Stone
Pine
Pinus pinea
Spanish: Piñone
Height: 20 m
Spread: 15 m
 The
Stone Pine, or Umbrella Pine as it is also known, due to its broad
flat crown when mature, belongs to the group of pines known as
two-needle pines due to their leaves (needles) being borne in
bundles of two, as opposed to 3 or 5 as in some other pines.
The mature Stone Pine has
dense foliage with a tall, 'clean' straight trunk. The bark is
a reddish/grey, with the bark peeling to reveal orange patches.
The needles can be up to 20 cm long and are slightly twisted.
The cones are plump and brown and produce the pine nuts used in
cooking.
Care: The Stone Pine is native
to the south of Spain and does well in more sandy soils. Will
tolerate salt and wind.
Special note: The only drawback
with this tree is that it is host to the Pine Processionary Moth,
whose caterpillars can be potentially dangerous particularly to
children and pets. More information on the Pine processionary
moth can be found here.
These specimens are in the
Los Llanos de Tabena area in the west of Manilva.
Click on image to see full-size
picture.
|
