Yinshan

Growth habit

Tree

Perennation

Long-lived polycarpic perennial

Native distribution

China

Source of plant

Iseli Nursery, Treehaven Evergreen Nursery

Description

A monoecious conifer to 20m, related to Pseudotsuga and Larix. Bark gray, furrowed. Branches horizontal, dimorphic; long branches erect, bearing quadrilateral scars from the elongated leaf bases, sulcate; shoots with brown markings, villous becoming glabrous. Buds ovate, not resionous, light brown, to 1cm; bud scales papery. Leaves densely spiralled on long shoots, whorled on short shoots, acicular, linear and straight, or cuspidate, 4-5cmx2-3mm, juvenile leaves ciliate; adult leaves smooth, dark green above, light green beneath with 2 blue-white stomatal bands either side of prominent midrib, apex obtuse, margins slightly revolute. Male flowers catkin-like, ovoid to narrowly conic. Female flowers ovoid, subsessile. Cones oblong-ovate, 3-5x1-2cm, persisting for several years; seed scales 12-16, in spirals, imbricate, obtuse, 1.5-2.5x1-2.5cm, brown, becoming dark brown, winged; seeds obovate to 6x4mm, off-white spotted light brown.

USDA Hardiness Zone

7

Special characteristics

foliage characteristics, winter interest, rarity