Common Name: Big-Cone Pine

General Information

Pinus coulteri is an evergreen tree with a thin, irregular, broad crown; it can grow up to 24 metres tall. The straight to contorted bole can be up to 100cm in diameter[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental, valued especially for the large seed cones[].
Pinus coulteri has a limited area of occupancy. It may also be adversely affected by fire management policies. Although there are no data to quantify a rate of decline in the past or present, it is inferred that continuous and/or increased suppression of forest fires will in the long term lead to such a decline. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' 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

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Range

South-western N. America - western California, Baja Norte

Habitat

Scattered singly or in small groves in coniferous forests on dry rocky slopes, flats, ridges and chaparral, transitional to oak-pine woodland; at elevations from 300 - 2,100metres[, , ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	18.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus coulteri grows in a Mediterranean type climate with mild, wet winters and long, hot and dry summers. It is not a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -8 to -10°c when fully dormant[].
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[, , ]. Succeeds in most soils, including clay[]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[]. Established plants tolerate drought[].
Often a short-lived tree in cultivation. It is slow to get established but it then grows strongly[]. Of moderate growth in height with increases of about 30 - 40cm a year, but of rapid increase in girth, about 3 - 5cm a year[].
Trees do not often bear cones in Britain[, ]. A tree planted in 1954 at Kew was about 12 metres tall in September 1993 and was carrying a number of large cones[]. The summer had been cool and damp[]. The same tree had another good crop of cones in the autumn of 1996 and continues to cone quite well in 1999[]. An 11 year old tree at Kew had two small female cones in January 1999[].
Seed cones maturing in 2 years, gradually shedding seeds thereafter and moderately persistent, massive, heavy, drooping, asymmetric at base, narrowly ovoid before opening, ovoid-cylindric when open, 20--35cm, pale yellow-brown, resinous, stalks to 3cm; apophyses transverse-rhombic, strongly and sharply cross-keeled, elongate, curved, continuous with umbos to form long, upcurved claws 2.5--3cm. Seeds obovoid; body 15--22mm, dark brown; wing to 25mm[].
The fresh cones can weigh 2.2 kilos and when dried in a warm room for a year or so still weigh ½ kilo. The cones open and shed their seed whist still attached to the tree[]. The seeds are ejected explosively from the dry cone over a period of several weeks[]. The cones are 25 - 35cm long[], they can hang on the tree for a number of years with their seed intact[].
This species is closely related to P. sabiniana[].
Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby inhibiting the growth of other plants below the tree[].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. Large[], individual seeds are up to 15mm x 8mm[]. The oil-rich seed has a delicious taste with a slightly resinous flavour, it used to be gathered in large quantities by the local native people who ate it as a staple food[].

A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[].

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:

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[].

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 light in weight, coarse-grained, soft, not strong. A second class lumber[, , ].
The wood is occasionally 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[].