Arolla pinetree, Swiss stone pine, Siberian cedar
Pinus cembra
Family: Pinaceae
What it is like
A medium sized tree. It grows 13-25 m tall. It is evergreen. The trunk is knotty. The branches are short and level branches. The young bark has resin blisters and later becomes scaly. The young leaves are soft and pale green. They become dense and stiff. They grow in groups of five. They are shiny green on top and whitish underneath. The shoots are hairy. The male flowers are yellow when ripe. They are in clusters at the base of new growth. The female flowers are red and at the tips. The cones are 10 cm long. They are small and erect and egg shaped. They ripen to red brown. The seeds are large. They are edible. The cones do not open naturally but cones rot on the ground.
There are over 100 species of Pinus.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It is a very hardy tree. Trees need good drainage. They can grow on a range of soil types. It grows at 1,500-2,400 m altitude in the Alps. Heidelberg Victoria. It suits hardiness zones 4-7.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, Austria, Britain, Czech, Europe (country/location of origin), France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mediterranean, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA
How it is used for food
The seeds are roasted and eaten. They are used in some pastries and dairy foods. The seeds also yield an edible oil. The male flowers are eaten raw as a snack and famine food.
Edible parts
Seeds, seeds - oil, male flowers
How it is grown
Fresh nuts can be sown immediately and germinate readily.
Trees are slow growing. They take many years before producing cones. Trees live up to 2000 years. The cones should be harvested slightly immature and dried to give the best quality nuts.
Its other names
Local names
Cirbolya, Moungnett, Pin