Trees to 35 m tall; trunk to 1 m d.b.h.; bark gray brown, smooth; branchlets yellowish gray, shining; winter buds globose, resinous. Leaves ascending, rarely pectinately arranged in 2 lateral sets, light green adaxially, linear, flattened, (1.5-)2-3 (-4) cm × ca. 1.5 mm, stomatal lines in 2 white bands abaxially, resin canals 2, median, apex emarginate, acute or obtuse on cone-bearing branchlets. Seed cones brown or dark brown at maturity, cylindric, 5-9.5 × 2.5-3.5 cm. Seed scales at middle of cones obtriangular-flabellate or flabellate-trapeziform, usually slightly contracted at middle, 1.7-2.5 × 1.6-2.4 cm, exposed part densely pubescent abaxially, base pedicellate. Bracts cuneate-obovate, short, 1/3-1/2 as long as seed scales, distal margin erose-denticulate, apex slightly rounded. Seeds slightly appressed, obtriangular, ca. 7 mm; wing light blue distally, cuneate, 0.7-1.3 cm. Pollination May, seed maturity Oct-Nov.
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An evergreen tree. It grows 30-35 m tall. The trunk is 0.5-1 m across. The crown is cone shaped. The shoots are yellow-grey and slightly hairy. The leaves are needle-like and 2-3 cm long by 1.5 mm wide. They are light green above. The cones are cylinder shaped and 5-9 cm long by 2.5-3.5 cm wide. The seeds are 7 mm long. They have a triangle shaped wing.
Forms extensive forests on the northern plains and on cool wet mountainsides, growing on soils that are usually of alluvial origin, podzolic, and in the mountains also calcareous, well drained and free of permafrost; at elevations to 2,000 metres
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It is a cold temperate plant. It grows in mountains and river basins between 1,900-2,400 m above sea level. It can tolerate shade. It is frost resistant and can stand very low temperatures. It suits USDA hardiness zone 2.
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