The umbrella pine has a single trunk with branches at the top radiating out like an umbrella. You can find it growing in the coastal dunes and lower hills of the Mediterranean. It grows best the full sun in sandy to loam soil with a slightly acidic pH. The edible seeds are released when the cones get hot. Deer browsing and drought do not bother well-established trees. This tree is used as a Christmas tree in some areas. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Pine needle scale, Sawflies, borers and moths can be pests. It can suffer from fungus Diplodia pinea and Mycosphaerella pini or red band needle blight. This tree is susceptible to wind damage. More information on Pinus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Fragrant
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Needles are in groups of 2 and are covered with a dull gray wax coating when young but become dark green and glossy when older.
Flower detail
Non-flowering
Fruit detail
It does not have fruits, produces cones with cream-colored egg-shaped edible seeds. Dried cones are used in flower arrangments.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Orange to red-brown with gray patches and thick scaly irregular fissures
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe
Wildlife value
This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit; Textural
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Seeds; Nuts
Edibility
The seeds are highly edible and sold in the market as 'pine nuts'. They can be eaten raw or roasted.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The resin of this pine is used for varnishes, furniture wax and as an antiseptic and for kidney and bladder problems. A green dye can be made from the needles. The pine nuts are edible.