Conifers of all kinds are not uncommon in Russia. In the end, entire hectares of Russian territory are occupied by forests of spruce, pine, fir and other representatives. Coniferous trees are quite undemanding to growing conditions. They survive on sandstones, in low rainfall areas, in places where the soil layer is very poor, where constant winds blow, destroying almost any plant. However, Pitsunda pine stands out among them, the habitat of which is very small, the conditions in which it feels comfortable are not very wide - and at the same time, the tree has a history of many thousands of years.
Unusual plant
Pitsunda pine, the photo of which is presented on this page, can be called almost a unique tree. Firstly, this variety of conifers survived the ice age - albeit due to the fact that the ridges of the Caucasus prevented the ice masses from crawling to their habitats. Butdo not forget that the climate has changed several times since then, and the Pitsunda pine continues to flourish, albeit in a very limited area.
Secondly, this type of pine tends to grow in all directions. And neither the degree of illumination (remember the pines that grew along the fence), nor the force of gravity, which distorts the "figure" of the trees settled on the slopes of the mountains, nor other factors that strongly affect the development of plants, affect growth. Thanks to this feature, the Pitsunda pine forms a very lush crown, growing evenly in all directions and more resembling the “head” of a deciduous tree. Often, resistance to external factors leads to the fact that the Pitsunda pine curls both the crown and the trunk into very bizarre spirals.
Not to be mistaken: different names for the same plant
This variety of pine has other names. It is also called Sudak pine, since quite numerous of its plantings are found in the vicinity of the Crimean Sudak, and Stankevich pine - after the name of the person who described it.
It can also be considered a curious fact that for some time now the Pitsunda pine has not been distinguished as a separate variety, it is considered a special case of the pine, known as the Turkish, or Calabrian. Although not all botanists agree with this.
Tree Appearance
Most often, the Pitsunda pine is represented by trees about 15 meters high, although there are specimens up to 30 m.trees have a gray-brown bark, and young shoots are light gray. The needles are thin and long, growing up to 16 centimeters. The cones are quite long and crowded, the legs are short (or even absent), and are directed obliquely upwards. Interestingly, even ripe cones do not open for a long time. Moreover, if the tree blooms in the spring (under normal conditions in March or April), then the cones ripen only by the end of August, or even by September of the next year.
Habitat
On the territory of Russia there are not so many places that the Pitsunda pine has chosen. Where this tree grows, first of all, is clear from its name: the extreme boundary of the range is Pitsunda. On the other hand, the territory is limited by Anapa. The coastal side of the Caucasus also has small islands of this endemic. It is also found in the Crimea, and is scattered (rather chaotically) along its entire southern coast, although it is especially characteristic of the Sudak environs (which we mentioned). Although the Pitsunda pine is characteristic of Balaklava (up to Cape Aya) and the New World. It is quite often found in the Dagomys and Tuapse regions, in Gelendzhik - almost the main natural decoration (attention should be paid to the Dzhankhot region). Although even the embankment of Gelendzhik can boast of excellent specimens of this tree.
Pitsunda pine on its site - is it possible?
The fluffiness of this coniferous tree attracts many. It would be very tempting to watch how Pitsunda pine grows on your site. how to grow,by the way, the question is separate: caring for it differs little from the care that any other pine trees require. However, in the northern latitudes, starting from a mark where even in summer the temperature does not rise above twenty, one cannot expect a long and happy life from her. However, it is a southern plant. Low temperatures are detrimental even for adult plants, to say nothing of seedlings. In other respects, the tree is absolutely unpretentious. The most meager soils are also suitable, separate watering is not required - it is enough that nature provides. Top dressing may be needed only at the stage of engraftment of the seedling, in the future it will cope on its own. It is only necessary to ensure that the bare roots do not stay in the open air for a long time - they die from this, and the root collar does not turn out to be buried, as it will begin to rot. Pitsunda pine is planted either between mid-April and the end of May, or in August-September, when its survival rate is maximum.
