An evergreen coniferous Eastern Mediterranean tree. Various cultivars exist, including the fastigiate or columnar type with branches growing in an upright direction and the pyramidal types with branches growing laterally. Height and spread vary according to the cultivar, but in Malta, the height of the tree is usually between 5-15 meters, rarely higher. Commonly used as wind-breakers in orchards but when used as specimen trees they create focal points and landmarks in formal landscapes.
Leaves are dark green in colour, scale like 2-5 mm long and produced on rounded shoots.
The fruit is a rather inconspicuous, 2.5-4.0 cm long, oval to round cone, greenish turning brown when mature. The male cones are 3-5 mm long and are borne in winter. Pollen can be seen coming out if these trees as large clouds of white dust on windy days. Cones can remain sealed for many years on the trees and. Their seeds can remain sealed for many years inside cones and would need hot dry summers and potentially fires to unseal the cones and release the seeds.
