Dwarf Siberian pine
Pinus pumila

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows to 6 m tall. It has creeping branches to 10 m long. The bark is grey-brown and flaking. The small branches start brown but become reddish brown in the second and third year. They are densely hairy. There are 5 needles per bundle. They are 4-6 cm long by about 1 mm thick and stiff. The seed cones are erect. They mature to pale purple or red-brown. They are 3-4.5 cm long by 2.5-3 cm wide. The seeds are dark brown and triangle shaped. They are 7-10 mm long by 5-7 mm wide. They do not have wings.

There are over 100 species of Pinus.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in the mountains between 1000-2300 m altitude in N China. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Yan song

Synonyms

Pinus cembra var. pumila Pallas; Pinus cembra var. pygmaea Loudon;