AROLLA PINE
Everything you always wanted to know about trees but never dared to ask.
As the botanical name arolla or swiss stone pine suggests, the evergreen conifer, which is particularly common in the Alps and the Carpathians, is an offspring of the pine family. In Austria, many of the not very extensive pine forests are on East Tyrolean soil. For example, in the Arvental, which they also gave its name to, the pine is known as Arve in the East Tyrolean dialect. In other regions the names Arbe or Zirbel are common. Especially in East Tyrol there are a number of closed deposits, i.e. pure pine forests. Otherwise, the arolla pine is often found alongside its forest companion, the larch.
TOUGH AND UNSHAKEABLE
Like every real mountain dweller, the pine tree is tough. It is hardly affected by heavy wet snow, avalanches and soil erosion. If there is no soil, it anchors its roots in cracks in the rock and reaches heights of up to 25 meters despite poor living conditions. Their trunk can be over 1.5 meters thick in diameter, and their age is biblical: some swiss stone pines can withstand wind and weather for over 1,000 years.
THE ALLROUNDER
It’s been a long time since entire alpine huts were built from pine trees – the fragrant wood with its lively markings and golden yellow color is not only light, but also quite soft.
It is therefore less suitable for harsh outdoor use than for building furniture and paneling and for carving. The arolla pine kernels from the cones are a nutritious delicacy with their 70% fat content. The cones, in turn, are the basis of pine schnapps and liqueurs. The resin of the tree supplies an immersion oil for light microscopy. At Mareiner, the swiss stone pine supplies us with a noble material for the design panels as well as the wall units of the Piz Palü brand.
Wood research has recently proven that the arolla pine is an excellent choice, which we report on elsewhere here on the blog: Maximilian Moser and Richard Maierhofer have scientifically verified the long-standing legend about the sleep- and health-promoting effects of the pine. This has also led to a sharp increase in interest in pine interiors in recent years, to which the Austrian forestry industry has responded by planting more pine shoots.
- Type: Evergreeen conifer
- Family affiliation: Pine family (Pinaceae)
- Homeland: Mainly in the Central and Eastern Alps, smaller occurrences in the Carpathians
- Maximum height: approx. 25 meters
- Maximum trunk diameter: approx. 1.5 meters
- Maximum lifespan: over 1,000 years
- Nutrient and water requirements: low
- Wood: golden yellow with lively markings, darkens to reddish brown
- Suitable for: furniture, paneling, carvings, shingles
- Special features: insensitive to wet snow, avalanches, soil erosion. Also known as Arve or Arbe. Fragrant, soft and light wood, which is said to have special properties (radiation shielding, sleep promotion).
- At Mareiner it becomes: wall unit, wall panel and design panel Piz Palü