Fam: Pinaceae
Spe.: Pinus cembra L.
Common name: Pino cembro, Cirmolo, Cirmo
English: Swiss pine, Arolla pine
Etymology: Latin name for pine that means resinous and the specific Cembra derives from the dialect name “cembro” given to the Germanic populations who settled in the area of Rhaetia and whose life and culture was linked to the forest.
Description: Tree up to 25 m tall, with a very developed root system that allows a strong anchoring to the ground; the trunk is straight otherwise also with strange asymmetrical shapes due to adverse weather conditions.
The bark, very resinous, is silvery-grey in young individuals, then very fissured, grey-blackish on the outside and red-brown on the inside that flakes with age.
The leaves are needle-shaped gathered in bundles of 5, straight, rigid, bright green above and whitish below; have a trigonal section and are persistent for 3-5 years.
The flowers open in May. The male flowers, yellow when flowering, are oval and grouped at the base of the new shoots while the female flowers, briefly pedunculated and pink-purple in color, are carried at the extremity.
The small pine cones, solitary or in groups of 2-3, which mature in 2 years are oval, erect and covered with scales in summer that are purple, then brown-reddish. Each one contains two non-winged seeds and is preyed upon by rodents, especially squirrels, and birds. The species is long-lived: according to some sources, it can live at least 600 years and exceed a diameter of 1 m.
Habitat: cold and temperate-cold areas of Eurasia
Properties and uses: the seeds are edible like pine nuts and have the same use; an oil is also extracted from them. Its bark, rich in tannins, has tanning properties. From the autumn shoots and bark a very fragrant resin called “Carpathian balsam” is obtained. Therefore, in the past the wood, which is not attacked by woodworms, was also used as a covering in rustic interior furnishings and in the construction of wardrobes, chests of drawers and windows.
Notes and Curiosities: this small tree, with dense branches, grows at higher altitudes than any other European pine; in nature it can be found up to 2400 m.
During the glaciations it found refuge in Austria, Switzerland and northern Italy, to then spread considerably, in the post-glacial period, in the high areas of the central Alps. Subsequently, the range was found to be in strong contraction, both due to climatic and anthropic factors (deforestation, grazing, fires) and, finally, to competition from other conifers. Consociations are frequent, often with a minority presence of Swiss pine, with Norway spruce, larch, mountain pine and Scots pine
It keeps its lower branches at ground level as it grows and its shoots have an orange-brown color that distinguishes them from other five-needle pines. These characteristics together with that of the cones that have an attractive purple color, make it appreciated as an ornamental tree. In fact, the Swiss pine embellishes the area of the rock garden of the Heller botanical park with its bushy and decorative foliage.