Conifers of various kinds are not uncommon in Russia. In the end, whole hectares of Russian territory are occupied by forests of spruce, pine, fir and other representatives. Conifers are quite undemanding to growing conditions. They survive on sandstones, in low-precipitation areas, in places where the soil layer is very poor, where constant winds blow, destroying almost any plants. However, among them the Pitsunda pine stands out especially, 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 coniferous species survived the ice age - albeit due to the fact that the ridges of the Caucasus prevented the ice masses from crawling to their habitats. But do not forget that the climate has changed repeatedly since then, and the Pitsunda pine continues to flourish, albeit in a very limited area.
Secondly, this species of pines tends to grow in all directions. And neither the degree of illumination (remember the pines that grew along the fence), nor the gravity distorting the “shape” of the trees settled on the slopes of the mountains, or other factors that greatly affect the development of the plants, affect growth. Due to this feature, Pitsunda pine forms a very lush crown that grows evenly in all directions and more resembles 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 in very bizarre spirals.
Not to be mistaken: different names of the same plant
This variety of pine has other names. It is also referred to as Sudak pine, since its quite numerous stands are found in the vicinity of Crimean Sudak, and Stankevich’s pine - after the person who described it.
A curious fact is that for some time now the Pizuns pine does not stand out as a separate species, it is considered a special case of pine, known as Turkish or Calabrian. Although not all botanists agree with this.
Wood appearance
Most often, Pitsunda pine is represented by trees about 15 meters high, although there are specimens up to 30 m. Old trees have gray-brown bark, and young shoots are light gray. The needles are thin and long, growing to 16 centimeters. The cones are quite long and crowded, the legs are short (and even they are completely absent), and they are directed obliquely upwards. Interestingly, even ripened cones for a long time do not open. Moreover, if the tree blooms in the spring (under normal conditions in March or April), then the buds 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 is, first of all, clear from its name: the extreme boundary of the range is Pitsunda. On the other hand, the territory is limited to Anapa. The coastal side of the Caucasus also has small islands of this endemic. It is also found in Crimea, and it is scattered (rather randomly) along its entire southern coast, although it is especially characteristic of Sudak's environs (as we mentioned). Although typical Pizundsky pine Balaclava (up to Cape Ayia) and the New World. It is quite common in the Dagomys and Tuapse regions, and in Gelendzhik it is almost the main natural decoration (attention should be paid to the Dzhanhot region). Although even the Gelendzhik embankment boasts excellent specimens of this tree.
