An intolerant, generally small tree able to survive on dry, sterile sites, often with epicormic Native to the Alps and other mountainous regions of Europe. It grows to 80' tall in Europe, but geographic races planted as ornamentals in the U.S. are short, shrub-like, and often multiple-stemmed. Needles are 2 per fascicle, about 2" long, dark green, stout, and twisted. Cones are 1-1/2" long, and ovoid with an umbo often bordered by a dark ring. The spine is usually deciduous.