CANARY ISLAND PINE: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, USES, REPRODUCTION, CARE - BIOLOGY - 2025

The Canarian pine (Pinus canariensis) is a perennial conifer belonging to the Pinaceae family and endemic to the Canary Islands. Commonly known as Canary Island pine or Canary Island pine, it is characterized by its large size and resistance to fire.

It is a tree that reaches up to 40 m in height, with a reddish-brown split bark and a dense pyramidal crown. The light green needle-like leaves are flexible and pendant 20-30 cm long and 1.5 mm thick.

Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis). Source: Frank Vincentz

It is a monoecious plant, with female and male inflorescences on the same foot. The male ones are small, greenish-yellow in color and grouped in terminal clusters, while the female ones are violet, sprouting alone or in small groups.

The fruit is a conical pineapple 15-20 cm in length, bright brown in color with pyramidal, protruding and non-sharp escutcheons. Its heavy, hard and resinous wood is highly valued for the production of torches, due to its homogeneous structure and very fine grain.

This species is very resistant to fire thanks to the layer of cork that covers the trunk and its ability to re-sprout. At present it is a protected species in the Canary archipelago and its logging is prohibited.

General characteristics

Female inflorescences of Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis). Source: Amadalvarez

Appearance

Large monoecious tree that measures between 15-25 m in height, under certain conditions it can reach more than 60 m in height. The firm and thick trunk with smooth bark when young and cracked when mature can measure between 80 cm and 2.5 m in diameter.

The dark brown or ashy bark has elongated and irregular plates of grayish tones. The horizontal branches present abundant secondary ramifications, being the pyramidal crown in the first years, then it becomes parasolate and irregular.

Leaves

The thin, flexible, persistent, sharp, grayish-green needles are grouped into three needles per sheath. Usually, they are born from the annual branches or directly from the trunk arranged in a helical and blue-gray color.

flowers

The Pinus canariensis species is a monoecious plant with female and male inflorescences on the same trunk. The whorled female, solitary or in groups of two or three, form a purplish strobile.

The smaller male yellow-greenish ones are grouped in oblong catkins or ovate in terminal position on the branches. It blooms in early spring, ripens during the second spring, and spreads during the third summer.

Fruit

The fruit is an elongated ovoid or conical pineapple 10-20 cm long by 5-10 cm in diameter in the most bulky part. It has abundant reddish-brown scales, shiny, curved and not very sharp.

The black seeds or pine nuts have a membranous wing that favors their dispersion through the wind. Fruiting occurs annually, but occurs more abundantly every 3-4 years.

Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Plantae

- Division: Pinophyta

- Class: Pinopsida

- Order: Pinales

- Family: Pinaceae

- Genus: Pinus

- Species: Pinus canariensis C. Sm. ex DC.

Etymology

- Pinus: the genus name derives from the Latin term "pinus" given to pine-shaped plants.

- canariensis: the specific adjective is related to the geographical origin of the species.

Male inflorescences of Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis). Source: Frank Vincentz

Habitat and distribution

The natural habitat of the Canary Island palm is located on the islands of Gran Canaria, El Hierro, La Palma and Tenerife. It is a plant that adapts to various atmospheric conditions and is tolerant to different types of soil, from 700 to 2,400 meters above sea level.

It prefers loamy, fertile, humid and permeable soils, although it adapts to poor soils of limestone origin. It tolerates sunny, dry and low precipitation environments, in the same way it supports large temperature ranges, from -10 ºC to 40 ºC.

It is a very fire resistant plant, due to the layer of cork that covers the trunk, protecting it from flames and heat. In fact, its proliferation level is very high, since it is capable of easily regrowing after being devastated by large forest fires.

It is currently geographically distributed throughout North Africa, California in the United States, the Middle East, Chile, South Africa, and Australia. In the Iberian peninsula it has been introduced in the Sierra Morena and Levante, despite its low adaptation to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the region.

Canary Island pine needles (Pinus canariensis). Source: James Steakley

Reproduction

Propagation by seeds

The best way to reproduce the Pinus canariensis species is through fresh or stored seeds. The selected seeds of fertile pineapples require as a pre-germination process to remain for 24 hours immersed in fresh water to hydrate.

Once hydrated, they are placed on a universal substrate with constant humidity so that the seeds begin to germinate a week. The temperature and relative humidity must be taken care of to prevent the appearance of fungal diseases.

When the plants reach 2-3 true leaves they are transplanted to forest seedlings or flowerpots with well-drained substrate. Preferably it is recommended to use a mixture of equal parts of black peat and perlite.

The stored seeds maintain their viability for a longer time if they are preserved in a dry container at less than 0ºC. However, stored seeds require a cold stratification process for 1-3 months to activate the germination process.

Vegetative propagation

A particular property of the Canary Island pine is its ability to re-sprout after pruning or to be destroyed by forest fires. However, Canary Island pine cuttings are difficult to root, so it is not a feasible option to apply.

Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis) bark. Source: Frank Vincentz

Applications

Lumberjack

Its usefulness as a timber species is limited, since in some areas it is protected due to indiscriminate logging in the past. Only the young specimens grown for this purpose are used in carpentry and cabinetmaking.

The so-called "tea pines" or dark wood and excellent wood quality are in high demand and are becoming scarcer every day. The low quality white wood is used to make utensils, the hard and excellent finished teosa wood, is used in civil works, roofs of houses and churches.

Forest

The Canary pine is a very particular forest species, since it is adapted to resist forest fires due to the thick bark of the trunk. In addition, it has the ability to regenerate quickly by sprouting the buds of the trunk, at which time its cones open and disperse the seeds due to the effect of heat.

On the other hand, it is a species used in reforestation given its ease of growth and subjection to various types of soils, especially eroded soils. In the same way, it adapts to poorly evolved soils, with low organic matter content, coupled with its resistance to fire and rapid growth.

Medicinal

In herbal medicine, infusions and vapors from pine leaves and buds have been used to treat asthma, bronchitis and the common cold. The resin obtained from the bark contains terpenes and tannins with expectorant, mucolytic and astringent effects.

Turpentine obtained from this species is used topically for the treatment of inflammation and bone or muscle pain. Likewise, the tar obtained by distillation of the trunk and roots is indicated to cure skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis or cutaneous mycosis.

Ornamental

As an ornamental plant, it is planted as an isolated plant in gardens, parks and squares, being highly appreciated for its rusticity and lush foliage. It is a pine resistant to drought and poor soils, but sensitive to cold under certain conditions.

Fruit of the Canary Pine (Pinus canariensis). Source: No machine-readable author provided. Nova assumed (based on copyright claims).

Care

Location

The Canary Island pine is a forest species that is planted in open spaces with full sun exposure. Provided it receives enough solar radiation, the Canary Island palm can withstand temperatures below -12 ºC.

Grown as an ornamental plant, it requires direct solar radiation and a minimum separation of ten meters from buildings, asphalt roads and pipes. Its roots are generally invasive and it tends to cause problems in nearby buildings.

Sowing

The best time to establish the field crop is during spring, when the minimum and maximum temperatures have decreased, and there are no risks of frost. The rooting of the new plant requires a wide, fertile, humid and permeable space, it is required to plant in a 1 x 1 m hole.

Floor

It grows on sandy, fertile, loose soils, with a slightly acidic pH and well drained. It is not very tolerant to limestone soils, in this case it requires iron sulfate contributions to prevent chlorosis and general weakening of the plant.

Irrigation

In its natural habitat it is highly tolerant to drought, cultivated as an ornamental plant requires continuous supplies of humidity. During the summer it is necessary to water 2-3 times a week, the rest of the year every 4-5 days to prevent damage caused by water deficit.

Subscriber

Despite being a rustic species, it is advisable to apply organic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers, especially if the soils are slightly alkaline. The most appropriate thing to do during spring and summer is to make a monthly application of some type of organic fertilizer, such as worm castings, manure or chicken manure.

Canary Pine seeds (Pinus canariensis). Source: Philmarin

Plagues and diseases

Pests

The main pest that affects the Pinus canariensis species is the Lepidoptera Thaumetopoea pityocampa. The caterpillars of this insect are known as "pine processionary", which make their nests in palm trees and feed on their pine needles and shoots.

Diseases

Fungal pathogens attack the needles, branches and roots, being the ascomycota fungus Thyriopsis halepensis is the main disease of the Canary pine. This pine defoliator fungus begins its attack from the base of the crown towards the ends, causing the needles to dry out and fall.

References

1. Climent, J., López, R., González, S., & Gil, L. (2006). The Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), a unique species. Ecosistemas Magazine, 16 (1).
2. Cruz Sánchez, Jorge (2008) Pino Canario. Bienmesabe. Magazine Nº 233. ISSN: 1885-6039. Recovered at: bienmesabe.org
3. López, E., Climent, JM, & Montero, G. (2008). Pinus canariensis Sweet forestry. Compendium of applied forestry in Spain. INIA, Madrid.
4. López Rodríguez, RAL (2009). Adaptive differentiation between populations of Pinus canariensis Chr. Sm. ex DC (Doctoral dissertation) Polytechnic University of Madrid. Higher Technical School of Forestry Engineers. 135 pp.
5. Canary Island Pine (Pinus Canariensis) (2019) Tenerife Island Live it. Recovered in: isladetenerifevivela.com
6. Pinus canariensis Sweet (2013) Iberian Trees. Recovered in: arbolesibericos.es
7. Pinus canariensis (2019) Canary Tree App. Recovered at: arbolappcanarias.es
8. Pinus canariensis (2019) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered at: es.wikipedia.org