Turkish Pine Data Sheet

• Common name: Turkish pine

• Latin name: Pinus brutia

• Genus: Pinus

• Height: 35 m (115 ft)

• Type: Evergreen

• Hardiness: Zone 7

• Conservation status: Least concern

Pinus Brutia, commonly known as the Turkish pine, is a conifer native to South East Europe. Its range extends across Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Crimea, Georgia and Iraq.

This tree is generally found from sea level to altitudes up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft)

The Turkish pine is a medium to large conifer, reaching a mature height of 35 m (115 ft). The trunk diameter is up to 1.5 m. The needles are set in pairs, 15 cm long with a bright green colour. The bark is orange-brown colour with deep cracking along the lower parts of the trunk, more flaky towards the crown. The young cones are green, maturing to a reddish brown colour. The cones take around 2 years to fully mature. Each cone scale has a winged seed behind it.

The Turkish pine is closely related to the Aleppo pine and Maritime pine, which all share many of its characteristics.

This tree secretes a sticky sap called honeydew, which honey bees collect and is then made into pine honey.

Turkish pine is widely used for timber production, fire wood and paper making. This tree is very drought tolerant and used for landscaping.

Pre Germination

These seeds need no pretreatment or stratification before sowing. Fill trays or pots with quality compost and firm down gently. Spread seeds across the surface; around 25 in a 10 cm pot is ideal. Cover with 3 mm of compost and gently firm down.

Keep compost damp, not soaking wet or dried out. Place pots or trays on a warm windowsill or in a warm conservatory. Germination should occur at 1–3 weeks.

Post Germination

Once seedlings appear, keep them in a well-ventilated area to reduce the risk of damping off disease. Place in a bright location such as a windowsill. Ensure seedlings never dry out. Water logging should also be avoided; young trees hate wet feet. Turkish Pine seedlings are large and sturdy and will give you little hassle. They can be separated into their own 4" pots at 15–20 weeks; by this stage they are frost hardy and can stay outside all year. Fertilization is not required up to this point. During spring and summer we advise using an NPK 10-10-10 fertilizer every 4 weeks.

CAUTION: Slugs and snails love juicy young pines and spruce. Mice also love to take these seeds.

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