Common Name: Calabrian Pine

General Information

Pinus brutia is an evergreen tree with a usually open, rounded crown of irregular branches; it can grow 27 - 35 metres tall. The bole is straight and cylindrical[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its wood and resin. It is often planted as a forestry tree in the Mediterranean region and can be used in reforestation projects[]. The tree is also grown as an ornamental[].
Pinus brutia is widespread and abundant in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, and actually spreading from plantations. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

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

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, from the Balkans and Bulgaria to Greece, Turkey and Syria, and through the Caucasus

Habitat

Relatively open conifer forests, sometimes in pure stands, open mixed woodland with other drought tolerant trees; at elevations from near sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus brutia has a near-coastal natural distribution which coincides with the Mediterranean climate characterized by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers[]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35°c, but can tolerate 6 - 39°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -15°c, but young growth is more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c[, ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 800mm, but tolerates 250 - 1,000mm[].
Pine species in general require a sunny position if they are to grow well and, whilst the different species have their own soil preferences, most will thrive in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8.5[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The plant regenerates after fire by seed dispersal and can successfully invade maquis vegetation when this does not burn for several years[].
In contrast with planted forests, natural forests of Pinus brutia have a diverse undergrowth of shrubs and herbs and form important habitat for wildlife[].
Pinus brutia has been planted extensively in countries around the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea as it is the easiest pine to grow (with Pinus halepensis) in the Mediterranean climate.
Pinus brutia forms natural hybrids with its close congener Pinus halepensis where the two species are sympatric in Turkey, with matings successful only when Pinus halepensis is the pollen donor and Pinus brutia is the female parent[].
The seed cones are 5 - 13cm long and 5 - 8cm wide, ripening a shiny red-brown in spring two years after pollination. They open to release their seed the same summer or 1 - 2 years later, though the seeds are often not shed till winter rain softens the scales[, ].
Annual wood production potential is 2 - 6 cubic metres per hectare[]

Edible Uses

The seeds of all Pinus species are more or less edible, and some are of good size and make very tasty and nutritious foods, often eaten in quantitiy. Others can be less desireable, either having a strongly resinous flavour, being bitter or, more commonly, rather too small and fiddly to make it very worthwhle even trying to eat them,
We have no specific information of the desireability of this species, though it is somewhat small (the size given includes the shell)[].
The grey-brown seed is 7 - 8mm long and 5mm wide[].

The resin has been used from ancient times to flavour white wines known as retsina[].

A sap-sucking insect, Marchalina hellenica, produces large amounts of honey-dew, which is harvested by honeybees and sold as 'pine honey'. Pinus brutia was planted outside its native range in Greece from early times for this harvest[].

Medicinal

Oil of turpentine, obtained from the oleo-resin of all pine trees, is antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, rubefacient, stimulant and vermifuge[, ]. It is a valuable remedy used internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic affections[]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[].
Applied externally in the form of liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths and inhalers, it is a very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils etc[].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species is adapted to invading open land by means of its wind-blown and bird-carried seeds[, ]. It regenerates well after fire and can also successfully invade maquis vegetation when this does not burn for several years[]. It also encourages a diversity of undergrowth. It makes an excellent pioneer tree for reforestation within its native range[, , ].
The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[].

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[].

The resin obtained from the stem is used to flavour white wines known as retsina and for the production of turpentine[].
Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile[]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood[, ]. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields[].
Oil of Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[] and is separated by distillation[, ]. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for thinning and dissolving varnish and paints, a shoe polish, medicinal etc[, ].
Rosin is also obtained by distillation of pine resin. This is used in paper glue and soap manufacturing, as a constituent of varnishes and paints, and for coating the bows of stringed musical instruments such as violins[, ].
Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc[].

The wood is used for fencing posts, telephone posts, building timbers, railway sleepers, carpentry, boxes and crates, hardboard, veneer and pulp[, ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the germination of stored seed[]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or two[]. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow[]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[]. We actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[].
Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[].