
Is pine one of the most expensive trees?
Pine Trees: These are faster-growing trees, taking an average of 7 years to attain a 6-7 foot height, so generally are a little less expensive than some of the more slow-growing Christmas trees. They can be more labor-intensive for the grower, however, as the trunks are sometimes not straight, and they require more shearing to develop a ...
Is a pine tree a hardwood or softwood?
Pine trees are considered a softwood tree, which means the wood is softer than hardwood varieties. Pine trees grow around the world, not just in the U.S. Pine has a great deal of stiffness and ...
Is a pine tree a living thing?
The Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva) is a species of pine tree. It is found in the American West, mostly in Utah, Nevada, and California. One of these trees has been measured to be 5,065 years old! That makes it the longest living non-clonal organism on Earth.
Do any pine trees have flowers before pine cones?
This is called the Jack Pine ecosystem. Pine cones can stay on tree for more than 10 years before dropping to the ground. All conifers produce male and female cones. Sometimes on the same tree, sometimes not. The pinecones we see are only the female cones. The male cones are much smaller and not showy. You may have never noticed them. The male cones release pollen, which drifts into the air and eventually finds and fertilizes the female cones. Pine nuts come from pine cones. Only 20 ...
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How fast do stone pine trees grow?
Italian stone pines grow fastest during their first five years in the ground, during which time they will achieve a height of 10 to 15 feet. Their growth then decreases to roughly 1 foot annually until they reach 40 to 80 feet.
How can you tell a stone pine?
Fruit: Woody cone, 3 to 5 inches long, brown, broadly rounded, thick rounded cone scales unarmed; bearing large edible pine nuts. Twig: Moderately stout, ash-gray to gray-brown; buds ovoid with red-brown scales.
Why is it called a stone pine?
The seeds are edible and tasty, are sold and known as pine nuts or piñones. The seed is enveloped by a stone-hard shell (which is why the name Stone Pine was suggested in Hebrew), and is why it is called the Stone Pine in English, i.e. a pine with a pit. The cone is spherical to ovate, 15 cm long, with crude scales.
What does a stone pine tree look like?
Beginning life as a rounded shrub-like tree, the stone pine (Pinus pinea) gradually matures into a towering tree with a characteristic mushroom-shaped canopy. The shape is instantly recognizable to anyone who has traveled in Mediterranean regions, where it is native.
Is Stone Pine a hardwood?
As coniferous wood, Swiss stone pine is considered a soft wood.
What is stone pine used for?
Stone pines have been used and cultivated for their edible pine nuts since prehistoric times. They are widespread in horticultural cultivation as ornamental trees, planted in gardens and parks around the world.
Where are stone pines from?
The species is thought to be native to the coastal areas of Mediterranean Europe and the Near East, although many of the present day stands are possibly the result of plantings going back to Roman times. It is a coastal tree growing on the lower mountain slopes and hills down onto the dunes and flats.
Can you grow stone pine in UK?
They grow well in Britain – as long as they have plenty of light and space (as with all Pines) – and reasonably well drained soil.
How do you plant a stone pine?
If you are growing Italian stone pine trees, plant them in well-drained soil. The trees do well in acidic soil, but also grow in soil that is slightly alkaline. Always plant your pine trees in full sun. Expect your tree to grow to about 15 feet (4.6 m.)
Can you prune a stone pine?
Stone pine is a conifer for which pruning is important enough to deserve a bit of advice. Since stone pine grows rather slowly, it can be pruned to resemble a parasol or umbrella. Of course it would take this shape naturally, but pruning can speed it up.
How do you care for stone pines?
Italian Stone Pine Indoors (Pinus pinea)Plant Feed. Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly during active growth.Watering. Water thoroughly but allow soil to dry slightly between waterings.Soil. All-purpose potting mix.Basic Care Summary. Water thoroughly but allow soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Are Italian stone pines invasive?
Italian stone pine: Pinus pinea (Pinales: Pinaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. Pinus pinea L. This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law.
How tall is a stone pine tree?
Description. The stone pine is a coniferous evergreen tree that can exceed 25 metres (80 feet) in height, but 12–20 m (40–65 ft) is more typical. In youth, it is a bushy globe, in mid-age an umbrella canopy on a thick trunk, and, in maturity, a broad and flat crown over 8 m (26 ft) in width.
Where are the Stone Pines?
Stone pines along the Via Appia, one of the most important Roman roads, near Rome, Italy . Stone pines were planted on the hills of the Bosphorus strait in Istan bul for ornamental purposes during the Ottoman period.
How long is Pinus pinea?
This coastal forest is at least 13 kilometres (8 miles) long, with dense and tall stands of Pinus pinea mixed with Pinus halepensis. Currently, Pinus halepensis is outcompeting stone pines in many locations of the forest.
Where is the pine forest in Greece?
In Greece, although the species is not widely distributed, an extensive stone pine forest exists in western Peloponnese at Strofylia on the peninsula separating the Kalogria Lagoon from the Mediterranean Sea.
How long are a tree's leaves?
The flexible mid-green leaves are needle-like, in bundles of two, and are 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long (exceptionally up to 30 cm or 12 in). Young trees up to 5–10 years old bear juvenile leaves, which are very different, single (not paired), 2–4 cm ( 3⁄4 – 1#N#+#N#1⁄2 in) long, glaucous blue-green; the adult leaves appear mixed with juvenile leaves from the fourth or fifth year on, replacing it fully by around the tenth year. Juvenile leaves are also produced in regrowth following injury, such as a broken shoot, on older trees.
How long does it take for pine cones to grow?
The cones are broad, ovoid, 8–15 cm (3–6 in) long, and take 36 months to mature, longer than any other pine. The seeds ( pine nuts, piñones, pinhões, pinoli, or pignons) are large, 2 cm ( 3⁄4 in) long, and pale brown with a powdery black coating that rubs off easily, and have a rudimentary 4–8 mm ( 5⁄32 – 5⁄16 in) wing that falls off very easily. The wing is ineffective for wind dispersal, and the seeds are animal-dispersed, originally mainly by the Iberian magpie, but in recent history largely by humans .
What is the Italian pine tree?
Ornamental. In Italy, the stone pine has been an aesthetic landscape element since the Italian Renaissance garden period. The tree is among the symbols of Rome, where many historic Roman roads, such as the Via Appia, are embellished with lines of stone pines.
What is a stone pine tree?
Stone pine, a majestic conifer. Stone pine is a typical Mediterranean tree and its shape looks quite like that of a giant parasol.
How far can a stone pine tree reach?
Stone pine is often used to provide shade in gardens where the land surface is enough. As an adult, the drip line of the tree can easily reach 32 feet (10 meters) across.
How to keep a tree from fungus?
Try to consider keeping a balanced shape that stays natural and harmonious. Once branches are pruned, cover wounds with pruning paste such as pine tar to slow appearance of disease and fungus.
What is the name of the tree that grows in the Mediterranean?
Pinus pinea is famous for its silhouette shaped like a parasol and for the fact that it grows everywhere along the Mediterranean area. Its brown red bark, as it breaks up at mid-height, is just as ornamental as its clear green leafage.
Why are pine nuts used in salads?
Pine nuts are used in cooking, especially to prepare pastries and salad, since it has a slight almond-like taste, and it bears many health benefits for the body.
How tall is a conifer tree?
Type – conifer. Height – up to 65 feet (20 meters) Exposure – full sun or part shade. Soil – ordinary & well-drained but not chalky. Foliage – evergreen. Its fruit, the pine nut, is widely used in cooking, which is why it is sometimes called the pine nut tree. It’s an excellent shade tree for dry places.
Which country produces the largest quantity of stone pine?
Stone pine fruits only reach maturity every three years. The country that produces the largest quantity is Spain. Also, let us note that the stone pine is a Mediterranean tree. It would have trouble growing along the coast of larger oceans like the Atlantic.
What is Italian stone pine?
Printer Friendly Version. Image by scubaluna. Italian stone pine ( Pinus pinea) is an ornamental evergreen with a full, high canopy that resembles an umbrella. For this reason, it is also called the “umbrella pine”. These pine trees are native to southern Europe and Turkey, and prefer warm, dry climates. However, they are also cultivated as popular ...
How tall do Italian stone pine trees get?
They grow between 40 and 80 feet (12.2 – 24.4 m.) tall, but occasionally get taller. Although these trees develop lower branches, they are usually shaded out as the crown matures.
When do Italian stone pine trees mature?
Although these trees develop lower branches, they are usually shaded out as the crown matures. The pine cones of the Italian stone pine mature in autumn. This is important Italian stone pine information if you plan on growing Italian stone pine trees from seeds. The seeds appear in cones and provide food for wildlife.
Do Italian stone pine trees need pruning?
Their horizontal branches can crack and break when they are coated with ice. Italian stone pine tree care does not include mandatory pruning. However, some gardeners like to shape the canopy of the tree.
Where is stone pine found?
Distribution. Prior to the anthropogenic range expansions of the last few thousand years stone pine was probably confined to the Iberian Peninsula, the only area where it is found away from ancient trade routes. It is said to be "impossible to determine its natural range.".
What is Pinus pinea?
Pinus pinea, first described in 1753 by Carolus Linnæus (1707–1778), is commonly known as Italian stone pine, stone pine, Mediterranean stone pine, umbrella pine ; as well as Pinheiro manso in the Portuguese language; as pino piñonero, pino manso, pino doncel, pino albar in Spanish; pin parasol, pin pignon in French; as pi pinyer, pi pinyoner, pi para-sol, pi bo, pi ver in Catalan; Pinu granatu in Corsican; pino domestico in Italian; κουκουναριά in Greek; pinija in Serbian; as Fıstık çamı Turkish; אורן הצנובר in Hebrew; as well as صنوبر ثمري in Arabic. This tree is famous for its production of large, oily seeds, loved world-wide as pine nuts, or pinea in the Latin language, hence the species name.
Where is Pinus pinea located?
Pinus pinea — growing in habitat. Pinus pinea — one of the world's most famous trees at Ravello near Napoli, Italy. Pinus pinea — bark detail. Photo by Leoboudv, via Wikipedia; Public Domain photo. Pinus pinea — a mature cone with seeds. Pinus pinea — foliage and seed cones in situ.
What is the name of the tree that grows large oily seeds?
This tree is famous for its production of large, oily seeds, loved world-wide as pine nuts, or pinea in the Latin language, hence the species name. Ethnobotany. This conifer has been cultivated extensively for at least 6,000 years for its edible pine nuts, which have been trade items since early historic times.
What color is a bark tree?
Bark is thick, plated, deeply fissured, red-brown to orange in color with blackish edges to the plates. Shoots are usually uninodal, very rarely multinodal on vigorous young trees; moderately rough and stout, colored yellow-buff, with persistent decurrent scale-leaf bases.
How tall are bonsai trees?
The year-old seedlings in juvenile foliage stage are seasonally available as 8 to 12 inch (20 – 30 cm) tall table-top Christmas trees. Other products of economic value include resin, bark for tannin extraction, and empty pine cone shells for fuel.
How big are seed cones?
Seed cones develop on short stout peduncles, and are symmetrical, broadly ovoid to globose, measuring 3.2 to 4.8 inches (8 - 12 cm) long by 2 to 4.4 inches (5 - 11 cm) broad when closed, resembling a children's comic idea of a hand-grenade.
What are pine trees?
Pines are resinous trees that are related to other types of conifers such as fir trees, cedars, and spruces. Different types of pine trees grow in many different environments that include cold regions in North America, rain forests, and hot sandy deserts.
What is the tallest pine tree?
The sugar pine is the tallest of the pine trees. Also called the sugar cone pine, this massive tree is the tallest species of pine in the world. Sugar pines also have the longest cones of any tree in the Pinaceae family. This pine species gets its common name from the sweet resin in the tree.
How tall is a lambertiana pine tree?
Being the tallest of the pine trees, the subgenus lambertiana grows up to 270 ft. (82 m). However, their average size is between 130 and 195 ft. (40 – 60 m). Slender pine needles grow in bundles of 5 and can measure up to 4.14” (14 cm) long. The long woody dark brown cones can grow up to 20” (50 cm) long.
How tall do white pine trees grow?
Pine tree identification. Eastern white pines are a tall species and grow to up to 230 ft. (70 m). Their cones are long and slender growing to 6” (16 cm). The eastern white pine has pine leaves made up of clusters of 5 pine needles.
How big do pine trees get?
These majestic pines grow to between 100 and 110 ft. (30 – 35 m) and they have wide trunks up to 5 ft. (1.5 m) in diameter. Dark green needles are about 8” (20 cm) long and grow in bundles of three.
What is the most popular Christmas tree in North America?
The eastern white pine is a popular type of Christmas tree. The eastern white pine is one of the most important pine species in North America. These are fast-growing trees and one of the tallest species of pines. The pine needles grow in small clusters and have a bluish-green appearance.
What type of pine has a bluish green bark?
Scots (Scotch) pines have bluish-green short needles. Scots (Scotch) pine trees are stunning evergreen conifers that have thick scaly brown bark, bluish-green needles, and small red to tan cones. Scots pines generally have a forked trunk that gives the medium-sized pine 2 flat masses of foliage.
What is a Japanese white pine?
The Japanese white pines (USDA zone 5) are well-formed, elegant plants, with soft, delicate need les that are often streaked with white, blue or gold. These cultivars also have some of the most stunning pollen cones in the conifer world.
What is a dwarf pine cultivar?
The key for gardening successfully with pines is to choose among the thousands of dwarf pine cultivars. A cultivar, short for ‘cultivated variety’, represents a selection that was chosen due to its slower growth rate, dwarf form, unusual color, weeping habit, etc.
What is Uncle Fogy pine?
If the Pinus parviflora cultivars are some of the most elegant pines, 'Uncle Fogy' clearly has to be one of the most ridiculous. This cultivar of Pinus banksiana (USDA zone 2) is twisted, alternately weeping and upright and no two look the same.
What is the most popular Christmas tree in the US?
Most Christmas trees sold in this country are firs or spruces, despite the fact that they are often referred to as pine trees. To truly be a pine tree, a conifer must belong to the genus Pinus. Pinus lambertiana (sugar pine) growing in the southern California mountains.
What is the best gold conifer?
Close up of 'Watereri' needles, buds and cones. However, if you prefer golden foliage, Pinus sylvestris does that, beautifully, too! 'Nisbet's Gold' is one of the best gold conifer cultivars of any species, and, like many of the other sylvestris cultivars, has a tidy habit and is relatively slow-growing.
Which is better, Zebrina or Himalayan pine?
Although last on the list, Zebrina Himalayan pine is one of the very best! All Himalayan pines have long, graceful needles, but Zebrina does it one better by striping them with pale yellow. The landscape effect is breathtaking, especially in winter's soft light.
What is the largest family of conifers?
Many of us have a tendency to refer to all conifers as pine trees, which is not illogical considering that the pine family (Pinaceae) is the largest family of conifers and accounts for approximately ¼ of all cone-bearing trees (the definition of a conifer is a plant that bears cones). However, those roughly 200 species in Pinaceae include not just ...

Overview
The stone pine, botanical name Pinus pinea, also known as the Italian stone pine, umbrella pine and parasol pine, is a tree from the pine family (Pinaceae). The tree is native to the Mediterranean region, occurring in Southern Europe, The Palestinian Territories, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. It is also naturalized in North Africa, the Canary Islands, South Africa and New South Wales. The species was …
Distribution
The prehistoric range of Pinus pinea included North Africa in the Sahara Desert and Maghreb regions during a more humid climate period, in present-day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Its contemporary natural range is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome ecoregions and countries, including the following:
Description
The stone pine is a coniferous evergreen tree that can exceed 25 metres (80 feet) in height, but 12–20 m (40–65 ft) is more typical. In youth, it is a bushy globe, in mid-age an umbrella canopy on a thick trunk, and, in maturity, a broad and flat crown over 8 m (26 ft) in width. The bark is thick, red-brown and deeply fissured into broad vertical plates.
Use
Pinus pinea has been cultivated extensively for at least 6,000 years for its edible pine nuts, which have been trade items since early historic times. The tree has been cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region for so long that it has naturalized, and is often considered native beyond its natural range.
The tree is among the current symbols of Rome. It was first planted in Rome d…
Pests
The introduced western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis) was accidentally imported with timber to northern Italy in the late 1990s from western USA, and has spread across Europe as an invasive pest species since then. It feeds on the sap of developing conifer cones throughout its life, and its sap-sucking causes the developing seeds to wither and misdevelop. It has destroyed most of the pine nut seeds in Italy, threatening P. pinea in its native habitats there.
External links
• Pinus pinea − distribution map, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)
• [1] The Gymnosperm Database
• efri.gov.tr: A case study on stone pine farms in Turkey
Overview
Appearance
- Italian stone pine is easily recognizable, as it is one of the only pines to form a high, rounded crown. Hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 8, this pine doesnt tolerate lower temperatures happily. Its needles brown in colder weather or wind.
Symptoms
- If you grow Italian stone pine trees, you will notice that as they mature, they develop multiple trunks close to one another. They grow between 40 and 80 feet tall, but occasionally get taller. Although these trees develop lower branches, they are usually shaded out as the crown matures.
Ecology
- The pine cones of the Italian stone pine mature in autumn. This is important Italian stone pine information if you plan on growing Italian stone pine trees from seeds. The seeds appear in cones and provide food for wildlife.
Culture
- If you are growing Italian stone pine trees, plant them in well-drained soil. The trees do well in acidic soil but also grow in soil that is slightly alkaline. Always plant your pine trees in full sun. Expect your tree to grow to about 15 feet in the first five years of its life.
Management
- Once the tree is established, care for Italian stone pines is minimal. Italian stone pine tree growing requires little water or fertilizer.
Cultivation
- Italian stone pine tree care is fairly easy if the tree is planted in appropriate soil in the sun. The trees are drought and sea-salt tolerant, but susceptible to ice damage. Their horizontal branches can crack and break when they are coated with ice.