This species is treated here as distinct, following Manzanares A.R. et al, Pinus cembroides s. l. y Pinus johannis del Altiplano Mexicano: Una síntesis; Acta botanica Gallica: Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France · April 2013. It is treated as a synonym of Pinus cembroides var. bicolor Little in Farjon, A. (2010). A handbook of the world's Conifers 2: 533-1111. BRILL, Leiden, Boston.

Common Name:

General Information

Pinus johannis is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a low, dense and rounded, spreading crown of branches that can extend outward as much as 3 - 4 metres. It can grow 2 - 4 metres tall, usually with two or more main stems.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of fuel. With its dwarf size, it has potential for use as an ornamental[].

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

Southern N. America - N.E. Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León and Zacatecas).

Habitat

Hot arid mountain slopes, with juniper and scrub oak, usually in poor, shallow, rocky or gravelly soils; at elevations from 1,700 - 2,800 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus johannis is native to the semi-arid to arid highlands of northeastern Mexico, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,800 metres. The area has a mean annual precipitation in the range 300 - 400mm and an average annual temperature of 16°c. Frosts are common during December and January.This is not a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -10 to -15°c when fully dormant, and also requires hot summers to ripen its new growth[, ].
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[, ]. This species has been found in the wild rowing on a steep slope of practically bare limestone[]. This species dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[]. Established plants tolerate drought[].
The oblong seed cones are 3 - 4cm long, taking two growing seasons to reach maturity. They open soon after and shed their seed, the empty cone then also falling[, ].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[] and sometimes self-sow in British gardens[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].
A dioecious species - it produces separate male flowers and female flowers, and only one of those types is produced on any individual plant. Therefore both male and female-flowered forms of the plant usually need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
This is the only species of Pine known to be dioecious - all the other species are monoecious (male and female flowers are separate, but both types are found on the same plant)[]

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. Rich in oil[]. The dark orange-brown seed is about 11 - 14mm long and 10mm wide with a hard shell up to 1mm thick[].

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 pale yellowish brown wood is only used only 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[].