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Description :
Height : 80
to 110 feet tall. One of the largest eastern conifers.
Spread : 20 to
40 feet.
Age : 200-400
years or more. |
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Fruit :
The conical, 1- to
3-inch-long, stalk-less cones bend forward on the branches, becoming curved
and asymmetrical.
Cones persist on the tree for several years, often remaining
tightly closed. Adapted to survive forest fires in dry seasons, the cones
slowly open, releasing the seeds slowly. |
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Leaves :
The branches
are whorled, few and spreading, with slightly upturned tips. In closed
stands, trunks are free of branches over 2/3 of their length.
The needles are soft,
flexible, blue-green; 2-4 inches long, 3-sided, in bundles of five.
Evergreen. |
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Bark :
Bark on young trees is thin and reddish-brown
to grey, becoming dark brown and scaly. On old trees the bark is divided
into shallow furrows and scaly ridges of thick, close-pressed scales. |
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