The Biology of Pine Cones

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Pine trees produce male pine cones on the lower part of the tree and female ones towards the top, a clever way to prevent self-fertilization. The male cones are easy to spot—small clusters of brownish-yellow structures that release male gametes. The pollen is actually heavy compared to that of other trees and looks like Mickey Mouse’s head under a microscope – the parts that resemble Mickey’s ears are air sacs to catch the wind and blow them upwards towards trees nearby. In only a few people does pine pollen cause allergies; smaller oak and hickory pollen are usually the culprit. The female cones that we collect to help start fires and to decorate at Thanksgiving and Christmas will produce seeds, that in some species, are big enough to eat – those delicious pine nuts.