Common Name: Maritime Pine

General Information

Pinus pinaster is an evergreen tree with a broadly ovoid-conical crown when young, becoming irregular and denser with age; it usually grows up to 30 metres tall, occasionally reaching 40 metres. The bole is sometimes straight, but more commonly sinuous[].
An important timber tree as well as being Europe's major source of turpentine since the 16th century, the tree is commonly harvested from the wild and also extensively cultivated both within and outside its native range. It is also planted in order to stabilize dunes and provide shelter in coastal areas[].
In many parts of its European range, Pinus pinaster is on the increase. This is partly due to naturalization from extensive plantations within its natural range. Within its range in North Africa, many subpopulations are in decline and Pinus pinaster subsp. renoui has been assessed as Endangered. However, as the North African subpopulations constitute a relatively small proportion of the global population, the species as a whole is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].
The tree has been planted on a forestry scale in many parts of the Mediterranean region and in other suitable climates. It is regarded as being highly invasive and in some regions it has become a serious problem. Prolific seed production, wind-dispersed seed and rapid growth rate all contribute to its ability to invade native habitats, which suffer a consequent reduction in species diversity. It is reported to be an aggressive colonizer in Chile, Uruguay, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa[].

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

Western Mediterranean - Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.

Habitat

Low-lying, coastal plains, usually on sandy soils of sea shore dunes and flats, it is also sometimes found on mountains inland.

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus pinaster is not a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -10°c when fully dormant[]. Hardyness is very much provenence-related, with plants from continental Iberia showing greater hardiness but slower growth, whilst plants from coastal populations grow faster but are less hardy[].
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[, ]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[] and shady positions. Established plants tolerate drought[]. Succeeds in poor dry sandy soils[]. Tolerates maritime exposure[], though trees are often laid over from the base by heavy winds when they are young. The stem merely bends back to the vertical and continues growing, the bend remaining in the trunk[].
Widely cultivated in Europe for irs wood and the resin obtained from the trunk, It is also planted in order to stabilize dunes in coastal areas within as well as far outside its natural range where frost is a minimal risk due to the maritime influence on the microclimate. The region Les Landes in SW France is one of the principal areas where this pine has been planted for forestry purposes, including resin tapping. Another centre for resin production is Corsica. It has also been planted on a forestry scale in many parts of the Mediterranean region and in other regions with Mediterranean climates such as South Africa,
The best trees in Britain are found in the far south, where this species often self-sows[].
It is very fast growing, especially when young with new annual shoots of 1 metre common[]. It is not very long-lived in cultivation[, ], though trees have lived longer than 150 years in Britain.
and for woodpulp, it is the most widely used European species[, ].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[].
Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow beneath the trees[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

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 they are rather small (the size given includes the shell)[].
Seed - raw or cooked. Rich in oil, it has a resinous flavour. The seed is about 1cm long[].

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:

Pinus pinaster is often planted to provide shelter along exposed coasts[, , , , ] and also to stabilize sandy soils[, ]. It is very tolerant of maritime exposure, but may require staking when it is young[].
Extensive planting, e.g. in sand dunes, for centuries has established this species in areas where it may not have occurred naturally but where it has subsequently often been naturalized. It forms tall pine forests and, if with a more or less open canopy, the understorey is of evergreen maquis shrubs[].
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[].

Extracts of various parts of the plant are used as ingredienst in commercial cosmetic preparations as abrasives, antidandruff agents, antimicrobials, antioxidants, antiperspirants, deodorants, emollients, hair conditioners, oral hygiene, skin conditioners, skin protectors and UV absorbers[].

This species is the major source of resin in Europe[, , ]. 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 large volume of bark per unit of wood makes this a pine suitable for production of mulch[]

The wood is coarse grained and very resinous. It can be used for mining pit props, construction, telephone poles and posts for fencing, boat-building, rough carpentry, boxes and cheap furniture. Smaller sized logs with many knots or blemishes are usually chipped or pulped for particleboard and paper[, , ].

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[].