Short Description
Swiss pine is an evergreen conifer that can grow up to 25 meters high.
The dark green needles always stand together in fives. They are stiff and the tip is blunt. The edge is finely serrated. They grow up to 10 centimeters long.
The bark is light gray and smooth in the first years. Later it becomes gray-brown and cracked.
There are male and female flower cones. The male flower cones are reddish brown or yellow and usually sit close together in large groups. The female flower cones are blue-purple. They grow singly or in groups.
The mature cones are light brown. They grow upright standing.
Features
Swiss pine
Pinus cembra
always five needles together
In the city
The Swiss pine is actually a high mountain species found in the Alps. In the city it is often planted as a park or garden tree.
Fun Facts
The flowering period is from May to July.
The wood is often used for construction and furniture.
Its dispersal is done by the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) who creates numerous storage hiding places with pine seeds for the winter starting in August.
- Endangerment level Germany: endangered
- Usage:
The seeds from the cones are edible and known to be tasty. They are also used as bird food.
- Usage:
The unripe cones are mixed with schnapps to obtain a liquor called "Zirbengeist" in German.
Sources
Männliche Blütenzapfen, Marcobarci, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Pinus_cembra_male_cone.jpg
Habitus, Johann Jaritz, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albeck_Seebachern_Schafferalm_Zirbelkiefern_01112013_044.jpg
Reife Zapfen, Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Pinus_cembra_RF.jpg
Page „Zirbelkiefer“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 16.08.2021, 07:10 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zirbelkiefer&oldid=214799458 (Accessed: 30.08.2021).
Bachofer, M. & Mayer, J. (2015) Der Kosmos Baumführer. 370 Bäume und Sträucher Mitteleuropas. Stuttgart: Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG.
Lüder, R. (2019) Bäume bestimmen. Knospen, Blüten, Blätter, Früchte. Bern: Haupt Verlag.