Stone pine
Pinus pinea
Family · Pinaceae · Harmless
The umbrella silhouette that defines the coastal Alentejo and the Serra de Grândola. It is the pine nut tree, and takes three years to make a cone.
Pine woods · Dunes and sand · Montado · Fields and pasture
Also known asumbrella pine, parasol pine
How to tell it
A broad flat umbrella crown, unmistakable from a distance. Needles in pairs, thin and flexible. A round, thick, heavy cone with hard-shelled nuts.
What it is confused with
Maritime pine
Pinus pinaster
Needle and cone. Maritime pine has thick stiff needles and a pointed cone; stone pine has fine needles and a round cone.
Open sheet →What it is for
The pine nut is Europe's most expensive nut and a Portuguese export crop. Cone gathering is a seasonal trade, still done with poles and climbers.
Traditionally used as food. This is not permission to eat it.