Pine Care Guide
Pine nut trees such as Pinus pinea, commonly known as Italian Stone Pine, are easy to maintain and cared for much like other pines. For best performance, remember three key requirements: full sun, good drainage, and normal to poor soil.
Italian Stone Pine begins with juvenile needles that resemble blue spruce. After the first season, the needles become much longer and greener. Native to regions such as Italy, these trees thrive in hot, dry summers and mild winters. On the East Coast, their northern limit is roughly between Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. They are best grown in USDA zones 7–9.
Keep weeds and grass away from young trees to reduce competition. Once the tree reaches approximately 8 feet tall, it begins to develop its distinctive umbrella-shaped canopy. This unusual and attractive growth habit is the reason for its common name, Umbrella Pine.
Italian Stone Pine produces Pignola (pine) nuts, but patience is required. Nuts develop inside pine cones, and trees may take up to 15 years to begin producing. Even after production begins, cone crops can be irregular and unpredictable.
The nuts, however, are well worth the wait. Homegrown pine nuts have a noticeably fresher flavor than store-bought nuts. The nuts do require hulling—the hard shell must be cracked off. Commercially this is done with a hammer mill. If homegrown pine nuts ever catch on, perhaps a kitchen-sized hammer mill will be in order.