Pinus pinea Seeds | Stone Pine
LATIN NAME: Pinus pinea
COMMON NAME: Stone Pine
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Stone Pine, Pinus pinea is a handsome, evergreen tree. Stone pine is wide, flat-topped umbrella pine of the Mediterranean coasts. Flat, umbrella-shaped crown is one of great silhouettes of the Mediterranean, and tree has been planted and prized for nuts for thousands of years. It is a tree of open, sunny, well-drained ground. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the Pinus group, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Stone pine has carved a quiet but solid place in plant science, and tree has been studied for round, glossy cones and large, pale kernels within. Its behaviour in gardens is well recorded, thanks to a long history in cultivation.
Uses & Benefits
Stone Pine works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Stone pine does a lot of work in garden and the kitchen. Large, pale kernels are pine nuts of kitchen, prized for fine, buttery taste in pesto, cakes and salads, and tree has been planted for nuts for thousands of years. Broad, flat-topped crown is a fine, bold silhouette for large garden, avenue and coastal ground, and evergreen needles keep it handsome through the year. After the first season it asks for very little beyond a place that suits it.
Pines are a materia medica of their own: vitamin-C-rich needle teas saved explorers from scurvy, pine pollen is a tonic food in China, bark proanthocyanidins are studied for circulation, and resin gave turpentine, rosin and naval stores to history.
Growing from Seed
Stone Pine grows readily from seed. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Among the Pinus group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Stone Pine earns its space through character rather than fuss. It tolerates the sort of small mistakes every beginner makes.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Stone Pine: