Pinus pinea

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Flavouring, Spice, Shoots - drink

The seeds are a standout edible — oil-rich with a soft texture and a hint of resin, they make a delicious snack and can serve as a staple food. Measuring up to 20mm x 10mm, they are one of the main sources of commercial pine nuts. They can be added to ice cream, cakes, and puddings, or ground into a powder for use as a thickener and flavouring in soups. Young pine cones can also be ground into a powder and used as a flavouring. A vanillin flavouring is additionally obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a warm temperate plant. It grows naturally on sandy soils near the coast in Mediterranean regions. It grows well in coastal areas. It can tolerate drought once established. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 8-10. Arboretum Tasmania. Hobart Domain and Government House, Launceston City Park, Westbury oval. National Arboretum Canberra.

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How to Identify

A flat topped tree. It can reach 27 m tall. The branches radiate upwards like the ribs of an umbrella. The bark is light brown and cracks into long flat plates. The leaves are needles which grow in pairs. They are dark green and long. The male flowers are golden. The female flowers are green. The cones are large and heavy and globe shaped. One cones contains about 100 seeds. Cones take about 3 years to ripen. The nuts or seeds are eaten.

Nutrition Score: 73/100

How to Grow

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils and shady positions. Established plants tolerate drought. Succeeds in a chalky soil. This species is hardy to about -18°c. Although sometimes thought to be somewhat tender in this country, it is perfectly hardy as far north as south-east Scotland. The trees transplant very badly if they are allowed to stay in one position for more than 2 years. This is usually a short-lived tree, rarely surviving for much more than 100 years. The Italian stone pine is extensively planted for its edible seeds in Europe. The variety 'Fragilis' has thin shelled seeds and is the form most widely cultivated. Trees take between 10 and 20 years to produce cones from seed. One of our plants produced its first young female cone when 7 years old, though this did not mature because it was not fertilised. A 20 year old plant at Kew was about 4.5 metres tall with a number of trunks and had more than 15 mature cones. A very old specimen at Kew was carrying lots of 1st and 2nd year cones in July 1996. The cones ripen in their third year and can then remain unopened on the tree for several years. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. This species does not hybridize with other members of this genus. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow under the trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Pine species are generally not self-fertile; they require cross-pollination between different trees to produce seeds effectively. Pine seeds are typically harvested in late summer to early autumn, usually from August to October (Northern Hemisphere), when cones begin to open and release seeds. Pine trees usually flower in spring, typically from March to June (Northern Hemisphere), depending on the species and climatic conditions. Growth rates vary significantly among pine species, but many can be considered fast-growing, reaching heights of 10 to 30 feet (3 to 9 meters) within 5 to 10 years, depending on species and environmental conditions.

Propagation: Sow seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, or in late winter if not. Stored seed benefits from 6 weeks of cold stratification at 4°c to improve germination. Move seedlings to their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for the first winter or two. The root system is very sparse, so early planting is essential for good establishment. Plant trees when small — between 30 and 90cm, ideally around 5–10cm tall — with a thorough weed-excluding mulch. Larger transplants check badly, barely growing for several years, with poor root development and wind resistance. Cuttings are only viable from trees under 10 years old, using single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding a few weeks before taking cuttings can help, though cuttings are typically slow to establish.

Medicinal Uses

Turpentine from pine resin is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge. Taken internally, it treats kidney and bladder complaints, and is used both internally and as a rub or steam bath for rheumatic conditions. It benefits the respiratory system and is useful for mucous membrane diseases, coughs, colds, influenza, and TB. Externally it treats skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, and boils, applied as liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths, and inhalers.

Other Uses

A tan or green dye comes from the needles. The needles release terpene when rained on, negatively affecting germination of some plants including wheat. The tree yields resin and turpentine. Oleo-resins are extracted by tapping the trunk or by destructive distillation of the wood; warmer-region trees tend to yield more. Turpentine makes up around 20% of the oleo-resin, separated by distillation, and used as a solvent for waxes, in varnish-making, and medicinally. Rosin, the residue after turpentine removal, is used on violin bows and in sealing wax and varnish. Pitch from the resin is used for waterproofing and wood preservation. Pines are valuable in agroforestry for timber production, erosion control, and as windbreaks, and can improve soil quality and provide wildlife habitat. The tree is suited to use as a screen, specimen, or seashore planting, though aggressive surface roots are possible. Pine seeds are an important food source for birds, mammals, and other wildlife, while the dense evergreen foliage offers shelter, nesting, and roosting sites. Bark, needle litter, and fallen branches provide overwintering habitat for invertebrates. The resinous scent of the tree may have some pest-repellent properties. The wood is used for carpentry and furniture-making.

Pinus pinea is an evergreen tree reaching 10m tall and wide, growing at a medium rate. Monoecious with wind-pollinated, non-self-fertile flowers blooming May to June with seeds ripening in April. Hardy to UK zone 8. Noted for attracting wildlife. Grows in light sandy to medium loamy, well-drained soils and tolerates poor fertility. Adaptable to mildly acidic, neutral, and basic mildly alkaline soils. Requires full sun and cannot tolerate shade. Tolerates drought and both dry and moist soils. Withstands strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Production

Seeds need warm summers to ripen. Seeds are stored in their cones until ready to be eaten or they become rancid. The seed take 3 years to ripen. The trees take 15 years until they beging to bear and 50 years until they reach maximum production.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

Biblical references Hosea 14:8. There are over 100 species of Pinus.

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