Plantcompass

General Information

Family: Pine family (Pinaceae)
Flowering period in Central Europe: Early to Early Summer
Months: 3–6

Allergy potential
CARE-S* Level 1–2. Produces high amounts of pollen, which can cause a “sand in eyes” feeling.

Cross-reactions
Not known.

Botanical Information

Distribution
Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, some species are also found in the tropical mountains of Honduras and Indonesia (southernmost distribution). Habitats — plains to mountainous regions.

Morphology
Habit — Tree, rarely shrub. Foliage — Evergreen needles, needles in pairs, threes, or fives. Reproduction — ♂ pollen cones spirally arranged, egg- or cylinder-shaped, ♀ seed cones stalked, woody during seed maturation.
 

Common species in Europe

Black pine or Austrian pine (Pinus nigra).
Allergy potential — CARE-S* Level 1. Habit — Tree, gray trunk. Habitats — Medium to high mountainous regions. Flowering period in Central Europe — April to June.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).
Allergy potential — CARE-S* Level 2. Habit — Tree, lower trunk gray, upper trunk reddish to fox brown. Habitats — Medium to high mountainous regions, moors, pioneer plants, important forest trees. Flowering period in Central Europe — April to June.

Mountain pine (Pinus mugo).
Habit — Low-growing tree (gnarled). Habitats — High mountainous regions up to the tree line. Also cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens. Flowering period in Central Europe — June to July.

* CARE-S is an evidence-based system for categorising the allergenic potential of plants. Additional information about CARE-S is available here.