Large, upright, slow growing evergreen tree, conifer (H 15-20 m, W 4-6 m). Crown dense, conical. Branches wide open to horizontal. Bark red-brown to grey-brown, it peels off decoratively in narrow strips. Needles densely arranged, pressed to the shoot, scalelike, romboid to egg-shaped (0,3-0,7 cm), leathery, glossy, dark green, lighter beneath; with a distinct, heavy resinous scent when crushed. Flowers separately arranged in male and female inflorescence, on the same plant; male inflorescence yellow-brown, female inflorescence red. Flowering period: April-May. Fruits cones, scale-like (4-5 pairs of seed scales), broadly egg-shaped (1 cm), dark brown; seeds with narrow wings. Ripening time: September-October. Undemanding, long-lived tree, adaptable to different soil conditions. Easily withstands cold, wind and urban conditoins.
These plants grow well in sun or in partial shade. Usually they tolerate more sun and heat if given enough moisture; in partial or light shade they need less moisture.
Conifers have woody stems (i. e. tree trunk and branches) and are also called woody plants or trees. Their leaves are transformed into needles or scales, usually being hard and leathery.
Leaves or needles remain on the plant for several consecutive years, usually 2 to 5 years. Our descriptions contain the word evergreen.
Plant can in otherwise appropriate environment survive cold down to - 23 °C.
Porous or dry soils are normally light and loose, there is no stagnant water but relatively quickly flows in deeper layers; such ground are more airy and warmer, yet drier and usually contain less humus and for such undergrowth it is often to for drought to appear (e. g. rockgardens, walls, by paths and roads, on gravel, also on gravel surface in towns and close to buildings ...), plants of such undergrowth need well-drained soil, they tolerate drought but cannot tolerate constant moisture or even flooding.
Woody plant, normally with a remarkable tree trunk and a tree top. May have several stems - multistemmed tree. The tree top may be of different shapes, dense or thin, symetric or uneven. Most trees reach a height of more than 3 metres.
Among described plants in this category we marked those, which are particulary resistant (to various environmental conditions), do not require much maintanance and thereby suitable fot planting in public areas.
