Maritime pine
Pinus pinaster
EmergentSecondary
A tough pioneer that colonises the poorest sandy, acidic ground and shrugs off coastal wind. It won't resprout if you cut it hard, and it self-seeds readily — plant with intent, not casually.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Emergent
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Sandy, Rocky
- Soil pH range
- 4.5 – 7
- Min. temperature
- -15°C
- Min. rainfall
- 500 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Use as a pioneer on poor, acidic sandy soils and as a tough coastal windbreak; doesn't resprout well after heavy cutting, so avoid coppicing.
Watch out for
Needles acidify and slow-decompose topsoil; not a chop-and-drop biomass tree since it barely regrows after pruning. Self-seeds freely and is listed invasive in parts of South Africa, Australia and NZ.
Design your line to see how your land fits Maritime pine.
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