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Pinus pumila
Also known as Japanese Stone Pine. This dwarf conifer grows up to 4-5 meters but is often seen growing in thickets of up to 2 meters high with branches growing along the ground. Bright green needle like leaves growing in bundles of 5, they are about 4-6cm long. The pollen cones look like bright scarlet raspberries and the mature cones still retain a purplish hue. Images show a maturing cone, a young pollen cone and general specimens.
These plants seen on the Kamchatka Peninsular but a reasonably common plant right across eastern Russia and Siberia and down to Korea and north Japan. In the far east it grows in coastal habitat up to high altitudes.
Some interesting things about this plant. They are extremly long lived and are thought to live well over 300 years and some specimens have been aged as high as 1,000 years old. In the harch environment of the Kamchatka coast many trees there are 250 years plus. Also the nut from the cone is an important food source for local people and there stock and the turpentine made from the tree sap has many medicinal properties. Ref: Wikipedia Pinus pumila
9 Comments
Thank you Luba. Sorry been away a while and only just noticed you comment.
Interesting spotting - thanks for sharing this and Congratulations on the SOTD !
Thank you for the comment Antonio. A pleasure to share.
Great spotting triggsturner,congrats on the well deserved SOTD and thanks for sharing your amazing spotting page
Thank you Mark and Medusasnakes123. Comments much appreciated.
Thank you for the SOTD Lisa. Was very pleasantly suprised.
Wow that looks cool
Congratulations Bob on your SOTD
Congratulations triggsturner! This stunning pine is our Spot of the Day!
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