STONE PINE

In Hosea 14:8 reference is made to a pine tree which apparently produces an edible fruit perhaps the stone pine, Pinus pinea. At one time, the stone pine was planted on a much wider scale for the delicious seeds.

These are sold in the market as pignolia nuts and are an important component of many Middle Eastern dishes. It is difficult to say with certainty which pine is intended in the scriptures as the same word can be used for other evergreen trees such as the cypress and the fir.