Siberian stone pine, Siberian cedar pine
Pinus sibirica

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows to 35 m tall. The trunk is 1.8 m across. The bark is pale brown. The small branches are yellow and thick. There are dense pale yellow hairs. There are 5 needles per bundle. They are slightly curved. They are almost triangle shaped in cross section. They are 6-11 cm long by 0.5-1.7 mm wide and stiff. The cones are 6-13 cm long by 5-8 cm wide.

There are over 100 species of Pinus. The seeds are highly nutritious. They are 64% fat.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in mountains usually scattered in ridges and rocks between 1000-1600 m altitude. It is very cold hardy. It suits a continental climate. It needs moist air and good rainfall. It is best in a well-drained, deep loamy soil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Central Asia, China, Europe, Finland, Indochina, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Siberia, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten. The seeds are pressed for the production of cooking oil. The leaves are brewed into tea.

It is a cultivated food plant. It is also harvested in large amounts from the wild.

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Trees can live for 500 years. One tree can yield 1,000-1,500 cones in a year. Each cone contains 80-140 seeds. Seeds take 2 years to ripen.

Its other names

Local names

Xian bei wu zhen song

Synonyms

Pinus cembra L. subsp. sibirica (Du Tour) Krylov; Pinus cembra var. sibirica (Du Tour) G.Don; Pinus hingganensis H.J.Zhang; Pinus sibirica var. hingganensis (H.J.Zhang) Silba;