Pinus pinea

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.

FoliageThe 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 (⁄4–1 ⁄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.

ConesThe 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 (⁄4 in) long, and pale brown with a powdery black coating that rubs off easily, and have a rudimentary 4–8 mm (⁄32–⁄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.


 

Needles of a juvenile (left) and adult (right)




 

Cone and seeds




 

Seedling




 

Adult stone pine in Catalonia, Spain




 

Adult stone pine with a flatter crown in Tuscany, Italy




 

Very old pine in Fluminimaggiore, Sardinia, Italy




 

Close-up of the bark's vertical texture

Water sparingly, allowing the mix to nearly dry out between watering.

Pinus Pinea

Pinus pinea

Gallery

Share With Your Friends

How to Grow

Characteristics

Benefits

Attracts

More Info

Taxonomy