Pinus cembra 'Stricta'

A slow growing, fastigiate form of the typical species, growing into a narrowly conical shrub up to 6m (20ft) tall and a spread in excess of 2.5m (8ft) when mature. The evergreen, dark-green needles are soft, thin, glossy and densely produced, giving the tree a ruffled texture from a distance. The tree does not typically have a clear, visible trunk until quite old, but instead the canopy exists from the tree's apex to ground level, with the tree retaining its lower branches for much longer than other pines. The tree is primarily grown for its architectural shape and texture as the bark and cones are of little ornamental significance