Wanted poster of the pine
General
- German name: pine
- Latin name: Pinus
- Tree family: conifers (more rarely also shrubs)
- Number of species: approx. 111
- achievable age: 700 years
- Gender: monoecious
External appearance features
Habit
- maximum height: 40 m
- Trunk growth: monopodial (from the root to the crown continuously with branches, which differ in long and short shoots)
- extremely stable growth
- rapid growth
Fruits and coniferous dress
- pointed cones in which the seeds and pollen are located
- Length of the cones: ranges from 2-60 cm
- Cones are initially green, then turn brown
- only open when the air is dry
- Seeds have small wings with which they cover a distance of 2 km
- Shedding of seeds: in spring, only in the second year
- Flowering time: in May
- Growth of the cones: at first straight, when ripe pendulous or protruding
- Color of the needles: green or blue
- Shape of the needles: thin, different lengths
- Needles sometimes stay on the tree for up to 30 years
- Needles grow in a base (two to eight pieces depending on the type of pine)
- Length of the seeds: 2.5-50 cm
- Thickness of the seeds: 0.5-2.5 cm
Occurrence
distribution
- in the northern hemisphere
- in cool, humid climates
- seldom found in the tropics or subtropics
- the most common conifer in German forests
Soil claims
- adapt to the ground very efficiently
- very undemanding
- prefers sandy soils
Common diseases and pests
- high resistance to almost all wood pests
- nevertheless numerous diseases known:
- Blue stain (wood discoloration)
- Pine bark blister rust (fungus)
- Straw rust
- White snow mold
- Black snow mold
Other special features
use
- very important for forestry
- as construction timber (interior and exterior construction, furniture)
- for the production of chipboard
- as firewood
- Facade cladding
- Doors, windows, roofs
- toy
- in gardening and landscaping
- in the traffic
- for resin and pitch extraction (as a light source)
- Food supplier (e.g. pine nuts)
Meaning and mythology
- especially important in China, Japan and Korea
- is associated with a long life and durability (due to old age)
- two-needle jaws represent happiness in marriage
