Pinecones

• Pinecones are both male and female.
• The males are soft and non-woody, and usually found in clusters on the lower branch tips.
• During the first year of a female cone's life, the bracts open to accept pollen, closing again to hold the pollen inside.
• The pollen does not germinate and fertilize the ovules until the next year and takes another year for the seeds to mature.
• Then the bracts open and release the seeds.
• The mature seeds of the pine tree (aka: pine nuts) are high in protein and are eaten by people and forest animals.
• The stone pine, cultivated in Italy for more than 6,000 years, produces pignoli nuts, a national favorite.

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