Hello, A friend found a pine cone while travelling in Tuscany and started to grow this tree from seed. It looks like a pine to me, but I can't figure out what kind. It's quite prickly! Any guesses? Thanks!
Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), or Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis); they're not distinguishable at this age. Easier once it develops adult foliage in a couple of years: Stone Pine has adult needles 1-2mm broad, and 10-15cm long; Aleppo Pine has slender needles less than 1mm broad, and 6-12cm long. Should be hardy in Nanaimo, unless you get a severe winter while it is still young and in juvenile foliage (the adult foliage is a bit hardier than the juvenile).
Surprising that it seems prickly to you, maybe that indicates it is the Aleppo pine - I thought the juvenile stone pine was soft to the touch (many are seen here as they are sold as tabletop Christmas trees).
Can you remember what size the seed was? 15-20mm long = Pinus pinea 5-6mm long = Pinus halepensis Also just remembered (should've thought of it before!) Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) is also possible (the three are all closely related and have similar seedlings, and all grow in Tuscany). Seeds 6-8mm long, glossy black on one side.
Hi Michael, I'll go ask the person who picked up the pine cone and see if they remember! Thanks for that.
Yes, I would've thought Maritime pine would be a candidate also. Of the three discussed only Aleppo pine is not known as large, skyline specimens in this region.
I phoned the person who brought the pine cone back and they said the seeds were about 3/4" or 15 - 20 mm long. Does this help?
