A pine cone which I brought in to brighten up the house around New Years had
a surprise for me yesterday. This cone was from an Italian stone pine,
Pinus pinea, that I wanted to propogate. It produces big seeds that make
good snacking. This cone had been in the house about 3 weeks. A few months
cold and wet, followed by 3 weeks of warm caused some of the pinenuts to
sprout right on the cone. At first I though it was mold, but looking closer
I saw the sprouts. I would call those seeds very viable. Now all I have to
do is wait 10-15 years and I will get some pinenuts out of these.
-Mark Lee, Seattle z7