Pinus halepensis

Pinus halepensis, called the Aleppo pine or Jerusalem pine, comes from the Mediterranean region. Botanist Philip Miller gave it its official name in his 1768 book *The Gardener's Dictionary*; he likely never visited Aleppo but noted large specimens at Goodwood in the Duke of Richmond's garden, transplanted in 1739, possibly sent from Syria by Alexander Russell.

This tree is small to medium, reaching 15–25 meters tall with a trunk up to 60 cm wide (rarely 1 m). Its bark is orange-red, thick and deeply cracked near the base, but thin and flaky higher up. The needles are very slender, 6–12 cm long, yellowish green, and grow in pairs (occasionally threes). The cones are narrow and cone-shaped, 5–12 cm long and 2–3 cm wide at the base when closed. They start green, turn glossy red-brown after 24 months, and open slowly over several years—faster if exposed to heat like forest fires. When open, they spread 5–8 cm wide to release seeds. The seeds are 5–6 mm long with a 20 mm wing, carried by the wind.

The Aleppo pine is closely related to the Turkish pine, Canary Island pine, and maritime pine, sharing many traits. Some experts treat Turkish pine as a subspecies (*Pinus halepensis* subsp. *brutia*), but it is usually considered a separate species. The Aleppo pine shows little variation across its range.

Its native range spans Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, southern France, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. It has been introduced elsewhere, including Portugal. An outlying population—where it was first described—exists in Syria, Lebanon, southern Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. It grows mostly from sea level to 200 m, but can reach over 1,000 m in southern and eastern Spain, above 1,200 m on Crete, and up to 1,700 m in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It quickly colonizes open, disturbed areas and is considered invasive in South Africa. It thrives on all soil types and in nearly all Mediterranean climates. It is a diagnostic species of the vegetation class *Pinetea halepensis*.

In local cuisines, the resin flavors Greek retsina wine. Tunisians make a pudding called *asidet zgougou* from the pine nuts, served in bowls with cream, almonds, and small candies. The Maltese dessert *prinjolata* also uses these nuts in its filling and as a topping.

In forestry, *P. halepensis* is widely planted for its fine timber, making it a key forestry tree in Algeria and Morocco. In Israel, natural stands occur in the Carmel and Galilee regions. The tree, along with *Pinus brutia*, has been extensively planted by the Jewish National Fund, succeeding unexpectedly in Yatir Forest on the edge of the Negev desert. Many Aleppo pine forests in Israel are used for recreation. Some argue that replacing natural oak maquis and garrigue with tall pine stands has created "ecological deserts" and altered local species. Its timber is valued for hardness, density, and easy seasoning, though planing can cause tearing unless sharp blades or adjusted angles are used. In South Africa it is considered useful but invasive; in South Australia, a control program operates on the Eyre Peninsula.

As an ornamental, *Pinus halepensis* is popular in hot, dry areas like Southern California and South Africa's Karoo, valued for heat and drought tolerance, fast growth, and looks. It is also used for bonsai.

In culture, Paul Cézanne had an Aleppo pine in his garden at Aix-en-Provence, which inspired his painting *The Big Trees*; the tree still stands as of 2005. The Aleppo pine is linked to ANZAC Day in Australia because soldiers used it during the Battle of Lone Pine in the Gallipoli campaign, and it is often planted at war memorials.