Very characteristic tree with a spherical crown flattened at the top and a strong, straight trunk, creating a lovely parasol shape. The trunk is orange-brown and develops deep grooves later, creating broad bark plates. Young twigs are greenish brown to orange in the first year, turning a matted orange-brown later. The needles grow radially in pairs around the branch. When in its early stage of growth, in particular, the tree's needles are a uniform grey, turning greyish green later. The cones are green and round in the first 2 years. When ripe, starting in the third year, they grow to become ovoid and turn a shiny brown. The seeds, the well-known pine nuts, have been a delicacy since Roman times. Together with Cupressus sempervirens, Pinus pinea is a specific tree that occurs often in countries around the Mediterranean Sea.