It is a medium-sized tree with a robust and spreading root system, making it well-suited for coastal soils. It is much more suitable for such soils than the more common Scots Pine (erroneously called "marittimo" or maritime pine), which does not adapt well to compact or sandy coastal soils. This species is thermophilic and highly resistant to drought. It is native to many Mediterranean coasts, from Syria and Lebanon to Spain, and along the Slavic coasts.
The wood, with light sapwood and reddish-brown heartwood, is resistant, durable, and has been used for shipbuilding, stilts, mine props, etc. The bark is rich in tannins used in tanning.
In the eastern Mediterranean, it is still cultivated for the production of an edible resin used in food preservation. In Greece, it is used for the production of "retsina" or resin wine. Pine resin had various other uses, such as producing pitch for caulking and turpentine. The wood was also used in shipbuilding. Today, Aleppo Pine is mostly valued for its ornamental and landscaping qualities, contributing a typically Mediterranean appearance to coastal areas.
It lives for 150-200 years.
