Pinus torreyana

Evergreen tree reaching 20m tall, growing at a fast rate. Hardy to UK zone 8. Year-round foliage with flowers from January to March; seeds ripen November to February. Monoecious, wind-pollinated, and not self-fertile. Thrives in light sandy and medium loamy soils with good drainage, tolerates poor soil nutrition. Prefers mildly acid to neutral pH. Requires full sun and can handle both drought and moist conditions.

Description

A tree. It grows about 8-10 m high. The trunk is twisted. The trunk is 35 cm across. The bark is rough and ridged. The leaves are stiff and dark grey-green. They grow in clusters at the ends of branches. They are 20-30 cm long. The cones are 10-13 cm long. The seeds are large and winged.

Edible Uses

The oil-rich seeds have a pleasant nutty flavour with a hint of resin and are gathered in quantity from wild trees to be eaten raw or roasted. They are quite large for a pine seed — up to 25mm long — but have a thick, hard shell. A vanillin flavouring is also obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood.

Traditional Uses

The large seeds are eaten raw or roasted.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The turpentine obtained from the resin is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge. Taken internally, it is a valuable remedy for kidney and bladder complaints; used as a rub or steam bath, it treats rheumatic conditions. It is also beneficial to the respiratory system, helping with diseases of the mucous membranes and complaints such as 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.

Known Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Distribution

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. Botanical Gardens Melbourne

Where It Grows

Australia, Europe, Italy, Germany, Mediterranean, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. Established plants tolerate drought. Requires humid air conditions, though it tolerates dry soils. Trees are not very hardy in Britain. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. The cones are 10 - 15cm long. They ripen in their second year open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree. 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.

Propagation

Sow seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, or in late winter if not. 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 for their first winter or two. Because plants have a very sparse root system, early planting is important for good establishment. Trees should be planted out when quite small — between 30 and 90cm — though we typically plant them at around 5–10cm tall. A thorough weed-excluding mulch aids establishment well. Larger trees check badly and may put on little growth for several years, which also harms root development and wind resistance. Cuttings work only when taken from trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot; disbudding the shoots a few weeks before taking cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away.

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles. The needles release terpene when washed by rain, which has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat. Oleo-resins are present in all pine tissues but are often not extracted unless yields are commercially worthwhile; they are obtained by tapping the trunk or by destructive distillation of the wood, with warmer-region trees generally yielding more. Turpentine makes up an average of 20% of the oleo-resin and is separated by distillation, with uses including as a solvent for waxes, in varnish-making, and medicinally. The remaining rosin is used on violin bows and in sealing wax and varnish. Pitch from the resin serves as a waterproofing agent and wood preservative. The wood is light, soft, not strong, and coarse-grained; it is used primarily for fuel.

Production

It is fast growing. The cones shed their kernels while on the tree.

Notes

There are over 100 species of Pinus. It is an endangered plant.

Synonyms

References (15)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
• Ciesla, W.M., 1998, Non-wood forest products from conifers. Non-wood forest products 12, FAO, Rome, p 72
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 171
• Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.wdt.qc.ca)
• Hall, N. et al, 1972, The Use of Trees and Shrubs in the Dry Country of Australia, AGPS, Canberra. p 398

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