Maritime pine
Pinus pinaster
Family · Pinaceae · Harmless
The pine that covers half of Portugal's forest and has fixed the coastal dunes since the 13th century. Thick long needles, pointed cones, and a resin that was once a national industry.
Pine woods · Dunes and sand · Uplands · Scrubland
Also known ascluster pine
How to tell it
Needles in pairs, thick, stiff and very long, among the longest of European pines. A large, conical, pointed, glossy cone. Thick bark in deep dark plates.
What it is confused with
Stone pine
Pinus pinea
The silhouette is enough: stone pine is an umbrella, maritime pine an irregular cone. And the stone pine cone is round and heavy, the maritime one long and pointed.
Open sheet →What it is for
Timber, pulp and resin. It is also the species that burns most: a dense unmanaged maritime pine stand is the ideal fuel for a major fire, and that is part of reading it properly.