20 m in height. It is a tree-like form of mountain pine, found in the alpine floor of the kosówka, a shrub only developing, Two pins for the shoot, with a length of approx 5-7 cm. very stiff, grooved on the inside. It occurs in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Sometimes also planted. This arrangement is also typical of other pine species.