Pinus strobiformis

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds

The seeds can be eaten raw or cooked, or ground into a powder. Oil-rich with a slightly resinous flavour and soft texture, they make an excellent food. Each seed is about 12mm long and 10mm wide, with a harder shell than pinyon pine seeds. The inner bark is also edible; while no further preparation details are given for this species, inner bark is typically dried, ground into a powder, and used as a thickener in soups or added to cereals when making bread. A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Australia, Central America, Mexico, North America, USA,

How to Identify

Medium-growth evergreen tree reaching 25m tall. Year-round foliage with flowers May to June and seeds ripening September to October. Monoecious and wind-pollinated. Grows in light sandy and medium loamy soils with good drainage; tolerates poor nutrition, drought, and moist conditions. Requires full sun. Tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. Hardy to UK zone 8.

How to Grow

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. Established plants tolerate drought. Plants are fairly wind-resistant. This species should succeed in the east of England. Seed production in the wild consists of a cycle of one good year followed by several years of low crops. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby inhibiting the growth of other plants below the tree. The branches are very flexible. The cones open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. This species is closely allied to P. flexilis. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Sow seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, or in late winter if necessary. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°C can improve germination of stored seed. Plant seedlings into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them through their first winter or two. Because plants have a very sparse root system, early transplanting is important for good establishment. Trees should be moved to their final positions when small — between 30 and 90cm — though in practice planting out at around 5–10cm tall works well, provided a thorough weed-excluding mulch is used. Larger transplants establish poorly, putting on little growth for several years, which also compromises root development and wind resistance. Cuttings can be taken, but this method only works on trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot attached. Disbudding the shoots a few weeks before taking cuttings can improve success. Cuttings are generally slow to grow away.

Medicinal Uses

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

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles. The needles contain terpene, which is released by rain and negatively affects the germination of some plants, including wheat. Oleo-resins are present in all pine species but are often insufficient for economical extraction; they are obtained by tapping the trunk or by destructive distillation of the wood, with warmer-region trees giving higher yields. Turpentine makes up an average of 20% of the oleo-resin and is separated by distillation for use as a solvent, in varnish-making, and medicinally. The remaining rosin is used on violin bows and in sealing wax and varnish. Pitch from the resin is used for waterproofing and wood preservation. The wood is light, soft, and close-grained, and is occasionally made into lumber as well as being used for general carpentry.

Pinus strobiformis, also known as Chihuahua white pine, is a medium-sized white pine tree endemic to western Mexico in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. It is typically a high-elevation pine growing mixed with other conifers in montane forest. It was formerly considered conspecific with Pinus reflexa (southwestern white pine) of the southwestern United States and Pinus stylesii of northeastern Mexico, but is now treated as distinct from these.

Notes

There are over 100 species of Pinus.

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