Posted by Heidi Allen on December 5, 2004

Q: Please can you tell me the best month to go in search of fallen pine cones in the UK?

Many thanks

Heidi

A: The most common pine in Great Britian is the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) so this is the species you'll probably be collecting cones from. I'm not familiar with the details of natural history in Great Britian but the Scots Pine life cycle is basically the same in both GB and North America. Although the pine cones are mature in Sept and Oct of their second year (it takes two years for a cone to reach maturity) the seeds are not released until the following spring (April is given as the typical month in Great Britian). Keep in mind too that cone production varies from year to year with a bumper crop produced every 3-5 years with little or no production in between.

Of course, when the cones are mature isn't as important for you as when the fall to the ground. If you're going to collect cones, you don't want to have to climb into the trees to do so, so I have a suggestion. Take a look around your area and locate a homeowner who has one or two Scots Pines in their yard. Once located, I'd approach the owner and ask them when their trees drop their cones (in a good cone year homeowners have to rake them up so they can mow). This should give you a good idea of the best time to collect cones in your area. Let's hope this year has been an especially productive one for your area.

John Wiessinger ( December 6, 2004)