Its origins
Stone pine is a plant belonging to the pine family. It is native to the Central Alps and it grows at altitudes of between 1,400 and approx. 2,500 metres above sea level. As a protective tree, timber tree and a climate indicator, the stone pine plays an increasingly important role for sustainability in times of climate change.
The growth of the stone pine is strongly influenced by the weather conditions. Old trees are often windswept and deformed by lightning strikes and snow damage. The height varies, depending on the location, but the trees can normally grow to a height of about 25 metres. A typical stone pine tree normally reaches an average age of 200 – 400 years, although they can grow to be 1000 years old.
Its cones and seeds are used in food production and for the production of spirits such as stone pine liqueur.
Sustainable harvesting of this valuable tree species doesn’t spell that extinction of this source of wood. On the contrary! The proper use of stone pine can serve to rejuvenate old growth, which is actually beneficial and desirable from a conservational point of view, because a mixture of young and old woodland with thicker and thinner trees is more stable and better able to withstand the forces of nature. The correct mixing ratio in a stone pine forest protects the valley below from the consequences of extreme events such as avalanches, rockfalls or erosion. And it has also been proven statistically that more grows back than is used.
Its quality
Stone pine is a light and soft wood. The numerous dark branches do not pose any problems when working with the wood. They are firmly grown together and result in the characteristic grain of the stone pine wood, which gives rise to unique one-offs.
Its biocides and antibacterial effect
Fungi and bacteria stand almost no chance of attacking the wood thanks to the pinosylvin in stone pine. A study into the possible antibacterial effect of stone pine conducted at the Institute of Genetics and General Biology at the University of Salzburg states that:
Quote: Five types of wood (maple, beech, spruce, poplar and stone pine) were tested to determine whether they may have an antibacterial effect.
In a damp environment stone pine was found to have significantly higher antibacterial properties. After a trial period of 12 – 14 hours a larger number of bacteria were found on beech, poplar and maple wood. Almost no viable bacteria could be found on the stone pine in the same experiment.
This study was also possible to prove that stone pine furniture is particularly suitable for moth-proof storage of textiles. Stone pine has the strongest biocidal effect of all of the woods listed above. The scent of stone pine is very pleasant for humans, but greatly disliked by insects. It lasts for years and has a positive effect on our well-being.
