Common Name(s): Aleppo Pine

Synonym(s):

Family: Pinaceae

Native To: Mediterranean

Native Habitat:

Growth Habit: Large tree

Flowering:

Distinguishing Characteristics: The pines are easy to distinguish from other conifers (or "evergreens") because the needle-like leaves are grouped in bunches. When they fall, they fall as a unit (you can see many such bunches on the ground). Aleppo pine is characterized by 4" leaves, in bundles of two.

Natural History and Cultivation Notes: Aleppo pine, like all pines, is a conifer, not a flowering plant. Pines reproduce with seeds, just like flowering plants, but the seeds are borne in cones instead of flowers and fruits.

Ethnobotany: It is thought that Aleppo pine may have been the first Christmas tree. In Greece, Aleppo was decorated in a tribute to the god Attis; the early Christians may have adopted this ritual in the celebration of Christmas. Aleppo is a commonly cultivated pine in warm arid areas, as it tolerates heat better than many conifers. It is also used as a source of turpentine.

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